Aspects of Golf Course Maintenance

Golf courses are always in a state of constant change and evolution since they are growing! As the trees, grass and other shrubs grow, they interfere with the width of the putting surface of the golf course. In order to reduce the wastage of the surface, these elements forming the major part of the course need to be maintained in a proper and orderly fashion thus increasing the efficiency of the course itself.

Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to maintain your golf course and have it looking lush and beautiful.

Well-maintained golf courses provide plenty of the ecological as well as community benefits. It not only provides recreation, but also cleans the air and acts as a sanctuary for plants and animals. Fertilizers and pesticides should be used but in moderation over the entire golf course to maintain a healthy turf.

Trees are also an important and vital part of any golf course. They cool the temperature, create shade and also filter the dust. But their health should be closely monitored and they should not be allowed to grow near the putting surfaces and the teeing surfaces as they interfere with the growth and nourishment of these regions in particular. The overgrown limbs of trees have to be trimmed as part of the tree maintenance program. Slopes must be hand mowed with line trimmers or by using special mowing equipment. Softer slopes are most cost effective and have less maintenance compared to steep slopes. Trim work is the most difficult and crucial part of golf course maintenance. It requires high labor especially during the growing season. Sand Bunkers require the sand to be added and replaced constantly as well as raking. If the sand bunkers are steep, after heavy rain, the sand will always need to be shoveled back into the bunkers.

Maintaining the golf carts, which are generally petrol or electric, is also very important. These require a minimum of 2 services annually. The batter terminals and water levels should be checked every fortnight if you are using electric carts. If the weather is dusty, it is good to hose out the car with specific attention to the car engine, interiors as well as under the seat. Following these simple steps will greatly reduce the general problems associated with regular usage of the golf carts.

The damage to the greens in the golf course can be reduced to a large extent by using Soft spike golf shoes instead of the metal spike shoes. Using golf clubs with new metal woods are also helpful as their heads are smaller and shallow. The irrigation system of any golf course also needs proper care in order to work to its full potential. If this system is maintained efficiently, it will reduce the overall water wastage and improve the appearance and quality of the greens in a big way. By following a few simple steps, you can keep your golf course looking beautiful and well manicured thus ensuring a quality experience for the players.

Rotor Maintenance- The arcs of the rotors should be regularly adjusted and worn out seals and nozzles should be replaced immediately. Clogged screens and cracked cases should also be fixed as soon as it is observed. The rotor should also be periodically checked for thatch build-up and improper rotation. These rotors should be examined annually or half-yearly depending on whether you are in a northern or southern climate zone respectively.

Tuning the Controller Program- In order to reduce water wastage but still keep your course looking green and healthy, it is important to follow the ‘Triple A’ approach which is Anticipate, Adjust and Achieve.

Anticipate changes in weather and increase or decrease water usage accordingly. This will help prevent dry spots at the same time lessen the risk of over-watering the golf course. Adjust the irrigation schedule to increase or decrease run time of station by a certain % as per the rise in temperature. This will reduce turf stress and have a good effect or shrub and turf zones. Achieve conservation of water as well as other advantages by following the above procedure.

Maintain the other parts- Always ensure that all wiring is connected properly and neatly stored. The cabinets should be checked for dirt and debris and cleaned leaving no trace of any moisture as this will destroy the circuits. The backup battery should be replaced as and when required and the rain sensors should also be cleaned and adjusted. Ensure that the earth grounding is not over 5 ohms.

About the Author

Author Rich Marsiglia, Golf Course Maintenance

How To Have 5 Simple & Proven Ways To Improve Your Golf On The Course?

When you go out to play a game of golf you?re hoping for a good round. Do you? I bet you would especially amateur golfers out there.

I know many golfers do, and I have some question for you:-

Question 1 : How often does your outcome match what you hoped for? Not as what you have expected for, right?

Question 2: Do you usually shoot the scores you had envisioned before you teeing off? Again not what you want, right?

