TPC Sawgrass Agronomy

THE PLAYERS Stadium Greens Grooming

2012-01-27T11:37:00.013-05:00

With temperatures rising to the low 80's in the previous week, turfgrass growth and green-up has increased slightly with the Miniverde bermudagrass greens. Due to the increased growth and density, greens on THE PLAYERS Stadium were groomed on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Groomers contain a special type of reel that cuts vertically into the turf. The grooming practice is less aggressive than a traditional vertical mowing, in that the reels are set to slightly "tickle" the surface of the turf. Our grooming height of cut is currently set at 0.055" above flush, while greens are being mown at 0.130." The agronomic benefits of grooming include improved upright growth (reducing grain), slight thinning of the canopy, and a more consistent quality of cut. Additionally, by grooming the greens before walkmowing, we are able stimulate new growth from the crown of the plant, encouraging vertical movement that enables higher photosynthesis rates and a better penetration of water, fertilizer, and sand topdressing. Ultradwarf bermudagrasses require frequent grooming to provide customers with a firm and fast playing surface.

Irrigation Valve Audit on Dye's Valley

2012-01-23T14:56:00.012-05:00

For the last few weeks on Dye's Valley we have put our focus on locating and checking main line shutoff valves and greens valves. The main line shutoff valve serves as a means of isolating an entire hole if an irrigation leak or break occurs in the field. Exercising these regularly will allow the valves to open with ease. In some cases we came to a few valves that had to be tightened down with two people. This is not an ideal situation if it occurs during a PGA Tour Event. Having done an entire audit on the main line valve shutoff we found that two valves could not be shut off by one person. To correct this issue, we will be replacing these valves.

The greens valves purpose is to allow us to shut off water flow to the greens loop. Having the greens loop valved down stops water flow to only the green allowing irrigation practices to continue on the hole. During the audit of the greens valves we found that many were fully operational, although several were non-functional. We will be repairing all of these in house, which we started a few weeks ago by repairing number 12.

Pencil Tining Stadium Greens

2012-01-20T16:09:00.005-05:00

This week at TPC Sawgrass we pencil tined greens . We used the Toro 648 ProCore to tine all greens on property. This process took us two days due to the storm that passed through on Wednesday morning. The ProCore was equipped with solid tines or pencil tines. The solid tine is a less aggressive way to ventilate the greens. The tines are designed to punch into the turf and penetrate the top soil and root zone. The reason that we pencil tine greens is to relieve soil compaction which will allow oxygen to reach the root zone to keep the turf as healthy as possible.

Heater Installation for Greens - Unique Situations

2012-01-18T10:53:00.019-05:00

During the instillation of number 11 heater we found that the most direct and cost effective route to run the power wires was under the lake surrounding 11 green. In order to accomplish this we had to bring an outside company in who specializes in underground boring.

Using the JT 2020 Ditch Witch, the company was able to bore underneath the lake and run a 2" conduit and power wires back to the power source. This machine uses a combination of drilling, a pressurized water system, and manual control capabilities. As the drill bit spins, pressurized water and a specialized quick setting gel substance create a cavity for the conduit to pass through. The drill bit also contains a sensor that allows the operator to have control of both the depth and direction. The sensor sends and receives signals that the operator uses to control the machine.

We found that a safe distance below ground for the bore to pass would be 24 feet. At this depth we figured that we would be safely below the lake and clear of all other irrigation pipes and wires. In order to accomplish this they set the machine at a 24% decline, reaching our desired depth over 100 feet. This method is quick, efficient and leaves minimal disruption to the surface. The machine drilled for 1 hour, covering a total distance of 500 ft before reaching its destination.

Bridge Surfacing

2012-01-16T08:00:00.007-05:00

As part of capital improvement work here at the TPC Sawgrass, all wooden bridges are being surfaced with a product called Dock Revive. Dock Revive is an acrylic based polymer that creates a durable coating which preserves the wood, ultimately extending its longevity. The polymer also helps to fill any cracks and secure nails or screws.

We are completing this project with Agronomy labor, as the process is relatively simple. First we close one half of the bridge, while allowing golf carts to pass on the other half. The closed half is then primed, allowing 30 minutes of dry time. The main resin is mixed with colored acrylic stain and the Dock Revive powder chemistry. This resin is applied with a nap roller and allowed to dry for 24 hours. With two crews working, one for primer and the other for resin, we've been able complete one golf course in three days.

The Stadium bridges will be surfaced this week.

For more information on the Dock Revive product: http://www.gulfsynthetics.com/consumer-products/dock-revive

Irrigation Repair

2012-01-11T19:53:00.009-05:00

Irrigation is a vital aspect to the success of this business. With weather and seasons changing from year to year, irrigation scheduling is very important. The Agronomy team is responsible for the irrigation system components and operating system. Repairs to old pipe and out-dated equipment are necessary to keep the current system up to date. Pipe fixtures and wiring repair is a daily component for the Agronomy team. Repairs were done this week on the Player's Stadium Course behind number 6 green and left of number 2 green.

Player's Stadium Course Chemical Treatment

2012-01-11T17:21:00.011-05:00

Spot spray treatment began this week on the Player's Stadium Course for Poa annua control. Poa annua, commonly known as annual bluegrass, is a winter annual that is one of the most common and problematic grassy weeds in the turf industry. Poa annua is successful because of its large abundance of seed-heads and ability to survive low mowing heights, unlike most weeds. Not only is Poa annua aesthetically unappealing, it also affects the playing surface for golfers. Chemical treatment was applied with a mix of Rimsulfuron and Metsulfuron. Both of these herbicides are members of the sulfonyl-urea family. Sulfonyl-urea's major mode of action is to inhibit amino acid bio-synthesis in the plant, which shuts down all physiological functions necessary to survive.

Heater Update

2012-01-07T09:15:00.010-05:00

Seven new heaters have been installed on the Players Stadium Course and are up and running on greens 2, 3, 5, 7, 15, 18 and the chipping green. A new Toro irrigation box had to be installed on 15 so the heater could be turned on remotely with a radio. The remaining seven heaters will be set up at the end of January.

Heater Installation for Greens Continues

2011-12-27T06:27:00.006-05:00

The heater installation on the Players Stadium Course continues starting today on greens 2, 3, 5, 7, 18, and the chipping green. The machines use 3 phase power to generate hot air which is pumped through the existing greens drainage tile. Heat pumping through the system is dependent on outside temperature and can range from 90 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. We also have the advantage of using heat boost 1 and heat boost 2. There is a 10 degree temperature change between heat boost 1 and heat boost 2. This past winter we saw a 5 degree increase in temperature between the heated greens and non-heated greens. These machines can not only heat, but also are equipped with an air conditioning unit as well as suction capabilities. This allows the agronomy team to cool the greens during the summer months and pull rainwater out of the soil profile in wet conditions. Tom Wait contracted by Precision Air is installing the machines, while Miller Electric is providing electrical power. MacCurrach Golf Course Construction is doing the site preparation.

2011-12-24T09:55:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Agronomy Department.

Valley Lake Bank Improvement Work

2011-12-12T08:35:00.004-05:00

The lake bank between the Valley putting green and #18 green prior to native grass planting

Lake bank after planting

We've continued lake bank improvement work on Dye's Valley this winter. The overall goal of this work is to create a more attractive appearance, while reducting maintenance inputs. Maintaining turfgrass on the lake banks takes a significant amount of time and resources, from string trimming and flymowing to chemical applications.

The grasses we use in these situations include: cord grass (Spartina bakeri), creeping cord grass (Spartina patens), and crown grass (Paspalum quadrifarium).

Players Stadium Course New Precision Sprayer

2011-12-08T14:38:00.004-05:00

The Players Stadium course just received a new Chem Pro 350 gallon sprayer. This precision sprayer was calibrated by the agronomy staff in order to achieve a correct spray rate. In the past, our spray rate was at 2.3 gallons per 1000 ft2. Our new spray rate is exactly 2 gallons per 1000 ft2. At this rate, when we execute a greens spray, we will fill the tank to 348 gallons allowing there to be no left over product for 4 acres sprayed. One of the benefits of this sprayer is that it has 2 different pumps on board. A centrifugal pump solely runs the agitation, while the diaphragm pump is used for the spray application.

New Web Address

2011-11-18T06:18:00.004-05:00

In an attempt to capture a broader audience, the TPC Sawgrass Agronomy Team has changed the Agronomy blog's web address. The new blog web address is http://www.tpcsawgrassagronomy.com/. If you prefer to use our old address or forget to change it in your favorites folder, you will be automatically redirected to the new address.

We are planning on making more changes to create the most informative blog in the turf industry. Stay Tuned....

2012 PLAYERS Tournament Support

2011-11-14T06:58:00.001-05:00

The 2012 PLAYERS TOURNAMENT SUPPORT informational packet is now available. This year it is online, via our blog!

Please look on the right column of our home page and click on the "2012 PLAYERS TOURNAMENT SUPPORT INFORMATION PACKET" tab. You will then be redirected to the online application. Once completed, you can print for you records, and then submit the application for processing to our records.

2011 was a huge success, and we want a head start for 2012. Start planning now! We hope to see many of our past support staff again, and begin new relationships with many more!

Birdies for the Brave at TPC Sawgrass

2011-11-07T15:01:00.004-05:00

Today we held our annual tournament, Birdies for the Brave in support of our Military. It was a shotgun start on both the Stadium and Valley course. This is a wonderful tournament and we as a staff really enjoy setting up for this event.

Birdies for the Brave is a fundrasing organization designed to help raise money for all the wounded warriors and their families. This foundation was originally created by Phil Mickleson, for every birdie he made he would give $100 to support soliders that were injured in combat, and for every eagle he gave $500.

Since 2005 the tour has joined with PGA tour players and corporate partners to help raise millions of dollars for wounded warriors and military families.

