June 7 Update

 Welcome to June at the Orchards!  I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone for being a member and for your support so far this year.  The golf course is improving by the week, and with summer fast approaching we anticipate conditions getting even better.  Our greens maintenance staff is now complete- please take a minute to wave or say hello when you see them working hard out on the course.

It’s been considerably drier this season than I can remember, but temperatures overall have been moderate.  These aren’t the most ideal conditions for growth and recovery of turf, but I do like being on the drier side of things.  We won’t look a gift horse in the mouth, so I’ll take the cooler temperatures thus far into June.  A dry and firm golf course is a healthier one, so overall I’m happy with conditions as they stand.

Greens 11, 13, 15, and 17 have recently been verticut, seeded, and topdressed.  The reason for this is to give them one last push towards becoming as healthy and playable as the rest of the greens.   They’ve come a long way since the course opened, and I do believe they’re about to “turn the corner”.  With warming temperatures and good spring rain, it won’t be long before they’re completely grown in. 

Greens 3,7, & 8 are doing well- the seams are hardly even noticeable any more.  They will continue to need a lot of TLC throughout the season, so please be patient while we take them slowly at times.  It’s nice to see them adapting as well as they have, but my enthusiasm is tempered because our vision for them is long term health and success, not short term “wow”.

In the coming days we will be solid tine aerifying the rest of the greens on the course (as well as a possible light verticut).  A verticut will help promote the lateral growth of bentgrass and fill in any weaker areas that exist out there.  The solid tine aerification will serve to alleviate any areas of compaction or other stress on the greens.  The benefit of both practices is that they minimally affect conditions but pay huge dividends.  We will also begin to tackle other projects which involve areas of the course other than greens, tees, and fairways.  We look forward to your input as we get into little projects all over the course.

All fairways and approaches have been fertilized, and there is already a noticeable improvement in green-up and growth.  The practice tee is looking better all the time, and in a few short weeks we will be hitting golf balls from the new sod.  There is still some work to be done on the tee, such as topdressing, filling low areas, aerifying, and fertilizing so please bear with us as we continue to improve the tee.  In addition to the new surface, we also have the benefit of new limited flight practice balls.  The immediate benefit of these balls is that we can now use the whole tee surface and you can use any club in your bag, whereas in the past we had to limit the use of certain clubs or move the hitting area back.  In the long run, the new tee coupled with the advancements in limited flight balls will allow you to get the most use out of our new practice tee.

As we get more towards the summer months I would like to remind everyone to please keep carts to authorized areas only.  Please refrain from driving near greens and tees, in natural/ fescue areas, or in areas that are excessively wet or roped off.  The turf and soil will thank all of us for being as gentle as we can.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing everyone on the course.

 

Matt Streeter (Superintendent)

Andrew Charbonneau (Assistant Superintendent)

May 10th Update

Green is the word as we begin May.  All of the rain we’ve received in the last several days creates lush, dense turf all over the course.  It’s nice to see, but it’s more difficult to keep up with tasks such as mowing and weed control.  As the days go by and we get our full staff on board, you may notice more and more mowing and other sorts of maintenance practices happening.  Soon we will begin fertilization of our tees and fairways, string trimming the entire course, seeding bare areas, and other detailed jobs.

We ask that you please keep your eyes open for broken sprinkler heads and other irrigation issues.  As we begin to use our system more there will be certain sprinkler heads that need attention or repair.  It is important that we get the system running as efficiently as possible so that we can begin to fertilize and otherwise improve the entire course.  While our system has been running for over a month now, there are always lingering issues that need our attention.  

Here are a few pictures that showcase how well the course is looking.  We hope everyone is enjoying the course- we will continue to deliver better conditions as the season progresses.

 

9th Hole mid day

 

8th hole in the morning

The new range tee is coming along well.  The heavy rains have set us back a bit, but I still anticipate the back row of mats being open very soon.  There is still work to be done to the new turf on the tee, but when completed this project is going to benefit the experience here at the Orchards.

Take care, and we will see you on the course.