Question 3: If not, do you ever study where and how you could have saved strokes and avoided those blow up holes, without losing very badly.

I?ve got 5 easy and proven tips for you to implement immediately that will shave 4-6 or even more strokes off your score the next time you play. Give them a try and see what happens, but now I am only to include the first two:-

Here they are:

1) First off you?ve got to put the proper fuel in your body before you leave home. I mean eat something not too heavy that gives you enough energy. Most golfers don?t give it a second thought.

They either don?t eat at all before they leave home or they eat something that is not going to give them the long-term energy they?re hoping for.

So whether it?s lunch or breakfast before you leave you need to consume a complex carbohydrate and a good protein source.

This combination will warrant the best use of your energy for the long haul.

An example for breakfast would be a bowl of oatmeal and a couple of eggs with a piece of fruit or a juice.

For lunch you could have a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with a piece of fruit. Lot?s of lettuce on the sandwich and try to avoid mayonnaise or butter.

2) The second tip is to properly warm up your body before you even hit your first ball. I see so many golfers show up 5 minutes before tee time, hack a few balls and head to the first tee.

I mean doing some simple stretching exercise before injure your hamstring.

Those golfers are headed for a double bogey right off the bat – but hey they?re just getting ?warmed up? right?

A better approach is to give yourself at least 30 minutes before your tee time.

First do some dynamic (movement oriented) stretches to prepare your body to perform.

Things like arm circles, partial squats, toe touches, etc. Then take some half swings with a 7-pound iron club.

Now after that you?re ready to hit some wedges. You?ll find with this approach your hits on the range will be much better, which will build your confidence.

3) Drink lots of water even before you leave your house. Try to consume up to a gallon of water before you get to the course.

This will help you absorb and digest your pre-game meal and hydrate your muscles for optimal performance. This is important and should not be overlook, otherwise the consequences is adverse.

Don?t take this lightly. Dehydration causes energy loss, lack of focus and concentration and fatigue later in the round.

And remember, that?s before you even come to the course. Once you get there, you should be drinking water every hole. Don’t forget about it.

4) Don?t wait till you get tight to stretch on the course. You should be constantly moving your body and stretching your joints while you play.

I see and hear too many golfers complaining of tight lower backs or shoulders during the round.

What amazes me is that with all that complaining they do nothing about it. Why? Think of your body as a machine.

If the machine starts to break down ? fix it. I mean stretch those areas while you?re playing. You?ll see a big difference in your swing mechanics late in the round.

5) Snack while you play. No I don?t mean the full meal but having mini snacks bar that most people taking before heading for the gym.

When you supply your body with the proper nutrients your energy levels stay balanced and you will avoid those mental lapses late in the round.

How many times have you had a good score only to blow up late in the round? I?ll bet more than a couple of times. I know I have. Treat your body like a Ferrari not a Ford Pinto. You only 1 body if you want to win.

I hope you enjoy this series. Stay tuned for more golf ideas and tips.

WinGolfer Golf Club

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Beginners Golfing Tips

Learning to golf successfully is not something that you can really learn while playing a video game.  This news is sometimes a crushing blow to those who have spent hours playing Nintendo’s Wii Sports but it is in fact the crushing reality.  Learning how to play golf in real life is sometimes very complicated and will require that you pay close attention to the exact rules and form.  While learning from a golf instructor is a wise idea, there are a few mistakes that many beginners tend to make.  Learning how to overcome these mistakes will greatly improve your chances of playing a good game of golf and walking away from the green after a successful game.

One of the biggest problems that beginners have when learning golf is they tend to look up when they actually go to strike the ball.  This is a problem because it can result in a stroke being counted even if you did not hit the ball.  You can just imagine how this can quickly add up to a horrible golf score.  It is important to always look down until after you have hit the ball.  To ensure that you do stay down until after the hit ensure that you keep your hips properly rotated.  If you have trouble with this concept talk to your instructor for some specific tips to help you.  Additionally, ensuring that you keep your arms extended fully while you are swinging has been known to help many beginning golfers.  Your last step should be counting to five after you strike the ball before you look up.  This will help you pace yourself and help you avoid looking up too quickly.