We here at TPC Sawgrass are Proud Supporters of Birdies for the Brave.

Greens Ventilation

2011-11-07T09:14:00.004-05:00

Last week we began a process of ventilating and topdressing the Stadium Golf Course greens with black sand in preparation for the winter months. This is a process that we will continue to perform on a weekly/biweekly basis depending on weather conditions.

Process: We begin our process by topdressing every green with a thin layer of black sand. Next we ventilate each green with between .2” and .4” solid tines. Depending on the size tines that we use, we may or may not roll each green behind the ventilation.

Purpose: The purpose of topdressing the greens with black sand is to capture as much heat in the soil profile as possible and keep the plant growing. We also gain added protection from wear as well as increased healing of abrasions such as ball marks on the greens. Ventilation of the greens serves many purposes and has many advantages to us. One major advantage of ventilating the greens is reducing compaction, which allows for better air movement through the soil profile.

2011 Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Raises $1.8 Million For Charity

2011-11-04T12:56:00.002-04:00

Over the past two years the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open has raised $3.4 million for charity. Below is the official press release:

(Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – November 3, 2011) – Chairman, CEO and President of Winn-Dixie Inc. Peter Lynch announced at the culmination of this year’s Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters Nationwide Tour event that the 2011 event surpassed the record-breaking $1.6 million dollars raised for charity in its inaugural year. With the help of the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program, the 2011 event raised a record $1.8 million for charity.

“To give more money to charity than we gave last year and provide even more financial support to charities in our area is something we’re thrilled at Winn-Dixie to be a part of. We could not have done it without the incredible support of our sponsors, media partners, volunteers, spectators, and the local charities selling our tickets through the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program,” said Lynch. “This is why we partnered with the PGA TOUR to bring the Nationwide Tour to our hometown of Jacksonville. Charity is the real winner here.”

Tournament representatives, sponsors and PGA TOUR officials display oversized check to demonstrate the amount raised for charity by the second annual Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters. From left to right: Bill Hughes, General Manager, TPC Sawgrass; Jeff Sanders, CEO and President, Jeff Sanders Promotions; Peter Lynch, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.; Gavin Coles, 2011 Champion; Anne Nimnincht, Volunteer Chair; Tim Finchem, Commissioner, PGA TOUR; Bill Calfee, President, Nationwide Tour; Ryan Jensen, Sales Manager, Allied Insurance.

Proceeds from the 2011 Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters benefit the Winn-Dixie Foundation, which supports hundreds of non-profit organizations in the communities Winn-Dixie serves. The Winn-Dixie Foundation focuses on giving back in the areas of health, women & children, education and hunger.
Contributing to the total of $1.8 million, the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program accounted for over $225,800 for non-profit organizations in the Jacksonville area. The PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY program offers local non-profits the opportunity to sell tournament tickets and keep 100% of the sales they generate. In the second year of the event, 175 charities sold approximately $225,800 in tickets. Those charities will also split a $50,000 bonus pool generously provided by PepsiCo, bringing the total that local charities will earn and receive to approximately $275,800.
Executive Director Jeff Sanders pointed out the remarkable effort of the participating charities, saying, “The non-profits participating in the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program continue to work extremely hard selling our tournament tickets and the partnership with the tournament is truly a win-win. The non-profits benefit from the revenue they earn from selling 100% of our tournament tickets and keeping 100% of the dollars generated from their individual ticket sales efforts and the tournament benefits from an increase in attendance. Without TICKETS Fore CHARITY™, we would not see the results for charity we do today for the greater Jacksonville area.”
"The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters is a shining example of what can happen when the PGA TOUR partners with a great sponsor like Winn-Dixie and receives the backing of so many selfless, dedicated volunteers,” said Nationwide Tour President, Bill Calfee. “The impact of this one week of golf will be significant on a great number of organizations and individuals throughout the year."
The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters will return to TPC Sawgrass in October 2012, promising another week of great golf, good fun, and with more hard work by all involved, hopefully an even greater contribution to charity.

Breast Cancer Awareness and Magic Sand

2011-10-23T10:52:00.004-04:00

Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open PM Setup

2011-10-20T11:02:00.001-04:00

Dye's Valley Superintendent Andy Burrow describes PM course preparation prior to Day 1 of the 2011 Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open

The Stadium Course Stays Open to Play

2011-10-17T14:12:00.003-04:00

In the midst of the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, the Stadium Golf Course continues to stay open and busy with play. As of today, October 17, there is an average of 140 rounds per day scheduled to be played on the Stadium. More rounds are expected to be scheduled by weeks end. As of Monday, over half of the Stadium agronomy staff is not able to perform daily set up of the course due to helping out with the Nationwide Tournament on Dye’s Valley Golf Course. In preparation for this reduction in available staff members, the Stadium staff had to perform tasks on the weekend that would normally be done during the week, such as mowing rough and spraying greens.

Nationwide players begin the week early with practice rounds on Dye's Valley

Play continues on the Stadium uninhibited by the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters

2011 Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open preparations. After a wet start, everything is starting to fall into place.

2011-10-15T18:31:00.004-04:00

Once again it's tournament time here at the TPC Sawgrass. As I write this, we've just completed another gratifying day of tournament preparation. The above photo was taken today of the finishing hole #18 on Dye's Valley.

Getting to this point hasn't exactly been easy for the Agronomy staff this year. With almost 6" of rainfall over night on September 16th, followed by excessively wet weather until this past weekend, we found ourselves playing catch-up rather than preparing tournament conditions. Mowers were put aside and in their place we brought out chainsaws and blowers. The increase in moisture brought a rise in fungal pathogens, insects, and weeds.....requiring a keen eye for fast and effective control of these pests before losing massive areas of turf.

Thankfully this week has been a blessing with beautiful bermudagrass growing weather provided by Mother Nature. With the army worms, leaf spot, algae, and sedge under control, this years Jacksonville Open is sure to be a success.......come on Mother Nature, don't fail me now. Greens are fast and true, fairways and approaches are firming up, and oh yes....the rough is tall and dense.

Below are few photos of what Dye's Valley has looked like over the passed couple of weeks:

Debris littering hole #8

A pine tree in the bunker on hole #2

The bunker and cartpath on hole #1

Pump Flow Calibration

2011-10-11T14:44:00.003-04:00

In Florida, it is a state requirement that all commercial pumps and meters are checked and calibrated every 3 years. Today, we called upon Certified Meter Accuracy Tester, Delynn Salafrio. Delynn is the owner and operator of Agricultural Permitting Services L.L.C. She has over 20 years experience in the agricultural industry.

Both courses have pumps houses with (3) 50Hp VFD pumps and a Flowtronex control panel. The accuracy of the Flowtronex flow meter was checked using a state certified Panametric meter. The Panametric meter uses ultrasonic technology to give an accurate flow/GPM reading from inside the pipe. This Panametric reading can sometimes be different than the output the Flowtronex computer is logging. If a difference between the readings is found, the Flowtronex computer must be adjusted accordingly. The state allows for a 5% window of inaccuracy and with some minor adjustments both pump houses will meet state requirements for another 3 years.

Here is a picture of the Panametric Ultra Sonic Meter.

Professional Tee Closure

2011-10-11T12:51:00.001-04:00

During the past two weeks the Agronomy team has closed the professional tees on The Players Stadium course. The par 3 tees will have nets that cover the teeing area to discourage golfers from disrupting the surfaces. Signs have also been posted on every professional tee. This will help us prepare the tees for optimal conditions for the up coming 2012 Players in May.

Prodiamine Application

2011-10-11T10:54:00.002-04:00

Last week the Stadium staff performed our first application of Prodiamine on all maintained turf areas on the Stadium golf course. Prodiamine is a pre-emergent herbicide that is applied for the preventative control of many grass and broadleaf weeds that are commonly found in Bermudagrass. This pre-emergent comes in both a granular and liquid form. The majority of the application was in liquid form while more precise areas that could not be reached with the spray rig was applied granularly. It is important that we apply Prodiamine in the fall/winter months because of the mode of action of this particular pre-emergent. Prodiamine works by inhibiting the steps in plant cell division which are responsible for cell wall formation. Because of this mode of action we do not want to apply this herbicide in the spring or summer because we are trying to grow dense, lush stands of turf which would not be possible if their roots were being inhibited. In the fall and winter when the growth of the plant is slowed, the herbicide does not affect the turf itself as much. Approximately 90 days after our first application, (December) we will perform our second and final application of Prodiamine for the year.

Granular Prodiamine had to be walk spread around green surrounds, trees and heavily undulated areas where the spray rig could not safely apply the pre-emergent.

Picture of the Week

2011-10-05T08:15:00.001-04:00

Flymowing #5 Finger Bunker. 9 guys working hard!! The Stadium isn't the easiest course to flymow. Our crew does a phenomenal job finishing the task each week.

Stadium Mole Crickets

2011-09-26T15:00:00.006-04:00

Our New Staff Member-Bailey

2011-09-21T15:09:00.003-04:00

Meet our newest staff member, Bailey. She is a 7 yr. old Australian Shepherd. Her owner is Mike Cooper from The PLAYERS Stadium.

Because of our problematic goose population, Mike brought Bailey in to help chase them away from the TPC Property. Other than euthanization, the best way to get geese to leave one's property is to constantly harass them. Many courses and parks throughout the US have gone to dogs to do the harassing. Australian Shepherds have a natural herding instinct, which makes them great for chasing geese.

You'll see Bailey riding throughout the golf course with Mike. Don't be alarmed, she is at work!

MAKING IT HAPPEN, after 6" of rain

2011-09-17T19:02:00.003-04:00

Dye's Valley Cultural Maintenance

2011-09-16T14:48:00.005-04:00

As you may know, Dye's Valley plays host to the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters from October 17th-23rd. This tournament is the last stop before the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in South Carolina. With 28 days and counting, preparations for the Jacksonville Open are in high gear for the Agronomy Team here at the TPC Sawgrass.