The Keepers

Greening Up

It’s hard to believe that it’s only April 22.  As we get warmer days, warmer nights, and nice April showers the course seems to make huge strides each and every day.

The sodded greens are looking great, and we’ve already been able to mow them each twice!  Roots are taking hold and the sod is looking very healthy.  There’s still some unevenness in the sod, so as the days and weeks go by we will begin to topdress and maintain the sodded greens more aggressively.  We ask your patience as we perform these tasks, as it’s these sort of maintenance techniques that will get these greens towards optimal conditions.  Enjoy a few pictures of the first two mowings:

 

3rd Green Sod After First Mow

7th Green After First Mow

 

8th Green After First Mow

I’ll post more pictures as the days go by.  We hope all of you are enjoying the course.

See you out there,

The Keepers

 

 

 

We’re Open!

It feels like early Spring out there, but the golf course is open for play as of April 10th.  We’re really excited to see members out enjoying the golf course, and we hope that as the days go by the course will become more playable, enjoyable, and aesthetically pleasing!

Old Man Winter wasn’t very kind to some areas of our course, and unfortunately we open the year with 4 temporary greens- #3, #7, #8, and #13.  The seventh and eighth greens have been completely renovated with a new variety of creeping bentgrass sod (called Tyee Creeping Bentgrass), which we’re excited to see adapt to our beautiful golf course.  The third green also has a large area of new sod on the left side.  As we get rain and the temperatures warm, we should see these sodded areas begin to root and strengthen in the coming weeks.

 

#7 Green new sod

 

#8 green new sod

 

#3 green partly re-sodded

 

Our crew is still busy preparing the course for play, so we ask your patience as we clean up sticks, leaves, and other debris.  As we get cleaned up, we will begin mowing as well, which will help turf recovery and playability.

We’re glad to see everyone back out on the course.  Please stop by to chat with us about all ongoing projects and maintenance.  

Thank you, and see you on the course

The Keepers

Spring Is Here!

17th green in late March

Although the calendar indicates that Spring time is here, I think Old Man Winter is trying his hardest to hang on tightly.  We’re seeing night time temperatures starting to stay above freezing on a consistent basis, and the days are getting warmer and more conducive to turf growth and recovery.  Most of the greens on the golf course are still dormant, and the ones that have begun to break dormancy are coming along slowly.  A few of the greens are displaying weak turf, but I’m confident that with the forecast of warmer temperatures and rain, as well as a little TLC from our staff we will be playing golf soon.  We’ve laid down some permeable covers to try and regulate soil temperatures so that those greens can recover and green up more quickly.

I’ll keep updates rolling in more steadily now that the season is getting closer.  As for now, I wanted to communicate my excitement for the upcoming season.  My staff is getting geared up and ready to go, and we’re looking forward to providing a high quality golf course for the 2009 season.

Thank you for being a member at the Orchards, and as always please don’t hesitate to get a hold of me with questions, concerns, or just to chat.

Matt Streeter

Golf Course Superintendent

February Update

2009 Season Preview

            It’s been a snowy winter and we’re a long way from green grass and golf clubs, but we’re busy preparing ourselves for another successful golfing season here at the course.  I’d like to take the time to thank everyone for being a member at the Orchards.  I anticipate seeing all of you on the course very shortly as we melt away from winter conditions.

            2008 was a successful and challenging season, and I’m looking forward to making 2009 even better.  We were fortunate to make some solid improvements to the course last year, and hope to do the same this coming season.  Our overriding mission is to provide top quality conditions on a daily basis, not just for tournaments or guest events.  It is because of our membership that we have such a high quality golf club, and our aim is to keep you proud of your course each and every day.

            I hope to return many of my staff members from last year, which stands to benefit all of us.  Our intimate knowledge of this golf course, coupled with active feedback from our management staff and the membership will help facilitate the production of high quality conditions on a daily basis.

            Please don’t hesitate to offer any suggestions or ask any questions you may have.  An open line of communication and dialogue is important to me.  I’m interested in listening to your feedback as we approach this golfing season.

            Thank you, see you on the course!

