USGA Green Section Turf Advisory Service Visit - Beach Grove Golf ...

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Beach Grove Golf Club -10- May 4, 2005 • No. 8 fairway. While the selective removal of the large cottonwoods has slowly occurred, the sequoias selected as the replacement trees offer a completely different growth habit and size that must be carefully considered when planted. The tree on the left side should be moved back over the cart path to the left as it will inevitably be removed in the future as it will become extremely wide and block the entire left side of the fairway. This tree should be moved next winter using a large tree spade to assure survival. • No. 8 lake. Mr. White correctly mentioned that a rules issue exists with the two trees near the lake that should be removed. Any ball hit into these trees can not be assumed to have gone in the lake without clear evidence, thus the ball is lost. In addition, the removal of these two trees will provide a much clearer view of the green and water feature on the right. • No. 10 left side of dogleg near lake. As with the two trees on No. 8, three similar types of trees stop shots from entering the lake on this hole. For the same reason as No. 8, these trees should either be removed now or moved to another location on the golf course this winter. • No. 17 alder replacement tree. Mr. Murray mentioned that the tree used to replace the key leaning alder on this new green site is an oak. It was suggested to possibly move this tree further to the right (looking at the green) if the width of the tree will be beyond the current width of the alder. IRRIGATION SYSTEM Observations and recommendations. While the irrigation system was not in use at this time, it has been a major area of discussion in the past. Just as the removal of water is a key to allow for turf survival and improved playing conditions during the winter and spring months, the irrigation system represents the survival of the turf during the summer months that leads into the fall playing season. It was mentioned that the new holes have been fit with a modern system of lines and controllers, however the remainder of the golf course is easily one of the worst nightmares any golf
Beach Grove Golf Club -11- May 4, 2005 course superintendent could ever face! The combination of the lack of control, poor spacing, small pipe size, and system age make Beach Grove the only older Lower Mainland golf course that has not upgraded their irrigation system in the last 5-10 years. It was suggested to have a qualified irrigation designer provide an analysis of the irrigation system to start the process of upgrading one of the foundations of success for your turf maintenance programs. MAINTENANCE FACILITY Observations and recommendations. With the construction of the new maintenance facility at Quilchena G&CC, Beach Grove has now taken over the title of “Worst Maintenance Facility” of all the older private clubs in the Greater Vancouver area. During the past decade Shaughnessy, Capilano, Seymour, Marine Drive, Point Grey, Vancouver, Richmond and Quilchena have all completely modernized or greatly upgraded their maintenance facilities to improve working conditions for their maintenance staff and protect the massive investments made in turf equipment. As with the irrigation system, this represents a considerable amount of funding, however it must be addressed as soon as possible as a very high priority. Mr. Rothfeder said it best when he mentioned that the entire facility could be shut down tomorrow with various code violations. For this reason it was good to learn that preliminary work is being done in this area. MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS Should the practice facility be moved back to address safety concerns The practice facility at Beach Grove is very similar to many older private golf clubs in the Pacific Northwest as practicing on your game was seldom done in the early portion of the 20 th century through the mid-1900’s.. Since the game has grown and practice is a major part of improving your swing, the lack of acreage provided for practice has resulted in the need for high nets and posts to protect players on adjoining holes. Excluding the complete elimination of woods, the only other reasonable method to reduce the safety issue at Beach Grove is the use of lower compression golf balls. At this time the amount of golf courses using these golf balls are too numerous to mention, however they do include Overlake CC, Everett CC, Rainier CC, Fircrest GC, Royal Colwood GC, Point Grey CC, Coeur d”Alene Resort and Mauna Kea. Enclosed with this report is a reprint describing the exact issue facing Beach Grove as these balls offer a simple solution to your safety situation. If this proves ineffective, then the use of a qualified golf course architect to expand the tee to the rear along with nets and posts may be the final answer for safety concerns. Gravel or asphalt – which is best for Beach Grove While it is true that gravel has less bounce than asphalt, the many positives of a permanent surface far outweigh this one negative. If you are concerned about the negative impact of asphalt in areas of play, consider the enclosed reprint.
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USGA Green Section Turf Advisory Service Visit - Beach Grove Golf ...

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