Ireland’s Challenging Golf Courses

In Ireland golf courses abound, both links and parklands varieties, about 410 in total, and this is a good number compared to the population of almost 6 million (4 million people in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million in Northern Ireland). Ireland is one of the world’s great venues for a dream golfing holiday.

Links golf courses are usually found around the coastline where they’ve been scratched out of the abundant sand dunes, where the wind often challenges players, especially on the west Atlantic Coast side of the island. Their designers have also used the proximity of water to make the game on these courses more interesting. One of the most famous links courses is the Ballybunion Old Course, whose contures and sea breazes challenge every player.

Parkland golf courses are mainly inland amongst the naturally hilly landscape where woodlands provide tree-lined fairways, which are used to advantage by their designers to test the competence of even the best of the pros. A notable parkland’s course is the K Club just outside Dublin, which has been chosen to hold the Ryder Cup in September 2006. The Slieve Russell course in the Irish midlands is also another fine example.

Seven of Ireland golf courses are included in a list of the best 100 golf courses worldwide (Golf Digest)

They are:
In Northern Ireland: Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce) and the Royal County Down
In the Irish Republic: the “Old” club of Ballybunion (in the 1st ten world ranking), Lahinch, Portmarnock, The European Club and Waterville.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Golf high season: June, July, August
Mid season: May, September, October
Low season: November through to April

Book tee times well in advance of your vacation. About 20% of Ireland golf courses have their own website on which you can make a booking. Visit the author’s website to see a list of them.

Take care of how you dress. You may have difficulty at some venues if you do not take notice of the following advice regarding clothing. Wear proper shirts with sleeves and collars, golf shoes and sports socks, trousers or smart, tailored shorts. Clothes NOT TO WEAR include – denims, short shorts, trainer shoes or runners, track suits, sweaters without shirts, clothing with slogans.

Always be at the course well before your tee time. Most courses allow spikes – some encourage their use in wet weather. Many links courses do not allow motorised golf buggies because of the hilly terrain.

Take your handicap certificate with you as many golf courses will insist on visualising it. The handicap limit will usually be 28 for men, and 36 for women.

If you are taking your own golf clubs with you, you’ll need to acquire a very strong golf bag to protect them during manhandling by luggage personnel. Some find an easier solution is to hire golfing equipment in Ireland, in which case this should be done at the earliest time, when booking tee times.

You’ll find a friendly welcome not only from the Irish golfing community, but also from the population in general. Ireland has now become a very popular venue for a stimulating golfing vacation.

Minnesota Golf Courses:Dacotah Ridge

Copyright 2006 Dana Buttenhoff

Minnesota golf courses come in many varieties, from 9-hole mom and pop operations to 54-hole resort complexes. We have been discussing golf vacation destinations in Minnesota during this series of articles. Today we will highlight Dacotah Ridge in Morton, Minnesota.

Dacotah Ridge is located approximately 110 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. From other regional centers it would be approximately 235 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin, 310 miles from Des Moines, Iowa or 144 miles from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dacotah Ridge is an enterprise of The Lower Sioux Indian Community.

Native American run casinos have been in operation in the United States for the better part of twenty years and over the past ten years some of these facilities have been adding golf to the variety of entertainment being offered to the patrons. Being astute business people, the leadership of The Lower Sioux Indian Community recognized an opportunity when it was presented. In July 2000 the Rees Jones designed course opened for play. A Grand Opening celebration followed in August 2000 with the likes of Notah Begay III, Michelle Redman, and Lanny Wadkins along with Rees Jones officially opening this course to the golfing public.