Matt Streeter

December 10 Update

Winter weather seems to be upon us, although it has felt as such for several weeks now. The golf course is covered in a light dusting of snow, and I’m impatiently waiting for more significant snowfall.

Last week we performed a solid tine aerification of all greens except for holes 3, 7, 8, 11, & 13. Those greens were not aerified because the ground was simply too frozen to do so. Our thought process here is that a late season aerification will offer a place for any water to move away from the crown of the grass plants during winter thaw events. We intend to perform our normal spring aerification as usual next season.

As of Friday December 5, all greens and tee boxes were closed for the season. I welcome and encourage members to head out and discover the beauty of the golf course this winter, but please keep any activity to the rough areas if possible. The property looks and behaves much differently during winter months, and it’s important that we all take precautions to make sure it comes through the winter as healthy as possible. Please avoid any standing water, shallow ice accumulation, or bare areas with little to no snow cover- as these areas pose the greatest chance for winter injury. And as in the past, some greens and tees will be roped off, so please be aware of this as you venture out onto the course.

If not already completed, all flagsticks, tee markers, rakes, ropes, signs, and other course accessories are in the process of being taken off the course. This is the time of year when our game plan for spring and summer is formulated- which includes all equipment maintenance, accessory repair, cleaning, scheduling, ordering, and planning.

Thank you for your membership at the Orchards this season. I hope that you had an enjoyable golfing experience, and wish to make 2009 even better. Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or stop by the shop so I can better acquaint myself with you and we can talk about the coming season.

Happy Holidays- I’ll see you in the spring!

Matt Streeter

mstreeter@palmergolf.com

September Update

Sorry for the lack of updates over the past month or so as we’ve been busy keeping up with the perfect growing conditions.  Our college help has been gone a month or so now, which means we’ve had to adjust to the decrease in man power.

Our greens aerification has been delayed until mid October so we can offer a longer uninterupted playing season for our membership.  The greens are playing well overall, and we’re happy with the progress that “the 5″ have made since their inauspicious start in April.

Holes 3, 6, 8, & 17 are undergoing drainage installation.  The theory behind this installation is to eliminate the ability for water to accumulate on the putting surface, which caused the damage we suffered last winter/ spring.   This project should be completed in a week or so, and the subsequent topdressing/ watering/ and other aftercare should be minimally invasive and last the rest of the season.

I’ll try to get some pictures up soon.  This is surely the best time to work and play on a golf course in New England!  Take care, happy golfing, and as always ask us any questions you may have.

See you on the course,

The Keepers

Mid July Update

Summer conditions all around- from the heat and the humidity, to the stormy activity at times, and to the patterns of play on the course, it’s definitely summer.  This time of year becomes “maintain mode” for our crew.  Projects and new ideas become lower priorities and the priority becomes simply keeping the course healthy and playable.

In our opinion, the course held up really well for the 50th annual Jimmy Young member guest.  Conditions were dry and hot, but overall those factors seemed to have helped enjoyment and playability of the course.  Here are some shots we took after our crew finished readying the course for tournament play:

15th Fairway

12 Fairway from a worms eye view

7th Green

Please also stop by the official Orchards website to see more pictures.

Hope you’re enjoying the course.

The Keepers

Lightning

All of us are familiar with the sounds, feelings, and sights of an oncoming storm.  While on the golf course, no matter if you’re playing the game or working the course, those warning signs always signify one thing- get to safety and shelter.

Here’s an interesting example of the pure destructive force of Mother Nature.  Last Monday evening some storms rolled through our area, and a White Pine in the vacinity of #7 teebox was struck by lightning.  While we’ve seen our share of storm damage over the years, we’ve never seen a scene quite like this.  Take a look at a few of the pictures we snapped.  Due to the widespread area of debris and damage and the fact that we needed to have a tree company come in to take the damaged trees out, we had to close #6 green and #7 middle/ back tees for most of the day.

Here’s the scene:

Overall, the course is looking good.  The recent mild June weather has been very nice, and we’re feeling pretty confident going into the hotter summer months.  Be sure to ask us any questions you may have.

See you on the course,

The Keepers