Dirty Jobs

Dirty Jobs is a popular cable TV show that highlights the importance of the trades and blue-collar workers. The host, Mike Rowe, has been a champion of the blue-collar trades, construction, and hard work. One of his famous quotes is "If everybody had an office job who would build the offices?" Or in our case who would build the golf courses? Thankfully, there are people like Russ Macke and hard workers on the WHCC grounds crew that over the past year worked extremely long hours to transition the old small driving range into a bigger, more golfer friendly complex.

Phase 1 of the driving range renovation included installing a new chipping green, expanding the practice tee, building target greens, and expanding the putting green. Now Phase 2 is building a new north tee. This phase of the driving range project is now in the grow-in stage. Much dirt was moved and shaped by Russ Macke and it is hard to remember that most of the area was a forest a little over a month ago. The drainage has been installed, irrigation pipe dug in and connected, the surrounds seeded with fescue and either strawed or matted, and the new tee seeded with bentgrass. Part of the back of the old tee was eliminated. The sod in this area was still in good shape, so before excavation we stripped the sod and inserted it into the beginning of #11 fairway, a problem area that was turning into more goosegrass than bentgrass.

 With seeding timing is everything. Last year the chipping green was the first area seeded in late September with many of the surrounds not getting finished until late October. Consequently, the grow in phase was slow with grass struggling to germinate throughout the winter into this past spring. This year everything has been seeded by mid-September which has resulted in these areas quickly germinating. The first area was seeded in late August, and we have already mowed it twice. Hopefully, the germination on the tee and surrounds continues its rapid pace.

Shaping the new tee.

New cart path and surrounds installation

Drainage being installed

David, Raymond, Ricardo, and Miguel installing drainage pipe

Prepping the new driving range tee

                             

Germination on the tee surrounds

 

Bentgrass starting to germinate on new north tee

Wheels replacing the goosegrass infested fairway area with bentgrass sod.

#11 fairway area completed

Tee a week later

Mark and Ricardo digging in a draintile line

Hate is a strong word, but in the case of hydraulic leaks it may not be strong enough! After going over a year without one hydraulic hose leak, in the span of less than a week in early September we were graced with two. Hydraulic fluid is clear and very hard to see when it first comes out but after a couple of hours it becomes very noticeable and after a few days the turf is dead. The first one occurred on #12 short rough area and the second was on Labor Day morning on #12 and #18 approaches. Both of these pieces of equipment are older units with many hours of use. Some of our equipment is starting to show its age and we are currently looking into replacements, but we can never fully eradicate the chance of a hose breaking, even on newer equipment. The area on #12 has since been taken up and sodded and the leak on #18 is starting to heal in but it will take some time before it is unnoticeable.

Hydraulic leak on #12

Hydraulic leak on #18 approach an hour after it occurred. Just now starting to see it.

 The new cart barn area is completed. First, we installed the new landscaping, built the cart path, then removed the dying white oak, and recently shaped and seeded the back area. It also is in the grow-in phase and hopefully will start to germinate soon.

Cart barn surrounds seeded.

Slit seeding has taken place on many rough locations that died out during the hot summer months. Also, the bermuda grass on #11 and #16 has been slit seeded with intermediate ryegrass to give these areas some color when the bermuda grass goes dormant for the season.

Slit seeding rough areas

Slit seeding #11 fairway

It is that "tine" of year again for aeration. The greens were aerated on September 6th. Normally we core aerate (pull plugs) on all of the greens; however, this year midway through the process a rainstorm developed and halted the operation. After the rain ended the greens were too wet to deal with plugs that would turn into mud pies when trying to pick up, so we solid tine aerated the rest. Core aerating is more efficient at eliminating organic material than solid tine but they both are beneficial to the turf especially after a heavy topdressing, which we were able to accomplish on all of the greens. Next up are tees and we have begun to pull cores on some of them. This will continue to occur during the rest of September and into October. The fairways will be deep solid tine aerated on October 6th (course closed) and the rough will follow. We will have to work around play to accomplish most of the aeration, so we ask for patience as we try to complete this important agronomic practice.

Topdressing the putting green

Aerating #13 tee

Finally, since we just celebrated Labor Day, I want to take a minute to highlight some of the outstanding work done by the crew on a regular basis to maintain this beautiful golf course and keep up with construction deadlines. Mike Rowe once said, "We're churning out a generation of poorly educated people with no skill, no ambition, no guidance, and no realistic expectations of what it means to go to work." Looking at the current labor situation it is hard to argue with this statement-where no call, no shows are commonplace, 2:00 AM morning call off text messages are the norm, and a 15-hour work week is considered, by some kids, to be full time. However, there are many more talented employees that show up early, work hard, and get the job done. People like Michael Westendorf (assistant superintendent), Chris "Wheels" Wheeler (2nd assistant superintendent), Jim Hessel (head mechanic), Raymond Cruz (foreman), and of course all of our friends from Guatemala are the spokes of the wheel that keep the department moving forward. Their early morning work is rarely seen, but their product is enjoyed by everyone that steps foot on the property. Hopefully you will join me in expressing gratitude to these men that work this "dirty job" so that members and guests can enjoy a nice round in a beautiful environment!

David mowing #7 green before daybreak.

Wilfredo starting on drainage on the new driving range tee at 5:30 AM

Brad Piecuch

Grounds Superintendent