Dacotah Ridge is situated on 240 acres of rolling prairie. Wabasha Creek runs through eight of the holes on the course and five holes wrap around a 14-acre lake. If the water hazards are not enough of a challenge for you there are 42 bunkers scattered around the course. Don?t be lulled into a false sense of security because the fairways are not lined with 70-foot elm or pine trees, Rees Jones used what nature provided on this course. The elevation changes as well as the use of Fescues, Blue Stem and Native Prairie grasses, some of which is knee high, in the rough along with the wind sweeping across the prairie bring trouble on poorly struck shots. For the golfer that plays down the middle there are plenty of rewards. The tee boxes, fairways and greens are seeded in bent grass. The primary rough is thick Bluegrass and Fescue. The secondary rough is where the really tall Native Prairie grasses lie. The greens are multi-tiered with sloping and undulation playing an important role in strategy. Make sure you are selecting the proper club to get the ball to the pin as well as to hold the green.

Dacotah Ridge offers four sets of tee markers. The Tournament tees play at 7,109 with a course rating of 75.1 and a slope index of 144. The Regular tees play at 6,217 yards with a course rating of 71.1 and a slope index of 131.There is plenty of variety and challenge for golfers of all abilities in your group. There is a nice virtual tour of the golf course with hole by hole descriptions on their website, which is www.dacotahridge.com

There is a dress code at Dacotah Ridge and appropriate golf attire is required. Non-metal spikes are also required at Dacotah Ridge.

The green fees to play at Dacotah Ridge during the summer season are $64.00 and cart fee is $16.00. Walking is allowed at Dacotah Ridge. There is also play and stay package rates offered through the hotel at the casino that is 4 miles away from the golf course. There are also reduced rates to golf in the spring and fall season.

There is a complete restaurant and bar facility along with a completely stocked Pro Shop for you to enjoy at Dacotah Ridge.

The Lower Sioux Indian Community has done a great job of putting together a complete entertainment experience featuring the Jackpot Junction Casino with it?s gaming, live on-stage entertainment with many national acts, hotel accommodations as well as numerous restaurant choices. Add to this the golf at Dacotah Ridge or any of the neighboring communities of Redwood Falls, Renville, Springfield, Fairfax or Buffalo Lake all within 30 miles and the combination of activities for your Minnesota rural golf vacation are endless. Call Dacotah Ridge for tee times at 1-507-644-5050 or the reservation desk at 1-800-946-2274 extention: 4700.

Minnesota Golf Courses in the City of Rochester

Copyright 2006 Dana Buttenhoff

Minnesota golf courses come in a wide variety, from 9-hole mom and pop operations to 54-hole resort complexes and we have been discussing different destinations in this series of articles. Today we will highlight the city of Rochester in the southeastern portion of the state.
Rochester is located approximately 85 miles southeast of the Twin Cities on Hwy. 52. Rochester is known worldwide as the home of the Mayo Clinic. There are plenty of places to stay and other activities to participate in while in Rochester when you are done golfing. A good reference site is www.rochestercvb.org, which is the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau, but we are here to primarily discuss the golf opportunities that Rochester has to offer.

The golf courses in Rochester and telephone numbers are:
? Eastwood Golf Club 1-507-281-6173
? Maple Valley Golf & Country Club 1-507-285-9100
? Meadow Lakes Golf Club 1-507-285-1190
? Northern Hills Golf Club 1-507-281-6170
? Oak Summit Golf Course 1-507-252-1808
? Rochester Golf & Country Club 1-507-282-3170
? Soldier?s Memorial Field Golf Course 1-507-281-6176
? Willow Creek Golf Course 1-507-285-0305
As you can see there are plenty of opportunities to play golf in Rochester. You can either come for a weekend or stay for a week and never have to play the same golf course twice.

