Merion Golf Club

Designed by Hugh Wilson, Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania will be hosting the 2013 U.S. Open. Merion is the site where Bobby Jones captured the Grand Slam in 1930 and where Ben Hogan hit the now immortal one-iron to the 72nd hole of the 1950 U.S. Open, completing his comeback from a near fatal car wreck the previous year. Thanks to 2010 graduate Joey Flinchbaugh for the following pics.

Aerification- Timuquana Country Club

Here are some photos of aerification at Timuquana Country Club, a 1923 Donald Ross design and host of the 2002 U.S.G.A. Senior Amateur, in Jacksonville, Florida. Timuquana has three Lake City alumns on staff including Assistant Superintendent Don Bryant, Irrigation Tech Chris Maynard, and A-I-T Brad Stephens.

FarmLinks Dryject Pictures

GCO student Brandon Hurtt along with Assistant Superintendent and LCCC alum Robert Mitchell recently performed Dryject service on the greens at FarmLinks in Sylacauga, Alabama.

http://www.dryject.com/dryject/howitworks/index.php

DryJect allows you to:

• Aerate, amend and topdress in one pass, allowing a smooth surface that’s ready for play in an hour.
• Help new sod knit to the soil below by creating channels filled with amendment, allowing roots to penetrate deeper.
• Punch through sports turf, allowing better root proliferation.
• Combine soil modification with aeration for increased soil benefit.
• Apply up to 250% more material than traditional topdress applications.
• Adjust aeration spacing and depth (up to 8 inches).
• Inject amendments such as Profile™ Field & Fairway™ and Greens Grade™ directly into the soil.

Thanks to Brandon Hurtt for the Pics.

The Planning Process

From Michael Vogt, CGCS

Golf Course Business

http://mcmahongroup.blogspot.com

Planning

Yogi Berra said it best, “The future ain't what it used to be ".

Planning is the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals. Many in-season golf course operational changes are dependent on weather and player demand but as you know the turf never takes a break, especially during the spring. No one can see into the future, you certainly can not plan for emergencies and weather, but you can plan for what you know.

These are some basic planning truths on golf course business:

1. Plan for and save to fund capital replacements on a yearly basis,

2. Plan for budgets based on goals set each year, not past history,

3. Have a set of minimum acceptable standards for golf course conditioning,

4. Plan and monitor labor hours as if they are the make-or-break issue at your course,

5. Document the use of, and use water as if it was a truly limited commodity,

7. Sound equipment maintenance should never be compromised,

8. Spend all money as if the savings went directly into your pocket!

Learn more on these issues at, Golf Course Business.

Pictures of Dryjecting

Sorry everyone but my pictures of dryjecting at FarmLinks will not load up here. If you go to my Facebook you will be able to see those pictures along with others. Or if you would like me to email you the pictures, send me an email at brandon_pga@hotmail.com. If you have any questions about this process please feel free to ask.

Congratulations to the Class of 2010

These Class of 2010 Graduates have secured jobs at the following facilities:

Jason Craft- IPM Manager- The Sanctuary- Sanibel Island, Florida

Joey Flinchbaugh- Merion Golf Club- Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Carl Mattheus- A-I-T- The Valley Club of Montecito- Santa Barbara, California

Robert Mitchell- Assistant Superintendent- FarmLinks- Sylacauga, Alabama

Justin Pawlicki- Second Assistant- Old Memorial- Tampa, Florida

T.J. Quinn- Assistant Superintendent- Port Royal- Southampton, Bermuda

Tyler Sanderfur- Blackwolf Run- Kohler, Wisconsin

Phillip Soukup- Second Assistant- The Landings Club- Savannah, Georgia

Alan Stevenson- Assistant Superintendent- Gainesville Country Club- Gainesville, Florida

Senior Seminar- Bobby Weed, Weed Golf Course Design

World renowned golf course architect Bobby Weed recently spoke to the senior seminar class about the challenges facing the golf course industry. Weed, a 1977 graduate of the GCO program at Lake City remarked on the negative image that has accompanied the current golf model and the need for creativity to succeed in the current climate. Bobby Weed migrated to Lake City after performing undergraduate work in his native South Carolina. He grew up around farming and construction, building a driving range in high school which the Weed family continues to operate today. Following graduation at LCCC, Weed apprenticed under legendary architect Pete Dye who he met while working for Ron Hill at Amelia Island. This led to Bobby becoming the PGA Tour's construction superintendent and later the Tour’s in-house architect, designing many of the first generation TPC designs. Weed would venture out on his own in 1994 and has designed course all over the world, many receiving acclaim for their environmental ingenuity. His current projects include Palatka Golf Club, a 1925 Donald Ross design and a collaboration with Pete and P.B. Dye in Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics. We would like to thank Bobby Weed for his tremendous support of the GCO program.