The maintenance department would like to take this opportunity to introduce Karen Rumohr. She is replacing Nick Salmon as one of the Assistant Superintendents. She spent 9 years prior to coming to the Petroleum Club, at Pioneer Meadows Golf Course in Edmonton as the Assistant Superintendent. Before Pioneer Meadows, Karen worked on the maintenance crew at Consort Lakeview Golf Club. She is excited at the experiences and challenges that the Petroleum Club will provide and is looking forward to a fantastic season.
During March, the maintenance department personnel took the opportunity to recertify and update our first aid certifications. Keith, Mike, Karen, Julie, Don, Ed and Paul all completed the Standard First Aid training from Western Canada Fire & First Aid Inc. along with a number of the management team. We practiced current first aid techniques and discussed several situations that could occur on a golf course. We feel confident that in an emergency situation, we would be able to provide first-responder care until EMS arrived.
Mid March also saw the first opportunities we had to see some grass. We took a plug sample from 8, 12 and 16 greens and brought them to the shop to thaw and to investigate what conditions may exist under the thick snow cover. After letting the plugs warm up and using a magnifier to examine them, we kept them watered and let them grow for a number of days. So far, all three plugs look good and provide a relatively positive outlook for the rest of the spring. In early April, we sampled 9 green and are still in the process of examining that plug for signs of winter stresses but we are optimistic about the results.
The spring has also been a time for clearing snow on the golf course to allow us limited access to most of the property. Paul and Ed have been busy in the skidsteer and using the snow blower trying to move snow off most of the cart paths. It has been a long process but with the help of the recent weather, we seem to be gaining ground.
As well as cart path clearing, we cleared trails for a series of test wells that were drilled beside ponds to better understand the subsurface structure of the ponds. These test wells will help determine the possibility of dredging and deepening the ponds to aid in overall pond health and water quality as well as add storage capacity on the course.
So far, April has provided us with some nice daytime temperature and some welcome sunshine. The thick snow cover has finally started to recede and we are staying positive about a late April opening. We are hoping to get out on the course to see some clear grass before the middle of the month.
The areas that surround the greens are also starting to show signs of recovery from winter. It is glaringly obvious how strong disease pressure was this winter, and how effective the fungicide treatments in the fall are. The green areas are treated with fungicide and meet the grey-brown areas at sharp angles where the sprayer boom shuts off. This is just one example of the effects that proper use of fungicide can have.
Some of the recent golf course construction is also obvious this spring. Ten fairway is new Kentucky bluegrass sod as you get closer to the green. This line divides the Kentucky bluegrass on the left from the old annual bluegrass on the right. You can clearly see a significant difference as you look across ten fairway towards the west.