A very important component of this preparation is cultural management of grain in the bermudagrass greens, tees, approaches, and fairways. Grain is a familiar term these days with the golfing public, and we've all heard commentators discuss grain-y-ness of putting surfaces. Not only does grain affect ball speed and direction of ball roll on a putting green, but also playability at club head impact and ball-lie on other short grass surfaces. On Dye's Valley these short grass surfaces are comprised of 'Tifway 419', common bermudagrass, and other bermudagrass off-types. The nature of bermudagrass is to grow laterally and a constant mowing tends to encourage this lateral growth. During active growth, a periodic scalping or vertical mowing is required to get the turf surface back in 'check'. Aggressiveness is the key here. By removing a majority of the vegetative tissue above the crown, the turf plant now has the ability to fill in with upright density, ultimately reducing grain and providing a more consistent surface.

True, at times us agronomists need to make the surface look worse momentarily, but the end result is always a step in the right direction.......pristine conditions to be played on by some of the best golfers in the world.

Below are photos of the after effects from the scalping process:

#9 Fairway after three aggressive circle mowings

A close-up of #16 Fairway after three circle mowings

Precision Application

2011-09-15T12:34:00.001-04:00

This week on the Players Stadium course we have added a speedometer to our spray hawk so that our applications can be as precise as possible. With the right calibration, we expect to reduce spray costs. The speedometer also will allow incoming interns/ current agronomy staff to achieve a consistent walking pace throughout the entire spray.

TPC Boston: The Deutsche Bank Championship

2011-09-15T11:57:00.001-04:00

For the second year in a row TPC Sawgrass sent some key workers to TPC Boston to help with their tournament preparation. This year our guys were fortunate enough to to support the Boston team for 2 weeks. The two weeks spent up there brought many great experiences including hurricane preparation and clean up, tournament preparation and bentgrass maintenance.

The first few days were spent detailing the golf course. One detail that the Boston team did during final preparation was the plugging out of fairway divots. Since their course is open for play until the Friday before the event it was necessary to replace divots instead of letting them grow back in.

Here is Kyle Worthy of The PLAYERS Stadium Course harvesting good plugs with a Hi-O Cup Cutter. The plugs were harvested at the nursery before being transplanted to the course.

The cup cutters had been modified to a depth of 3 inches to maximize consistency of plugs.

Arriving in Boston the forecast was not looking good; hurricane Irene was approaching fast with the course sitting in the middle of the 'cone of uncertainty'. Due to modern day weather tracking the Agronomy staff at Boston had lots of time to prepare for the storm. The biggest concern was power outages, so prior the storm lots of mobile generators were brought in and staged. All equipment was fueled prior the storm, and all mowers and reels were sharpened.

On the course all temporary structures were tied down and all course amendments were brought in to the work shop.

When the storm hit it did not bring as much rain as expected; 2.5". The winds were sustained at 50-60mph for about 6 hours. Across the property over 50 trees had fallen. 25 needed immediate attention because paths were blocked.

Luckily the trees caused no major damage to any tournament structure. Here a tree fell in front of a food stand.

The power was out for nearly 3 days but in that time the course was cleaned up and put back together. The Agronomy team did an amazing job of cleaning and made it seem as if there was no disturbance at all.

After the storm it was back to tournament set up. Our guys were fortunate enough to be able to experience a wide range of tasks up there.

TPC Bostons' bunkers are their trademark, and although they looked rugged and unmaintained a lot of time was put into them before play.

Bunkers were raked in the morning and at night.

Kyle Worthy's tournament assignment in the morning was to mow greens. Here he is laying down some lasers on their bentgrass greens.

It was a great experience and an unforgettable two weeks in Boston. Lots of hours and hard work had a huge pay off and the experience was made better by the exceptional team in place at TPC Boston. A big thanks for their incredible hospitality and congratulations on an amazing event.

Lucas Andrews and Kyle Worthy of the PLAYERS Stadium giving a thumbs up to their new friends in Boston.

TPC Insights (1)

2011-09-14T16:18:00.004-04:00

Pre-tournament conditioning and maintaining a balance

2011-09-13T08:59:00.003-04:00

Players Stadium Cart Path Policy

2011-09-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

The Players Stadium course has been cart path only since our last aerification was complete in the beginning of August. The reason behind this policy is to help reduce the impact on playing surfaces from cart traffic. Carts will stay on paths until The 2012 Players is complete to help the agronomy department achieve the best playing surfaces possible.

Dye's Valley Greens Drainage System Inspection

2011-09-09T12:35:00.003-04:00

Sunscreen and Bug Spray Aftermath

2011-09-02T11:32:00.002-04:00

The photo above appears to be the result of a person applying either sunscreen or bug spray on the back of the professional tee on #10 of the Players Stadium course. The agronomy staff encourages golfers to apply their sunscreen or bug spray on the cart path to prevent further incidences such as this one from occurring again.

New Spreader and Spray Hawk Carrier!

2011-09-01T12:20:00.002-04:00

TPC Sawgrass Agronomy's Mechanics Department recently designed and developed a spreader and spray hawk carrier.

The new carrier is designed to carry Lesco Spreaders, Andersons Spreaders and a Chem Turf Spray Hawk.

This new system has dramatically increased our efficiency, while decreasing the amount of spreaders that were getting dropped and broken from the back of a gator or a trailer.

Special thanks to Shane Coates, Asst. Equipment Manager, for his time working on this project.

If you would like more information on materials or building instructions, please contact Mark Sanford, Head Equipment Manager, at marksanford@pgatourtpc.com.

Dye's Valley Topdressing Program

2011-08-30T17:10:00.001-04:00

Hurricane Irene Final Update

2011-08-25T17:33:00.001-04:00

It appears that our previous discussion about the relationship of the Gulf Stream and hurricane direction is paying off. Hurricane Irene seems to be catching a ride on the Gulf Stream from the southern tip of Florida; and is aiming for landfall in the North Carolina, Virginia area. Some forecasters are predicting landfall even further north towards New York City and Boston.

We are happy that TPC Sawgrass is in the clear, but we are still nervous for our peers at TPC Boston. TPC Boston is hosting a FedEx Cup event next week. A couple interns from TPC Sawgrass are up assisting with TPC Boston's tournament preparation. They are going to get a great learning experience in tournament preparation while facing adversity from mother nature.

Players Stadium Drainage Addition

2011-08-25T12:54:00.001-04:00

This week the staff on the Players Stadium course added a drain to the front of number 11 blue tee. Strong thunderstorms and 7" of rain caused this area to washout below the concrete path adjacent to the bulkhead. This problem was corrected by the addition of a new drain that will prevent the washout from reoccurring.

Reconstruction of #1 Tee (Dye's Valley) Two Weeks After Planting

2011-08-24T18:35:00.001-04:00

Reconstruction of #1 Tee (Dye's Valley)

2011-08-24T18:33:00.001-04:00

Hurricane Irene Update 8-23-2011

2011-08-23T09:14:00.001-04:00

We are watching the weather and the pressure systems closely to try to estimate the severity of Hurricane Irene. It appears that Irene is gaining strength in the warm caribbean waters. Irene is predicted to continue to strengthen as it moves up the Florida coast. The ocean temperatures off Jacksonville are currently very high. Some temperature buoys are reporting temperatures close to 90 degrees. This is a very high water temperature for Jacksonville. While these temperatures are great for Tarpon fishing, they aren't great for keeping Hurricanes from strengthening towards Jacksonville.

Normally, during hurricane season, Jacksonville is kept safe because of the Gulf Stream. The gulf stream "is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean." As the Gulf Stream extends northeast towards Europe it tails and becomes the North Atlantic Drift which regulates temperatures along Western Europe. It has been studied that Western European temperatures are warmer because of the North Atlantic Drift. The Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are part of a larger ocean current called the North Atlantic Gyre (a large system of oceanic currents). The Gulf Stream originates close to the coast of southern Florida. As it approaches Daytona and Jacksonville, it swings out into the ocean, approximately 60 miles off shore. As it moves northward, it moves back into the coast toward North Carolina and Virginia, only to swing back out into the Atlantic near Massachusetts. The temperatures in the Gulf Stream are warmer than the inland waters, which is why one can find an abundance of marine life within the stream. The changing distances of the Gulf Stream from land, combined with increased water temperatures typically push hurricanes northward towards North Carolina; but, because of the higher inland water temperatures off Jacksonville, TPC Sawgrass could be susceptible to hurricane force conditions.

Currently, the National Weather Service is predicting threat levels along the eastern coast. TPC Sawgrass is located within the medium to high threat levels. Even though it appears that Irene is moving further from the coast than previously estimated, TPC Sawgrass may still experience the western edge of the storm.

More updates to come.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-22T14:16:00.001-04:00

The TPC Sawgrass Agronomy Department has begun preparations for Hurricane Irene. It appears that the First Coast may experience hurricane conditions Friday and Saturday of this week. We will not know the exact direction or severity of the storm in relation to TPC Sawgrass until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Our preparation list includes:

Course Operations Objectives:

Filling Fuel Storage Tanks

Filling all Equipment with Fuel

Checking Chainsaws and Chains

Lowering the interior lakes of the property in prepartion for excessive rain water

Removing Flags and Sticks

Removing on course amenities

Backing up files on our irrigation computer to a flash drive

Checking chemical and fertilizer storage to ensure products are kept dry

Prepping sand bags for low lying areas of our building that may flood

Removing any trees that appear damaged prior to the storm

Hurricane trim all Palm trees throughout the summer to reduce storm debris

Human Resource and Office Objectives:

Updating Staff Contact Information

Handing out important phone numbers to staff members

Developing a "phone tree" to increase ease and speed of information dispersement

Backing up files on computers to flash drives

Placing computers on desks and covering them with plastic

Checking with staff to ensure their personal needs for storm preparation are met

We hope the current path will change. If not, we are prepared to protect the property during the storm and have the resources to open the golf courses back up for play as soon as possible.