Eastwood Golf Club: Eastwood Golf Club is city owned golf course that is located in the southeastern part of the city. This facility is an 18-hole course that plays 6,205 yards from the back tee markers. Par at Eastwood Golf Club is 70. The course rating is 69.6 and the slope index is 121. The green fee for 18-holes is $26.75 and golf cart rentals are available for $24.00 for 18-holes. If you have a group outing planned in the Rochester area you can rent the entire golf course for half or full day. Contact the golf course management staff for more details.

Maple Valley Golf & Country Club: Maple Valley is a par 71, 18-hole golf course. The course plays at 5,916 yards from the back tee markers with a course rating of 68.1 and a slope index of 108. Maple Valley Golf Course is located approximately 15 minutes south of the city of Rochester in the beautiful Root River bluff country. Elevation changes in this area of the state are quite dramatic so don?t let the yardage of this course deceive you.
Weekend 18-hole rates are $31.00 plus tax. A power cart can be rented for $14.00 per person plus tax.

Meadow Lakes Golf Club: Meadow Lakes Golf Club is an 18-hole par 71 ?links style? course and has water hazards on 15 of the 18 holes. There are two island greens featured at Meadow Lakes. There are four sets of tee markers to choose from to challenge golfers of all abilities. Power carts are also available for rent. After your round of golf, don?t forget to stop in the lounge for cold refreshments.

Northern Hills Golf Club: Northern Hills Golf Club is a city owned golf course that is located in the northwestern part of the city. Northern Hills Golf Club is an 18-hole facility that plays 6,335 yards from the back tee markers with a course rating of 70.9 and a slope index of 129. Green fee for 18-holes is $26.75 and golf cart rentals are available for $24.00 for 18-holes. If you have a group outing planned in the Rochester area you can rent the entire golf course for half or full day. Contact the golf course management staff for more details.

Oak Summit Golf Course: Oak Summit Golf Course is located five miles south of the city of Rochester and just ? mile west of the Rochester Municipal Airport. Oak Summit Golf Course is an 18-hole par 70 facility that features 4 sets of tee markers. The course plays 6,434 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 71.0 and a slope index of 118. The cost to play at Oak Summit Golf Course is $25.00 for 18-holes with power cart rental available for $14.00 per person additional.

Rochester Golf & Country Club: Rochester Golf & Country Club is a private members-owned club located on the western edge of the city. You will have to be a guest of a member to play here or if you are moving to the Rochester area you can apply for membership. There are also non-resident memberships available if you live 40 miles away from Rochester. The Rochester Golf & Country Club features four sets of tee markers, the course plays at 6,469 from the back tees with a course rating of 71.4 and a slope index of 131. If you are in the area and have the ability to get in a round, it certainly will be an adventure for you to experience the history of this club that dates back to 1915.

Soldier?s Memorial Field Golf Course: Soldier?s Memorial Field Golf Course is a city owned course that is located in the center of the city that was built in 1927 and the Zumbro River runs through the course. The course plays just 5,706 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 66.8 and a slope index of 116. Strategy and ball placement are vital to scoring well as the Zumbro River comes into play on several holes. Green fee for 18-holes is $26.75 and golf cart rentals are available for $24.00 for 18-holes. If you have a group outing planned in the Rochester area you can rent the entire golf course for half or full day. Contact the golf course management staff for more details.

Willow Creek Golf Course: Willow Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole par 70 course that plays 6,053 yards from the back tees. There is also Little Willow 9-hole executive course that plays 1,434 located on the property. The weekend rate to play 18-holes is $26.00. There are also power carts for rent at Willow Creek. After your round of golf don?t forget to stop by the 19th Hole Lounge for a cold beverage and a sandwich from the daily menu.

The Rochester area is filled with variety, not only in the choices of golf courses but also in accommodations and other points of interest in the area. Whether you decide to stay for a weekend or a week, and choose to stay in a Bed & Breakfast or a luxury hotel, Rochester has something for everyone. When making plans for your summer vacation make it a Minnesota rural golf vacation!