April showers brought May showers

After 11 inches of rainfall hit Lakelands in April, we have had 4 inches thus far in May. It rained 1.75 inches alone on Friday May 13. Amazingly, we allowed carts out on Saturday May 14. We drain very very well on most of the course with exception of holes 7,11 and 13. While most clubs closed for the day after such a huge amount of rain, we were open and carts were out. Most all the bunkers were washed out. The cart path at 7 washed out and required about 45 minutes repair alone.

Additionally, when heavy rainfall hits us, we have a flooded maintenance facility. We have challenges with every step. We try to overcome these challenges with a smile and sense of accomplishment. The team looks forward to some sunny and warm weather.

New member of the turf team

The 2011 maintenance team roster is finally set. We had many apply to be part of our winning team and fortunately we were able to negotiate a compensation package that worked for both parties. Please welcome Reece Philip Matthews to Lakelands. He comes to us with 4 1/2 years of experience and is able to operate most every piece of equipment we have. His is an avid golfer and admits his favorite club in his bag is his driver. When you see him out on the course, please welcome him with a thumbs up.
The weather has certainly changed for the better in the last week. The course is looking great heading into May. Come out to the club and enjoy all that Lakelands is.

Greens Aerification

Healing from aerification typically takes 10 - 14 days. With the cooler than normal temperatures we have had this spring, and the 4'th wettest April on record, recovery is slow. As we all wait for sunny and warmer days, so do the greens. We continue to feed the greens and monitor their progression.
Our summer annual preventative weed and crabgrass applications have been made and the fairways and tees have been fertilized.  You may be asking what are all the flags along the drive coming into the maintenance facility? We are having a new communication cable installed this week. The rainfall of April delayed the installation. The cable will be trenched in right along the gravel road. It will be back filled and flags will be pulled. Greens expansions are growing in nicely. As we continue to work the areas, we ask for your patience with this process.

April Showers

As we say good bye to April and all the rain, we look forward to some sunny skies. We have received over 11 inches of rain in April. This spring has been cold and rainy and not great for playing golf. It has been decent weather for winter damage recover. Different than last spring which was very warm and quite dry, this spring  has allowed us to grow in the majority if the damage we incurred over the winter.
We look forward to a great year on the course with several projects slated including a drainage installation on 11, removing the slag cart behind the range tee and finishing the installation of rocks around the pond at 8.
We are focused to produce great conditions on a daily basis all season long.
Enjoy your club.

Cold April

As we all await warmer temperatures, we have been very busy on the course. We have completed our early season greens aerification on April 14. We have received over 2 inches of rain since the 14'th, including a snowfall of almost 3 inches. Despite the cold and wet weather, we have applied our summer annual weed prevention application in the rough and fairways. We have also made our bluegrass seed head reduction application on greens. Stumps have been ground out and the cleanup of the entire course continues. We have had several days of sustained winds over 25 mph. The winds brought down many limbs, however we have not lost anything major to date. The tees have received a heavy divot/sand/seed application and the irrigation system is ready to go after a long winter rest. Planning for a drainage project on 11 is in progress and the flower plan is being put together for this seasons landscapes.
The long range forecast shows temperatures increasing in the next 10 days. Lets hope so.

Assistant Golf Course Superintendent

Lakelands has a new Assistant Golf Course Superintendent.  Shaun Maher has his turf degree from Penn State University. He grew up on golf courses with his father, a course Superintendent himself.  His previous work history includes the City of Livonia golf courses at Whispering Willows . He also has private club experience at Green Hills Country Club in Milbrae California. Shaun grew up in South Lyon. He played high school golf and has played many rounds here at Lakelands GCC. We look forward to have him on board. 

We have been busy getting the golf course in shape for the 2011 season.  If you have had the opportunity to play this spring, you have seen that Lakelands looks far better than it did last year at this time. There are a few greens which  have handled winter tougher than others. After close observations  and a visit from Dr. Kevin Frank from  Michigan State University, we are confident we will make a full recovery.  We have taken numerous turf samples this past week. The irrigation system is up and running. Our summer annual pre emergent weed application is being applied this week.  The golf maintenance staff will not be back to full strength until May 1. We are in the planning phase of a large drainage system for number 11 with installation to be complete by the end of April.

Member Help Day

"Help others and give something back...It's greatest reward is enrichment and the new meaning it will bring to your own life." Arnold Schwarzenegger

Tomorrow is member help day.  It is a great opportunity to come out and make a difference in one of your assets, Lakelands. We will begin at 10 am.  Even if you are only able to give an hour, we would greatly appreciate your help.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Saturday April 9.

"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." Author Unknown