Monday, April 30, 2012

A Fond Farewell

Thanks Steve!

Steve Postma spending his last day as General Manager of SVLCC having lunch with the golf course maintenance staff. Steve has definitely left a lasting impression on us. I've had the opportunity to work with Steve for the past six years.  He filled our club with energy, fun and excitement. His leadership and friendship will be missed. 






Steve Postma & Golf Course Maintenance Staff

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Aerification Update

A Breath of Fresh Air

Yes, it's that time again. Time to aerify the putting greens. But they look so good and are rolling so nice,  do we have to do it? I am often asked this question around aerification time and the answer is most definitely, Yes! Aerification is the most important cultural practice we do to the putting greens.  It is through timely, consistent aerification that we keep the greens in such nice condition. It is only one of many cultural processes, but probably the single most important.  There are many benefits to aerification:

  • Allows air to more easily reach the root system
  • Relieves compaction 
  • Aids in the breakdown of any thatch
  • Helps water and nutrients move throughout the soil
  • Smooths out the putting surface   
Mother Nature threw us a curveball this year with rain showers on the second day of aerification. And with thundershowers forecasted for tomorrow, we might have to improvise this spring in order to complete the sanding. We had to wait for the sand to dry before we could drag it into the holes. Sometimes wet sand can "cap" a hole not allowing more sand to fill it. And a few days later when the sand dries out, you notice more open holes than usual. Rest assured they will recover nicely and be back to normal in no time.
Gabriel Salas aerifying #4 green
Jose Acevedo cleaning cores off green

Jose Barocio & Ramon Martinez cleaning core piles
Bernardo Torres topdressing green with sand

Sal Diaz using steel drag mat to fill holes with sand


Gabriel Salas using carpet for a final smoothing

Friday, April 20, 2012

Audubon Update

Achieving Audubon Certification, half way there!

We are currently in the process of becoming certified with Audubon International.  The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses helps golf courses to enhance wildlife habitats and protect natural resources for the benefit of people, wildlife, and the game of golf.

The Golf Program is part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System, a nationwide network of conservation partnerships that includes backyards, schools, corporate and business properties, and golf courses.  It is administered by Audubon International, a non-profit environmental organization that spearheads education and conservation assistance programs that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Achieving certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary demonstrates our leadership, commitment, and high standards of environmental management.

To achieve certification we must complete six categories. So far we have completed three out of six and are planning on completing the last three this year.




The categories we have completed certification in are:
  1. Environmental Planning
  2. Chemical Use Reduction and Safety
  3. Water Conservation





The next category we are working on is Water Quality. One aspect of this is protecting our canal and lake system from unwanted pollutants entering the waterways.  You may have noticed areas where we have naturalized the shorelines. We are still experimenting which areas we can naturalize without impacting play. Also, we have identified out of play areas we are going to naturalize to aid in the completion of another category, Wildlife and Habitat Management.

Stay tuned for more Audubon information and benefits of naturalization!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Maintenance Schedule Update

Spring Aerification Schedule


Tees - April 16th - 20th
Greens - April 24th and 25th
Fairways & Roughs - April 30th - May 11th

Hole 13 Par 5 - Photo from 2002





Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A Warm Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog! This blog was created to help you understand more about what we are doing on the course. Stay tuned for important information about current and upcoming events, cultural practices, course maintenance scheduling, weather issues, capital projects, Audubon updates or other interesting facts about the course. Be sure to check back regularly as I will add more features to the site in the months to come.  Again, a warm welcome to our new blog from the golf course maintenance staff.