GOING MOBILE!

2011-08-18T19:39:00.000-04:00

The TPC Sawgrass Agronomy Blog is now smart phone friendly. You can now access our blog in a mobile-smart phone format. No more holding your phone up side down, zooming in and out to make the font legible.

Check out the mobile website on your smart phone.

Now you can keep up with us while you are on the go!

Dye's Valley Greens Irrigation Uniformity Test

2011-08-03T19:54:00.005-04:00

#18 green irrigation head test

- Toro 655 (part circle, in heads, old model):
Distribution uniformity (DUlq) = 64%
Net precipitation rate = 1.76"/hr

- Toro 855 (part circle, in heads, new model):
Distribution uniformity (DUlq) = 82%
Net precipitation rate = 2.06"/hr

- Toro 670 (full circle, old model):
Distribution uniformity (DUlq) = 81%
Net precipitation rate = 1.11"/hr

* Irrigation system auditing information is available at: Irrigation Association, www.irrigation.org

Stadium Curfew Application to Greens & Fairways...

2011-08-03T13:47:00.006-04:00

The Stadium Course is closed again for aeration. Taking advantage of the closure, the Stadium greens and fairways were treated with a Curfew application. Our target pest was the same as the Valley's; nematodes, mole crickets, grubs and all kinds of problematic turf pests.

After the applications, the areas were rolled and then watered with 1/2" water to help seal in all of the fumigant gas. The applicators from Southern Soils did an expert job over our tough terrain.

After the application the areas will be closed for 24 hours, in which time over 80% of the chemical will have volitalized, the rest of the chemical will be gone after 48 hours. According to Dow AgroSciences, the turf will experience very little burn from the product and the slits will begin to disappear within 7 - 14 days. We will need to keep the treated areas adequately watered for the next 7 days to ensure that the gas stays within the soil.

Here is a video of the applicators in action.

2012 Aerification Preparation (continued)

2011-07-31T14:01:00.019-04:00

Purpose: The USGA suggests that 20 percent of the organic matter in a green be displaced per year. This can be achieved through the process of repeated topdressing and aerification throughout the growing season of a green. Calculations can be made based on the size of the tines used, the speed/hole spacing, and the depth setting of the aerifier to determine the amount of organic matter removed during each aerification.

Recap: On July 1st one of the stadium practice greens underwent a trial aerification in preparation for next year. The processes performed on the green were verticutting in four different directions, mowing/scalping in three different directions, and topdressing and aerifying with 3/4" tines on a John Deere aerifier.

July 7th: We aerified the green for a second time with 1/2" tines on a Toro Procore aerifier. The green was not topdressed before this aerification.

July 14th: The green was topdressed and aerified for a third time with 1/2" tines on the Toro Procore aerifier. Only half of the green was aerified this time so that we could see the difference in healing time and overall quality of the green between being aerified two and three times.

Below are pictures of the practice green that were taken on July 21st, one week following the third aerification.

Three aerifications (left) Two aerifications (right)

Best of two aerifications

Worst of two aerifications

Best of three aerifications

Worst of three aerifications

Greens Modifications

2011-07-30T10:37:00.010-04:00

During the first aerification in June, greens 4, 13, 16, 17 and 18 were re-graded to allow for more pin placements. During this process the sod from those specific areas was lifted and then meticulously placed back. This left many seams, resulting in an uneven putting service. To help the sod pieces transition back together and create consistency throughout the entire green, the sites were aerified using the Toro Procore. Quarter inch tines were used at a 2 inch depth in the third gear.

Sod directly after being punched.

Left side of 13 being aerified.

The front of 17 proved to be difficult, having to pull the Procore to the center of the green with multiple short passes.

After the holes were punched, the cores were scraped away and any remaining debris was blown away. Immediatly following, a heavy water was applied then the punched area was rolled four times repeating two different directions.

The back of 17, immediatly after the clean up process. The treated areas will continue on a normal mowing schedule with the addition of extra hand watering and rolling with the Salsco.

Recovery is going well 7 days after cores were removed.

Recap of Dye's Valley 10 Day Closure

2011-07-29T16:38:00.004-04:00

Project: Greens Cultivation

Project: Shortgrass Cultivation

Dye's Valley Greens Aeration

2011-07-25T17:13:00.005-04:00

Today marks day 7 of Dye's Valley aeration. The videos below outline our greens aeration process.

Topdressing greens prior to aeration

Aerating greens and collecting cores

Core cleanup

Initial dragging with Keystone mat operated by intern Jordan

Final broom

Stadium Irrigation Woes....

2011-07-25T14:33:00.009-04:00

In times of drought, relying on the pump station, the irrigation maintenance staff, and the functionality of the heads is paramount. For example, we routinely adjust our system components to efficiently and effectively apply a specified amount of water at a specific point in time. However, when one component is left out of the operation we either are left with extremely wet areas or extremely dry areas as is evidenced below by a misaligned head.

Video: Proper 855 Fairway Head Adjustment....

Dye's Valley Approach Aeration (Video)

2011-07-22T14:16:00.003-04:00

This video demonstrates the aeration process on Dye's Valley approaches. Green, tee, and fairway aeration is conducted in a similar manner.

Improving Playability of Approaches

2011-07-22T10:06:00.007-04:00

This week on the Stadium course we are making minor additions to a few of our approaches. Our goal is to strategically extend these areas to provide a more playable and fair lie for the golfer.

The illustration above demonstrates three possible positions of a golf ball in the right-side approach of number 14. As a ball enters the approach, it crosses position #1 (X) and continues to position #2 (Y). Under prior conditions, the golf ball would come to rest at the edge of the approach adjacent to the rough, creating a demanding golf shot.

We have extended the approach and alleiviated the problem. Now a golf ball will pass through position #2 (Y) and continue to position #3 (Z), just before returning to position #2 (Y). Now the golfer has a more pleasant lie and will be able to have more control of the golf ball on his/her next shot.

Dye's Valley Aerification (Day 2)

2011-07-20T18:10:00.006-04:00

Tee aeration

Fairway before aeration

Aeration of fairways

Curfew injection

Dye's Valley Aerification (Day 1)

2011-07-20T15:10:00.008-04:00

Dye's Valley is closed until Thursday July 28th for much needed turfgrass cultivation maintenance. Core aeration is the biggest component of this process, which will be completed on greens, tees, approaches, and fairways. Prior to aeration all short grass surfaces were lowered in height and cut in a circular motion. This is meant to control grain and puffyness in the turfgrass. We made major strides during Day 1, including: circle cutting all short grass, topdressing, and dragging the topdressing sand. Photos below demonstrate the process:

Circle cutting fairways

Verticutting greens

Topdressing greens

Dragging greens

Topdressing fairways

Topdressing sand on #1 fairway

Weed Control

2011-07-20T14:14:00.013-04:00

Weeds have no chance on the Stadium course as our staff implements the 2011 “No weed left behind program”. Summer weeds have mounted an impressive attack on the course after the PLAYERS tournament. However, dedicated staff members have been able to knock back growth of the unwanted plants.

The definition of a weed is a plant out of place. We have several different types of plants growing in our maintained bermudagrass golf course. Some of these include sedge, goosegrass, green kyllinga, doveweed, spurge, and crabgrass among others.

Goosegrass on the driving range tee

Sedge in the rough near 2 green

We have initiated a pre and post emergence rotation schedule to aid in the control of weeds. Every spring and fall we apply Ronstar and Barricade to prevent the germination of weeds. Once weeds are past the two leaf stage, we actively spot spray. The two main weeds we are trying to control are sedge and goosegrass. We will spray Revolver herbicide on the goosegrass and either Sedgehammer or Monument on sedge.

Above: 24 gallon tank used for spot spraying weeds

Below: 200 gallon rigs used for spraying

Dye's Valley Soil Fumigation

2011-07-20T07:11:00.011-04:00

Today we completed soil fumigation process on Dye's Valley greens. Below is a video of the process.

Plant parasitic nematodes are transparent worms inhabiting the soil that are not visible to the naked eye. These parasites feed on living roots of turfgrass, inhibiting growth and development of the turf. Nematode assays are used to determine the number and type of nematodes per volume of soil, and can be usedful in identifying if nematodes are a limiting factor for growth of the turfgrass. In the case of Dye's Valley, nematode populations have been increasing steadily in recent years, now to the point where they are problematic for the putting green surfaces. Curfew is a soil fumigant applied as a liquid which quickly volitalizes as a gas, moving throughout the soil profile. Curfew kills nematodes and other soil inhabiting insects on contact. This product has been used effectively for over 30 years. Nematodes controlled with Curfew include: Awl, Cyst, Lance, Ring, Root-knot, Spiral, Sting, Stubby-root. Slits in the greens are expected to be healed in within 7 to 14 days after application.

2012 Aerification Preparation

2011-07-06T12:08:00.006-04:00

The Stadium Agronomy staff are taking the proactive measures to see that 2012 is an even bigger success then 2011. In preparation for next year we started a trial on one of the practice greens to see how long the healing time would be for an extremely aggressive aeration that would include verticutting, scalping, aerating, topdressing regime spread over three weeks. With this kind of aggressive program we are hoping to dramatically improve the Stadium playing surfaces by reducing the thatch/Matt layer and improving grain control.

July 1st

Verti-Cut at -1/4" below in four directions, the clean up passes were done with a triplex groomer set flush to the surface.

