Nematodes

Our nematode activity has been growing exponentially since last week.  What started as a few small spots on a couple of greens has turned into widespread activity on most.  We identified the outbreak early last week and made an application on Wednesday.  We followed up with another application today with a new product we tested on the chipping green.  Our hope is we can control the populations enough to get through this outbreak and into the spring and summer when pressure is typically low.

7 Green

7 Green

Hollins House Organic Garden

For the past year chef JP and I discussed the possibility of expanding the garden for the Hollins House.  Those discussions progressed once we hired CJ Nugent to manage the Hollins House.  At one time CJ worked at Post Ranch Inn, located in Big Sur, which boosts a very large production garden for the world renowned restaurant and facility.  I had the privilege of staying at Post Ranch several years ago and remember the impression the garden left on me as I explored the ranch.  Seeing all the food being grown on property and speaking with the horticulturalist got me excited about the menu.

Walking by the Hollins House recently you most likely noticed some work taking place near the upper parking lot on the hillside.  This is the beginning of what will be our new organic garden for the Hollins House.  Three new block walls are almost complete and soon 11 new raised beds will be built.  The area will also host citrus trees, artichoke plants and numerous other perennials.  We will continue to update this project as it grows!

The Well Exploration is Under Way

After almost 7 months of waiting the drilling started early this morning on the test well.  For the next 7-14 days the drill will make its way down 1500' through sand and rock.  Once the test well is complete we will send a device down to take measurements.  The data from this device will be analyzed and a well will be designed to accommodate the estimated production if any.  Even with the best technology available there is a possibility we will not hit water or enough to justify developing a well.
Please be aware of signage around the area.  It may be different from your last round.  Currently there is a white line painted across the front of the work area.  Everything above the white line in mandatory ground under repair.  Please do not get close to the equipment or engage workers.  The area is an active work site and can pose a danger.  If you have any questions about the well or the process please contact Justin Mandon or Scott Hoyt.

Fairway Top Dressing

We are top dressing the fairways this week.  This will be the first of 4 fairway top dressings this season.  We are confident in our execution and believe the impact is minimal to members and guests. The benefits from frequent fairway top dressing are, reduced thatch accumulation, increased water infiltration, firm playing surfaces and reduced disease severity to name a few.  We appreciate your support during this important application.

Rough Aeration and Seeding

The recent dry weather has given us an opportunity to aerate and seed the areas in the roughs still recovering from the drought.  We identified the areas we felt would have the most impact and then expanded the scope throughout the week.  Once we get some warm rain these areas will germinate and fill in.  Weather permitting, we will continue to aerate throughout the entire property.

Water Restrictions

Water Restrictions have been postponed due to excessive rainfall.  We just received our year end report detailing our water usage.  Our staff tracked weather data daily and did a great job utilizing every drop allocated to us the past 6 months.  The graph below shows our allotment in red and our actual usage in blue.

Rain!

We are off to a great start with rain totals now approaching 17.5"!  Significant rainfall is forecasted for most of the week and the long term forecast looks to be more of the same.  We could easily reach 20" within the next ten days.  The City of Santa Cruz is calling for 35"- 40" of rain for us to not be under restrictions next year.

Most of the seed we planted in the fairways germinated and will continue to mature and grow as long as the temperatures continue to be moderate.  A fertilizer application on the fairways is scheduled as soon as we get a break in the weather and are able to get some equipment on the turf.

The drought has consequences beyond loss of turf.  Turf has more competition from broadleaf weeds due to lack of coverage.  Weeds are very opportunistic and will fill voids where turf is absent.  New seedlings are vulnerable to damage from herbicide applications until they mature.  The new seedlings in the fairways are now mature enough for an application.  We will make a herbicide application during our next break in the weather.

It is important to recognize how far we have come the past 30 days.  We will continue to do everything we can to improve course conditions as we distance ourselves from one of the worst droughts this area has experienced over the last 50 years.  Thank you for your support during a challenging time.

December 14th 2014

September 13th 2014