Green was blown clean and mowed with a fixed head mower at .120 (0.020 below regular HOC to scalp) in 3 direction until all debris was collected.

Topdressed with with a Pro-Gator and Baby Dakota in first gear, belt speed 5, spinners 100% and the door all the way open.

Aerified with John Deere Walk Aerator, 3/4' tines in gear 2.

The cores were then dragged in, blown clean and then watered heavily.

After the verti-cutting and grooming the green was scalped down with a walk unit at .120.

This is so aggressive that in places there is little green left.

July 2nd

Rolled with Salco Roller 2 directions.

Fertilized with 10-10-10 at 0.5lb N/1000ft2.

Watered heavily and routinely.

The plant is naturally in shock and will take some time to heal, doing this now will give us an idea whether we can do this to the Stadium greens in next years allotted time frame.

July 3rd-4th

Rolled with Salsco Roller 2 directions.

Watered heavily and routinely.

July 5th

Sprayed with Pesticide Mix; Chlorothalonil 0.2lb/1000ft2, Mefanoxam 0.1 gal/1000ft2, Fludioxonil 0.13lb/1000ft2, Carbaryl 0.12gal/1000ft2. Also in the mix was the weekly dose of fertilizer and Primo.

Walk Topdressed with Meter-Matic, setting 2.

Watered heavily and routinely.

With each day more green can be seen.

We will continue to nurse the plant back to health and will aerate 2 more times before the 3 weeks is up.

DryJect Demonstration

2011-06-28T07:55:00.005-04:00

On Monday, June 20th a demonstration was given by representatives from DryJect Florida at the Tour Player practice greens. Mark Patterson, owner and operator of DryJect’s Florida division, showcased an alternative method to aeration that utilizes highly pressurized water to create fissures in the root zone. While the fissures are being created, the machine’s patented vacuum technology simultaneously fills holes with amendment (sand). DryJect is thus able to create an aerated root zone without the time consuming process of traditional aeration methods (remove plugs, dispose of plugs, fill with sand, and top-dress). The adoption of this new process/technology is being considered by TPC Sawgrass and may become a cultural practice in the near future. If the process is adopted, the following are potential benefits: Aerate, amend and top-dress in one pass; allow for deeper root penetration; maintain organic material that is rich in micronutrients; and the ability to apply up to 250% more material than traditional top-dress applications.

Stadium Open for Business

2011-06-26T21:59:00.008-04:00

The Agronomy Staff recently finished a very busy 12 day closure period on The PLAYERS Stadium. The weather worked about perfect; no rain during construction and rain once everything was completed. The course has responded very well to all the agronomic practices, and the greens were even given another verti-cut before opening.

All the projects were completed on schedule. The fairway sod has all rooted in very well and has been mowed, topdressed and fertilized.

Number 9 during sodding.

Number 9 upon completion.

Number 5 after being mowed, topdressed and fertilized.

The greens grading project proved to be a great success. The new grades open the greens up to more pinable areas.

Number 4 upon completion with the surrounds sodded. The greens sod was allowed 2 days before rolling.

Number 17 had the largest area of disruption.

Extra care and attention was given to the green to ensure that the most famous hole in golf was put back together perfectly.

Every seem was knitted together and topdressed to ensure an invisible transition.

The finished product is quite remarkable.

Number 13 had a large area also.

The greens being altered were not aerified at the same time of the others.

Therefore; the turf that was unaffected by the project had to be aerated while the sod was being laid.

Number 18

Number 16 only had a small portion of the green disrupted, the majority of the work was in the surrounds and also returning the green to its original shape and size.

To do this more of the Mini-Verde cultivar had to be added to edge of the green.

This was a very long and hot 12 days of work for the team, but the results speak for themselves and each team member can be proud of the work that went into the project completion.

Dye's Valley Irrigation System

2011-06-18T09:55:00.019-04:00

Last week on Dye's Valley our pressure maintenance (pm) pump faulted. The alarm on the flowtronex system went off not allowing us to operate with this pump until it was repaired. A large hole in the intake pipe caused the pm pump to fault. Not being able to use the pm pump does not allow all three of the pumps to run efficiently. Steve Wimmer with WescoTurf repaired the pump with the assistance of the Assistant Superintendents .

The first step in repairing the pump was to shut down all pumps. Next all the bolts and wires had to be disconnected from the pump. Using a strap and some man power we were able to remove the pump out of the hole and up and out of the pumphouse.

While reviewing the intake pipe there were several areas that had corroded on the galvanized pipe. Disconnecting the intake pipe was a bit challenging due to the holes in the pipe were right on the threaded area of the pipe. The last step was tightening the new intake pipe, and tightening the entire pm pump to perfection before carrying the newly assembled pump into the pumphouse.

Connecting Strap to Pull Pressure Maintenance Pump Out of Pumphouse

Hole Where PM Pump Came Out

PM Pump Fully Removed From Pumphouse

Hole in Galvanized Pipe

Pump that Connects to Galvanized Pipe

Steve Wimmer( WESTCO) and a TPC Employee Giving the Pipe the Final Touches

Along with the repair of the PM pump last week on Dye's Valley, we also installed a new antenna and repeater for irrigation communication. Communication from the base station to satellites in the field has been an issue on several holes that are located further from the Maintenance Facility. Below is a list indicating the distance from the shop to the box.

Distance From Shop to Box:

141- Hole# 14 . 97 Miles

151- Hole #15 1.25 Miles

161- Hole #16 1.21 Miles

172- Hole #17 1.03 Miles

Installing a new antenna closer to these satellite boxes has improved our communication a great deal. This will allow for a better communication with the radios and the irrigation boxes to maximize our irrigation system.

Day 5

2011-06-18T06:23:00.006-04:00

We got a glimpse of things to come today; number four was completed with sod. Although there is still the surrounding turf to lay, the playing surface is down and ready to heal in. Knitting and top dressing the edges is key to making this a seamless transition.

The view of the green from the spectator mound.

#17 is receiving a lot of treatment and close to 40% of the playing surface will be disturbed.

#16 is having a slight portion of the green and the collar around the approach.

To adjust to the new slope transition on #18, part of the approach also has to be altered.

#13 is having a small strip of the green adjusted as well as the collar around the bulkhead.

As for the rest of the course, we are making excellent progress. The greens and everywhere else are healing back in very well. It will be fertilized this weekend to really get everything popping!

Day 4 - All Coming Together

2011-06-16T20:09:00.006-04:00

Day four of closure and we have not eased up yet! The smoke of days past has lifted and revealed all of the work that has been accomplished. Golf course aeration is now completed. We are just growing in the remains, and the sod on the greens and fairways has started going down.

Fairway Reno

With the shaping completed, the sod started to be rolled out on number 5 fairway.

Big roll sod makes easy work of the job and watering it immediately afterward is crucial.

Greens Grade Reno

On number 4, some final shaping was done before Mr. Dye came to have a look.

Satisfied with what he found, Mr. Dye signed off on this green and the Agronomy staff took over to re-lay the sod that was removed.

Meticulous and precise work is needed when re-laying sod on a green; smoothness, grain orientation, and the knitting of the edges are high priorities.

Slow but precise progress will lead to outstanding results.

Yesterday, sod on 17 started being removed and today it continued. Material was brought in to be shaped in preparation for sod tomorrow.

Aerification

The final step of the aeration progress was to verti-cut the fairways and their pulled cores. After this, the fairways were dragged and blown clean and are now healing.

Day 3 - A Legend Visits Sawgrass

2011-06-16T06:29:00.006-04:00

Spirits were not hindered despite the growing amounts of smoke blowing in from surrounding bush fires. The team carried on with aeration clean up on greens, tees, and approaches, and began aerating the fairways.

Aeration

The greens are cleaning up nicely and are scheduled for fertilization tomorrow.

2 tractor drawn aerators started punching the fairways.

The fairway cores were dragged, but were left for tomorrow when the verti-cutter will slice them up more.

Fairway Reno

Number 5 fairway is all cleaned up, and sand was added and shaped in preparation for sod.

Greens Grade Restoration

#4

More material was added to the stripped area. To avoid any layering, the new mix was roto-tilled vigorously to ensure the growing medium is consistant.

After being mixed together the shaper began working the material.

As well as the front pin location being softened, so is the edge of the right hand bulkhead to make the area fairer to golfers.

#18

#18 is having the front left hand side re-shaped for another pin placement. (Look at all the smoke!)

Once ths sod was stripped and transported, material was brought in.

After being moved around and plate tamped, a rough shape was created.

#17

#17 is receiving the most work to maximize the playing surface and restore it to its original shape. Due to the green being an island, extra care was taken and the painstaking work of transplanting the sod to a temporary location began.

The smoke in the air cleared by the afternoon as the slow and careful work continued.

In the late afternoon, the team was graced with the presence of legendary golf course architect Pete Dye.

Mr. Dye still takes a very hands on and personal approach with all his projects. Here he and the Stadium Superintendent are examining the organic material on 17 green.

The Stadium Superintendent, The Director of Agronomy, and Mr. Dye are deep in conversation while the shaper examines the next area of work.

Day 2 - Setting Up for Success

2011-06-14T18:29:00.007-04:00

Another excitingly productive day at Sawgrass continuing the projects started and starting later phases! We completed our work without interruption from the weather, although the temperatures were excessive and the winds blew in smoke from local bush fires. We powered on regardless setting ourselves up for the rest of the weeks activities.

Aerification

With the greens all being completed yesterday we focused on the tees, approaches and surrounds and the fairway heads and drains. When the sand on the greens had dried we brushed it around to even out any heavier areas.

Topdressing on tees prior to aeration.

The tees were aerated with our walk behind aerators.

This is after the tee cores have been dragged and blown.

On the greens today we brushed the sand around and then rolled the surface. This brush give a very even spread of sand across the whole green.

This is after the brush and roll and a heavy watering.

Here is proof of the sand working its way into the holes we created.

Later this week we plan on Verti-Cutting the fairways and their cores. In preparation for this we topdressed all the fairways and will begin aerating tomorrow.

We use tractor drawn aerators for the fairways, but to maximize the area of disruption we use the walk aerators go around any fairway heads and drains so that the tractors do not have to get close.

Greens Grade Restoration

After all the surveying and flagging of locations yesterday, Pete Dye and his design group finalized where the greens were going to altered.

With all the calculations and decisions made the sod was cut and removed from the greens.

To ensure the turf was not torn in removal extremely sharp machetes were used to slice up the turf in to measured squares.

The sod squares were then removed and transported to another location to be watered and nutrured.

To ensure that every piece of turf returns to its original location every piece was labelled with a co-ordinate that will be used when replacing.

The soil below the cut sod was then tilled to allow the shapers to move it.

Once the shapers for Dye's Design group had moved the material into a rough shape a plate tamp was used.

Here is the rough shape of how the green will look when completed. With work still to happen to the bulk head the shaping will be left in this rough state and polished off when everything else is complete.

Closed Day 1 - Only at Sawgrass

2011-06-13T17:45:00.007-04:00

Today marked the first of twelve days that The PLAYERS Stadium course will be closed for the Agronomy Team to work. During the next twelve days the team will complete 5 major projects. Of these 5, 4 were started today; Course Aeration, Fairway Renovation, Greens Restoration and Spectator Mound Restoration.

Due to expert co-ordination by the management staff, the team and the sub-contractors had a hugely productive day dispite extreme heat and afternoon thunder storms. If we can carry the momentum of today forward maintaining the attention to detail this is sure to be an extremely succesful and beneficial time for the health of the course.

Aeration

Today the main focus was on the greens, aiming to maximize the healing time before opening again. There were many steps that had to be followed today, and like clockwork our team produced excellent reasults at each step.

The first step of the process was to verti-cut the greens. At 1/8" below the surface our units went up and down their passes in 2 directions. uygj
The 2 directions removed massive amounts of material while standing up the plant. After the verti-cut the greens were circle cut to clear all plant material and cut the now standing plant to try and tame the grain.
Once the greens had been mowed and cleared a light topdressing was added prior to aeration.

With the newly aquirred aeration equipment we punched the greens.

To avoid any damage from during the engaging and disengaging of the machine we ran the equipment into the collars, which are to be aerated later this week.

After allowing the cores time to dry they were dragged in with a chain link mat.

All excess plant material was then blown off leaving just the added top dressing sand and the sand from the cores. This was then brushed in with a tow behind soft brissled broom and then rolled.

This is an aggresive program but here is a picture of one of the practice greens that was treated in the same way only 10 days ago. We are confident that the course greens will be at a higher standard when golfers are a back to playing them.

Fairway Renovation

Due to contamination and mutation in the Bermudagrass, some of the fairways are being stripped and re-sodded. This is a major undertaking, and the bulk of the work was contracted out to McCurrach Conmstruction Inc., who will take care of removing and relaying the sod, while the Agronomy team has to then keep it alive.

Nearly 3 acres of fairway will be renovated, a job of this size to be completed in the time allowed requires some big pieces of equipment.

The sod on the fairways was already killed with a herbicide spray. The dead turf was then removed.

The edges were cut in with smaller sod cutters then the bulk was cut with a larger cutter.

The larger cutter made easy work of the sod.

With expert skill the sod was then scraped and removed from the fairway, leaving just a thin layer of organic material.

Once all the sod was removed, the remaining organic layer was scraped off to preserve the intergrity of the sand based fairway.

Greens Grade Restoration

All of the bulk headed greens around the course are to undergo a grading alteration, over seen by master archetect Pete Dye. With the aim to maintain key pinable areas on the greens some slopes will be altered and the bulkheads repaired. A very delicate process that will require tremedous amounts of skill.

Endless hours of surveying has been conducted on the greens to ensure that the best results will be gained at the end of the project.

The flags on this green indicate the areas of concern and the areas that will recieve treatment.

Some greens have more then others but will all be given the same amount of care and attention to ensure that the transition is flawless. The original turf will be removed and replaced in the exact place to maximize the healing. The aeration of these greens was skipped for now to ensure that anyturf being taken up will be as healthy as possible.

Spectator Mound Restoration

After all the tents and stadiums have come down around the course large scars are left behind. In the past these scars have been left to grow back in, leading to a very lengthy recovery time. This year it was decided to contract the job out and have the damage turf removed and replaced. This will ensure that the unsightly damage will be gone quickly and the course aesthetics will drastically improve.

Some areas will just need small squares repaired.

Other areas are larger and will require more time.

Aerification Recovery on Dye's Valley

2011-06-13T16:47:00.006-04:00

Dye's Valley has recovered nicely over the past week. Greens, tees, and fairways are improving daily with fertilizer applications and will be fully recovered soon. Our staff is working very hard to improve the playing conditions

Dye's Valley Aerification

2011-06-09T13:25:00.008-04:00

Roll Greens

Sisis Greens

Greens after Sisis

Blowing Greens after Sisis

Topdress Fairways

Aerify Approaches and Non Pro Tees

THE PLAYERS Stadium Agronomic Update

2011-06-08T16:08:00.002-04:00

THE PLAYERS Stadium closes on June 13th for 12 days for agronomic practices to commence. It looks like this 12 day closure period is going to be filled with many projects for completion. Below is general outline of projects to be completed during the closure. As we work begins, we will blog on each project to give our readers a more in depth update.

1. Greens, Tees, Fairways, and Approaches will all be aerified, topdressed, verticut, swept, and fertilized with a 10-10-10. We plan on applying 1000 tons of sand to the entire property.

2. Once aerified, Tees, Fairways, Approaches, and Rough will have applications of Chipco Choice and Ronstar. Chipco Choice is slit injected, and Ronstar 2G is applied with a dry sprayer.

3. Because of contaminates in the 6 year old 419; Fairway turf on 3, 5, and 9 will be removed and graded. Fairway 3 will be replaced with Tif Grand instead of 419. This will give us a better understanding of this new variety that has recently become all the rave. 5 and 9 will be replaced with new 419.

4. As tournament greens speeds continue to increase, a few of the greens on THE PLAYERS Stadium have become unpinable unless the entire green is slowed down during THE PLAYERS. Also requested, by the PGA Tour rules officials, were additional locations on numbers 1, 4, and 18. Pete Dye came in Tuesday to analyze these areas and make recommendations. With recommendations in hand, greens number 1, 4, 13, 16, 17, 18 will all have areas that willbe removed, greens mix added, areas floated to Pete Dye's recommendations, and resodded.

5. The tournament tents have finally all been removed. We will be bringing in a sub-contractor to assist with the repair work on the spectator mounds. The contractor will back fill holes from the tents' feet, strip dead areas, and resod. We will continue fertilizer applications to assist the turf with growth and get this areas back into visual appeal.

We are trying to expedite all processes and have complete during this closure period.

It's going to be a very busy 12 days! We will keep everyone up to date as projects continue.

2012 PLAYERS TOURNAMENT SUPPORT

2011-06-04T07:41:00.003-04:00

The 2012 PLAYERS TOURNAMENT SUPPORT informational packet is now available. This year it is online, via our blog!

Please look on the right column of our home page and click on the "2012 PLAYERS TOURNAMENT SUPPORT INFORMATIONAL PACKET" tab. You will be redirected to the online application. Once completed, you can print for you records, and then submit the application for processing to our records.

2011 was a huge success, and we want a head start for 2012. Start planning now! We hope to see many of our past support staff again, and begin new relationships with many more!

Dye's Valley Aerification Day 1

2011-06-03T14:55:00.011-04:00

Verticut Greens in Two Directions 10:00 and 2:00 At -1/16 Depth

Buffalo Blow All Material

Sisis Approaches at .5"

Topdress Greens

Aerify Greens

Topdress Tees

Drag Greens and Blow Clean

Stadium Contamination Project

2011-06-02T12:12:00.008-04:00

The stadium course has begun its fairway contamination project on holes 3, 5, and 9 this week. Our goal is to eliminate all contamination in our 419 bermudagrass fairways. Over time, common bermudagrass will creep into these areas and cause an issue with playability and aesthetics. Common Bermudagrass does not like to be mowed as low as 419 causing the canopy to become less dense. This can be detrimental to play due to the inconsistency. Along with sparse turf, the common bermudagrass is a lighter color green than 419. These areas are very noticeable and can take away from the beauty of the entire hole.
Our contamination project entails 3 processes. First, we'll spray area out with round up. We then will tear up the fairway, completely removing all plant material. Finally, we will lay new sod and grow it in.

We sprayed 3 approach and 5 and 9 fairways with a mixture containing round up. These areas responded quickly and are dying out fast. This will hardly affect play, but help greatly in our efforts to remove all contamination from our fairways.

Tournament Aftermath

2011-05-22T10:41:00.004-04:00

With the tournament over for the year the temporary structures must come down. What took four months to construct will take just three weeks to dismantle and remove from the property. Once the structures are down the clean up operation begins; debris, dead turf, over grown turf are some of the side effects of the structures. The effected turf areas will be either fertilized back to proper health or in bad cases re-sodded.Here is an example of where a structure stood and the turf has become overgrown.

This is what was left behind when the grandstand overlooking the 17th was taken down; over grown turf and lots of debris.

2011 PLAYERS Championship

2011-05-19T21:38:00.001-04:00

The 2011 PLAYERS Championship has come to an end, the course played its part as did our team, and we could not be prouder of this achievement. The standard was set so high this year and we are looking forward to maintaining and exceeding these standards next year. With the strength and skill of the Agronomy team we are confident that we will match, and better the results of this years Championship.

We hope you enjoyed the tournament as much as we enjoyed making it happen. Here are some pictures of our tournament.

The morning meeting in the Hospitality tent. Coordinating over 120 people each morning required military precision.

Some of the crew were fortunate enough to meet some of the pros during the practice rounds.

With the volume of people on hand, afternoon preparation was like never before and the results spoke for themselves.

The 17th, a final view before the crowds descended on the surrounding mounds to watch the tournament unfold.

PLAYERS WEEK HAS BEGUN

2011-05-10T20:42:00.006-04:00

Mowing greens before sunrise.

9 green ready for play.

Spraying greens after sunset Tuesday night, in preparation for the remainder of the week.

Experience Matters at TPC Sawgrass

2011-05-06T07:32:00.002-04:00

At TPC Sawgrass, The Home of the Players, we are blessed with a sensational Agronomy Team. Within our team were are lucky enough to have four members of staff that have between them over 100 years of experience!

Left to Right; Don Branske, Tim Barger, Shane Coates and Mark Sanford.

Tim Barger – Stadium Irrigation Technician, 31 years of Service.

Tim’s plays an invaluable role in the set up of tournament as he is the one that tracks all underground wires and pipes during the construction of the tents. A successful tournament for Tim is if there is not a single irrigation break on the course, since Tim was the one that put most of the irrigation into the ground he is has had a lot of successful tournaments!

Tim has been a part of every tournament to date and can tell stories all day about the exciting things that have happened. His fondest memory of the tournaments past is when Freddy Couples pared the 17^th with a hole in one, after putting his first in the water.

Mark Sanford – Equipment Manager, 28 years of Service.

With the ever growing fleet of equipment and the constant advances in industry technology, Mark plays a vital role in ensuring that the team is not hindered by machinery. During tournament time the stress put on the equipment is increased and the demands for quality are raised. Mark leads a strong team of mechanics that produce the equipment the Agronomy team needs to do their job. Marks knowledge of the course and its layout is unchallenged and we rely on him greatly.

Mark loves the tournament each year because it brings the entire Jacksonville Beach community together and showcases this small part of Florida to the world.

Shane Coates – Equipment Technician, 23 years of Service.

Shane started with the team when he was still in high school on the Stadium team, he then moved to the Valley before taking the position in the mechanics shop. Shane is known for fabricating useful devices that aid the Agronomy team daily. During tournament preparation the mowing frequency increases, so does Shane’s work load. Making sure that all the mowing blades and heights are to the highest standard is key to our success and Shane does this extremely well.

Shane’s favorite tournament memory was when Tiger Woods won the tournament in 2001, he says that the electricity in the atmosphere that year was like nothing he had seen before.

Don Branske – TEAM Member, 23 years of Service.

Over the many years Don has spent with the team, he has played many roles, and his years of experience and wealth of knowledge are called upon daily. Don is currently working on the Valley course and is an integral part of the team that helps prepare for both the PLAYERS Championship and the Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open held on the Valley in October.

An avid golfer, Don loves preparing for tournament and the worlds best golfers. His favorite time during each tournament is the final round on Sunday; he says seeing the combination of all the work from the prior months coming together to get the golf course in the best condition possible is worth all the hard work. ‘Striving for perfection and then presenting the end product is something that can not be expressed in words.’

The Sawgrass Agronomy Team has made a lot of changes over the years and has a lot of new faces, but with all the new ideas it is still a comfort to have the kind of experience and depth of knowledge that these individuals bring to work each day.

Data Collection For The 2011 PLAYERS

2011-05-06T06:24:00.008-04:00

The Agronomy team of TPC Sawgrass has been collecting data on the putting surfaces for the past three weeks leading up to the 2011 PLAYERS. We have been utilizing three pieces of equipment to collect data regarding firmness, moisture, and ball roll distance.

For firmness, we have been using the USGA Trufirm meter.

For moisture, we have been using the Field Scout Moisture Meter.

For ball roll distance, we have been using the USGA Stimpmeter.Each of these three pieces of equipment allows us to have a better idea of where the greens are and what we need to do to provide the playing conditions that are demanded for this years' tournament. After three weeks of data collection and interpretation, we feel that our putting surfaces will be in superb condition for the 2011 PLAYERS.

Agronomy Staff: The Guys and Gals in the Trenches!

2011-05-04T15:52:00.004-04:00

The Outstanding TPC Sawgrass Agronomy Team!

New Roller Bases for THE PLAYERS!

2011-04-28T16:46:00.010-04:00

As the tents for THE PLAYERS are coming into the final stages, it is the agronomy team's job to make sure that all the irrigation heads that are covered up by the tents are still watering the areas they need to be watering. The conventional method used to go about this was to tap into the head with a hose and attach a roller base sprinkler. This method is effective but we have found a way to be more cost friendly and more visually please to both the golfers and the audience. The old method involved moving the temporary head into place at the end of the day and placing it back under the tent in the morning. The new temporary heads are fastened to the tent, making the watering process more convenient and effective.

Close Day

2011-04-18T22:03:00.003-04:00

Today brought a very exciting time in our preparation for the 2011 Players Championship. We closed the Player's Stadium Course to regular play leading into the 3 weeks prior to tournament.

We took this opportunity to begin many detailed projects to help make our golf course shine. Activities included our annual divot repair, circle brooming greens, circle mowing greens, cup plug repair, and heavy topdressing.

The divot party started off with a bang. Excitement rose high as dedicated staff along with the help of our TPC Caddies
set out to fill every divot on the course with a mixture of black and green sand. This provides the divot a growing medium to fully heal itself. This should make the fairways and tees pop during tournament.

Our greens got a little extra love with a clockwise circular broom and counter-clockwise mow. The brooming action stands the grass up and allows the mower coming behind to effectively reduce leaf volume.

Without play, we were able to focus on every plug left by
the cup cutters. Two staff members came behind the mower to raise/lower each plug as needed along with topdressing the area around the plug.

Finally, we heavily topdressed each green. By going at a higher rate with walk spreaders, we are able to fill ball marks and any other imperfections on the green. This greatly improves the smoothness of the roll.

These 21 days out from tournament will seem to fly by as we continue to work to perfect the golf course. It's starting to shape up to be a great Player's Championship already!

Mole Cricket Control

2011-04-14T10:32:00.005-04:00

On Dyes Valley, Southeastern Turf applied Chipco Choice for mole cricket control. Mole crickets are thick bodied insects approximately 1-2 inches long and can fly up to five miles. Mole crickets are omnivores, feeding on larvae, worms, roots, and grasses. The Chipco Choice is sliced into the ground and it's dropped in the wedge that the disk makes in the ground. The active ingredient in Chipco Choice is Fipronil. The rate of Chipco is at the high rate of twenty five pounds to the acre. All of the product is watered in the night of the application.

17 Walk -On Restoration

2011-04-12T06:12:00.005-04:00

Due to constant flow of traffic, the walk-on at the 17th island green of the Stadium has suffered this winter. With the close down day for tournament rapidly approaching the agronomy staff went to work.

This is what the walk-on looked like before the restoration.

The old, worn out turf was removed. Due to the location cleanliness was a priority; boards were used to keep the entire area clean.

The sod we used to replace the old was cut very thick. Our aim was to bring some organic matter with the turf to give it a better chance at establishing in its new location.

This is the finished product, we will continue to give this area special attention until the tournament by which time it will be impossible to see where we had been.

Stadium Palm Tree Prunning

2011-04-12T06:03:00.004-04:00

Last week on the Stadium, over 300 palm trees were pruned and manicured by a local tree care company. The removal of this unwanted material will not only increase the long term health of the trees but also increase their aesthetic value.

The tree care company expertly pruned all the trees in a matter of days, the agronomy team was then responsible for the clean up.

29 Days and Counting!!

2011-04-11T16:57:00.005-04:00

Excitement is escalating at TPC Sawgrass as tournament date rapidly approaches. Today we are at the 29 day mark and a lot of work is being done on the course. Tent crews are doing a superb job with tent assembly. Also, TV towers have been placed at a few of the greens throughout the course.

Heavy emphasis is being placed on pine straw. We are utilizing a machine produced by FINN to efficiently lay pine straw in all large areas around the course.

Volunteer Staff for The 2011 PLAYERS

2011-04-11T14:48:00.007-04:00

In preparation for The 2011 PLAYERS, we have assembled a very strong volunteer staff. The volunteer staff will play a vital role in the success of this year's tournament. Many companies, golf courses, and Universities from various regions of the world will be represented by this year's volunteers.

Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College: Corey Hillman
Ameri-Turf: Brent Holmes
Baltimore Country Club: Ian Loid
BayPoint Resort: Jeremy Myers
Card Sound: Luke Gangarz
Clemson Turf Club: Alex Deahl, Chris Law
Dallas National: Neil Packard
Devils Ridge Golf Club: Justin Hager
Doral Golf Resort and Spa: Kevin Brown
Durban Country Club: Ettiene Combrink, Willie Botes
Grand National Golf Course: Patrick Pierce
Highlands Country Club: David Gowdy
Hoover Country Club: Doug Trosper
Horry-Georgetown: Devin June, Johnathon Hammonds, Kevin Nason,
Matthew Dusenbery, McClain Murphy, Robert Schecter
Hunters Run Executive: David Griffin
Isleworth: James Povey
Jupiter Hills: Alex Elchert, Colby Paiva
Lake City Community College: Derek Mizell, Eric Dixon
Los Angeles Country Club: Mike Bolles
Mississippi State Turf Club: Brody Cornelius, Scott May, Justin O'Dell
North Carolina State Turf Club: Bentley Morris, Clay Bankhead, Eric Simpson
North Oaks Golf Club: Richard Triviski
Oak Hill Country Club: Phil Cuffare
Old Marsh Golf: George Farmer
Philadelphia Cricket Club: Britton Hartzok
Pine Tree Golf Club: Joey Flinchbaugh
Predator Ridge Golf Resort: Steven Andrews
Quail Hollow: Kevin Dreibelbis
Redtail Mountain: Carl Shipp
Rivercrest Golf Club: Chris McKernan
Round Hill Club: Reid Broadus
Sandhills Community College: Brady Hale, Daniel Whisenant, David
Mishoe, Declan Freswick
Club de Campo del Mediterraneo: Marino Cabo
University of Tennessee at Martin: Chris Reavis, Colton Jones, Keith Malm
TPC Boston: Cameron Shaw
TPC Potomac: Patrick McNamara, Tim Connolly
TPC River's Bend: Justin Pack
TPC Treviso Bay: Jared Ballard
University of Minnesota: Daniel Rude
Vestavia Country Club: Kyle Sheheane
Victoria National Golf Club: Phillip Fischer
Jacksonville, Florida: Brant Williams

Promoting Growth

2011-04-05T13:22:00.005-04:00

Dye's Valley fertilized all fairways and intermediates with Sulfur Coated Urea(39-0-0).This application will promote growth and encourage consistency in the fairways. Growth and consistency are essential for all short grass to enhance the playability of the turf.

Nemacur Application

2011-04-05T08:54:00.003-04:00

On April 4, 2011 The Agronomy Team at TPC Sawgrass made an application of Nemacur to all putting surfaces on the Players Stadium Course. Nemacur is a highly effective nematacide that has been the standard in the golf course industry for the past few decades. Regulations have been placed on this product stating that it is no longer to be purchased. As a result, golf courses are only allowed to apply quantities that they possess in stock. As our stock of Nemacur diminishes, we are eagerly searching for the next alternative that will provide control of nematodes.

Cultural Practices on The PLAYERS Stadium Course

2011-04-05T08:08:00.004-04:00

On April 4, 2011 the Agronomy Team at TPC Sawgrass performed a critical cultural practice to all putting surfaces in preparation for The 2011 PLAYERS. As shown in the first video below, we utilized four triplex machines (two on each green) to perform vertical polishing of all greens. We chose to employ a circular mowing direction aiming to attack each turf plant at various angles. There are many other benefits we desire to achieve from this practice, including grain control and smoother putting surfaces. With the tournament being 38 days away, we were able to be aggressive with the vertical mowing. Balance between aggression and playability is key to ensuring that we are able to provide the greatest quality of product possible.

Directly following the vertical polish, we applied bagged sand in two directions on each green. We chose to apply a heavy rate of topdressing sand to "smooth" all imperfections on the putting surfaces. After the topdressing, we irrigated all greens to aid in penetration of the sand into the turf canopy.

Memorable Moments: THE PLAYERS

2011-03-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

TOURNAMENT PREPARATIONS

2011-03-28T08:39:00.008-04:00

The Stadium course is continually "Coming Alive" as we rapidly approach The PLAYERS 2011. The course has been in superb conditions exiting dormancy, which will enable our Agronomy team to provide high quality playing conditions.

Tent installation crews have been working diligently since early February and their hard work is definitely paying off. As shown in the image to the right, the arena sourrounding 17 is coming together very rapidly.

Planting of annuals on the property has been completed and the pruning of all Knockout Roses will be completed by the end of the week. The Knockout Roses have been aggressively pruned to one or two feet above ground level, but they will be in phenominal condition for tournament. The majority of the annuals planted have been blue, white, and yellow Violas.

Excitement is building among all members of the Agronomy team and will only increase in the coming days as we continue to prepare for this year's tournament.

Valley Update

2011-03-23T11:08:00.006-04:00

The repairing of cartpaths were completed on holes #7, #14, #18, and the flare out on the bridge going to #10 Tee. These new panels will allow a smoother driving surface for the guests and help in preventing damage to agronomy equipment. Also, a new cast iron gate was installed to the left of #5 green. This will help in eliminating unauthorized access to the golf course and the surrounding community.

New Gate at #5

New cartpath panel on #18

Fertilizer Application

2011-03-17T10:34:00.003-04:00

The Stadium Course put out its first wall to wall fertilizer application this week. We used 17-0-17 fertilizer at a rate of one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 feet squared. 17-0-17 is a great fertilizer because it has a good blend of fast release and slow release nitrogen. Nitrogen is the key element in plants which allows them to grow. With the cool temperatures of winter gone, we are looking to wake the plant up and give it a kick start going into spring. Fast release and slow release are ways to describe how the nitrogen is taken into the plant. Fast release means that the plant will receive nitrogen immediately, causing the grass to shoot up. Slow release refers to nitrogen that stays in the soil profile for an extended period of time which allows the grass to periodically take it up.

We applied 17-0-17 over the entire course covering our tees, fairways, and rough. Due to the larger particle size we did not apply the product on our greens. Our interns and a few dedicated staff stayed after hours to spread using walk spreaders and a tractor spreader. This process took two days due to the large area we had to cover.

We are expecting immediate results from this application so look out for the green grass!

Sawgrass goes to Doral

2011-03-14T15:13:00.005-04:00

This past week the Interns and Stadium Assistant Jack Creveling were fortunate enough to volunteer for the World Golf Championship at TPC Blue Monster at Doral.

The team traveled down for the 4 days of tournament play and took part in the daily set up of the course. Despite some extreme weather on the first day of play the tournament was still a great success, and the team at Doral were very accommodating and it was a pleasure working with them.

With The Players Championship just 2 months away it was great experience for the Sawgrass team to see a different tournament set up. The team got some first hand tournament experience hand raking bunkers, which will be something new happening at this years PLAYERS.

The team took a lot away from the tournament and are very grateful to their hosts at Doral who put on a world class event.

Left to Right; Phillip Vines, Jack Creveling, Matt Earhart, Drew Acthley, and Lucas Andrews.

Equipment Technician Service Gator

2011-03-11T08:46:00.006-05:00

With the new addition of the new shop service gator, the equipment technicians will be able to do more minor repairs in the field.It will help out the overall productivity of the agronomy staff on both courses. The John Deere Gator is set up with a flat bed. Mounted to the flat bed is a small generator, an air compressor, a toolbox for hand tools and a shop vise. We also have a lightweight 2 ton floor jack and jack stand. This is a great addition to the equipment technicians and will help with daily operations

Nursery Expansion

2011-03-08T15:12:00.007-05:00

There are many things that go on behind the scenes here at TPC Sawgrass to make the course visually appealing. The landscape crew plays an integral role in enhancing the aesthetics of the course. With all the new flower beds and natural areas being added to the course the need for expansion in the nursery was a must. The landscape crew cleared out undergrowth and a few trees to add 8,000 square feet to the existing nursery to accommodate for the increase in inventory need to complete these projects. A drip irrigation system was adding for the area that trees and large plants will be kept along with a cable stretched across the area for tying off the plants, thus stabilizing them. In addition to expansion, two A-frame greenhouses measuring 100’ by 14’ were constructed to protect tropical plants from the cold winter weather and help in future plant propagation.

To make access to the bigger nursery easier a new road was constructed, graded, and topped with a gravel/coquina mix. A land bridge was widened to make traveling down the new road safer. Special thanks goes out to The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for their donation of a large drain pipe needed for the expansion. Also an old shed was moved to a concrete pad at the south end of the nursery and totally rebuilt to store equipment. Outside of the shed, an overhang was constructed to protect custom-made shelves (used to haul plants) from the elements.

All and all the landscape crew worked very diligently to create a top notch nursery to help TPC Sawgrass remain a five star golfing experience as was our goal from the beginning.

Preventative Maintenace

2011-03-04T08:49:00.003-05:00

The past two weeks on Dye’s Valley we have been inserting new collars, selector switches, and extending some hydraulic tubing in the irrigation boxes. We started this as a preventative maintenance practice for our irrigation boxes due to the failures with the old blue selector switches and black collars. Over 800 Chlorine Resistance switches and collars were added to the 25 boxes we have on the course.

Verticutting on the Player's Stadium

2011-03-02T11:59:00.009-05:00

Today, we verticut the Player’s Stadium greens. Verticutting is an extremely important process where we cut vertically down into the greens. Bermudagrass grows laterally by rhizomes and stolons. A few times a year we need to cut into the horizontal growth and disrupt the canopy.

Verticutting is similar to pruning a shrub or tree. Old or excessive branches need to be cut back so that new growth will occur. Benefits include opening the canopy, removing thatch, and standing the blades upright. When the canopy is opened up, more direct sunlight is allowed in to create a healthier plant. Thatch can become an issue in excessive amounts and can make the greens feel spongy. With the blades upright, the greens will roll smoother and, in effect, increase speed and trueness of roll.

This process only takes one day to complete. After verticutting, we mowed and rolled the greens to make it the smoothest surface possible. This process was completed in one day and will heal rather quickly. The warm weather that we have been experiencing lately is optimal for bermudagrass growth.

Ronstar

2011-02-23T16:13:00.006-05:00

This week, the Stadium course completed its Ronstar application. Ronstar is a pre-emergent herbicide that targets annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. This product eliminates weeds before they germinate.

Turf solutions was contracted to apply the product using state of the art spreaders pulled by tractors. In the spots that required more precise application, our interns swooped in with walk spreaders.

Due to the chemical nature of Ronstar, we had to prevent play from entering the area. Thanks for being patient with us!

Dye's Valley Yearly Pump Maintenance

2011-02-23T14:00:00.007-05:00

Preventative maintenance was performed on our Flowtronex Pump Stations. The annual service of the pump station preserves the life of the pumps, and allows them to run at optimum efficiency. Vibration readings for a pump motor should be .10; the reading on Dye's Valley was .31. We must monitor these readings closely to ensure we get maximum life and operation from our pump stations.