New yardage markers at Morro Bay for your golfing pleasure

A little over a year ago one of our Morro Bay Golf Club members asked if he we could put yardage markers on the irrigation heads to speed up play.  We discussed the idea and the Golf Club agreed to help.  First the started by using their GPS units and range finders to determine the yardages for heads from the greens to about 250 yards away (because any further than that and you are just dreaming...seriously hit the ball already).



Scribing temporary yardages

Our club members spent many afternoons following their regular play days to measure and collect the yardage data for the irrigation heads throughout the course.  This data was compiled for each hole and a list of yardage markers was created.  483 in all!  Well that only included the heads in or very near the fairways.  It was determined that if you could not hit it straight you were on your own and exact yardage was not likely to make a significance to your game.  This is a joke...we just had to draw the line somewhere.  I am the guy that rarely gets to use these yardages because I am either in the rough or the adjoining fairway.

With the data compiled, we sought out a company in our County to produce the yardage plaques and we found a suitable product that after materials and installation cost just over $1.  That's a considerable savings compared with the typical irrigation head yardage markers that cost between $3 and $15 (that is not a typo!).  Our total cost was under $600 to mark the entire course.


Yardage data collection

It was time to install the heads and we took the golf club up on their offer to help.  The club members have been quite generous by helping with projects over the past couple of years and we really appreciate their assistance.  We expected between 10-15 people to help out and we were happily surprised to find that nearly 40 people were interested to help.  The free appetizers and refreshments that we provided may have helped a bit, but really I think the group just wanted to do something for the good of the course and club.  So we broke into 11 groups of 4 and set out to trim and clean around the heads, drill, glue, and screw on the yardage markers.



The finished product

Fun was had by all and the entire project took just over three hours to complete.  The results have been favorable with only a few complaints about the yardages not being totally accurate, but how many of our clubs are accurate within 3-5 yards either.  All in all this was a great day for our golf course and our golf club by combining our efforts we were able to improve the golfing experience at Morro Bay Golf Course and enjoy the fantastic weather and cameraderie!  


Rory and Tiger Nike Commercial

I just saw this video on YouTube and had to share it! Love or hate these two guys, this is like the Jordan / Bird McDonald's commercials a couple of decades ago. Two guys on the range trying to out perform the other guy ... and I thought is was well done and comical to boot. Have a look and get out there and HAVE SOME FUN PLAYING GOLF!! enjoy ;)

"I couldn't wait for the sun to come up again every morning

so that I could get out on the course again."

~ Ben Hogan



Preventing winter dessication with a ... skating rink?

We do not get remotely close to the cold temperatures I experience in the Mid-West growing up, but none the less, we need to watch our moisture content of the greens to ensure we do not lose any turf to winter dessication.  Winter dessication occurs when plants no longer have adequate amounts of available moisture in their root zones to survive.  Even during cold periods of the year when the grass is not actively growing we need to monitor the moisture levels especially when we reach daytime highs in the 60's and 70's here on the Central Coast.  Our nighttime temperatures have been in the mid 20's to lower 30's, but the frost actually takes alot of energy out of the plants and the turf works really hard to survive during this time of year.

In the foreground you can see the head that incurred the stuck valve. The result was a miniature ice floe that was nearly an inch think in some areas.

 

The warm air from a blower helped speed up the thawing process.

With our low rainfall totals over the past few weeks we attempted to irrigate the greens at Chalk Mountain this past week.  The photos here do not represent a burst line or head, but rather were the result of a stuck foot or bottom valve followed by temps in the lower 20's.  Even with daytime highs in the 50's our 9th green at Chalk Mountain has not thawed for a little over a week, as it does not receive significant sun this time of year.  So, when the foot valve stuck open the irrigation water froze on the greens surface.

Staff stole an idea from the grape and citrus growers in the area to help thaw the ice.  During frost periods vineyards often use windmills at low revolutions to keep the frost from setting on their crops.  This wind movement keeps the plants dry with the moving air and thus the frost is prevented.  Some farmers use helicopters once the frost has set on crops as the rotors move the sun heated air down onto the frost or ice covered crops below.  This method worked well in our case as the warm air from our blower melted the ice and little damage incurred because of quick action.  If the ice were to remain on the turf for more than 12 hours it may have suffocated as the leaves would not have been able to breathe.  In areas that receive significant snowfall, the snow actually helps the turf retain its moisture and dessication is rarely an issue because the snow is porous until ambient air temperatures become warm enough that melting begins.  At this point the snow must be carefully removed with snow blowers and shovels.

We have been busy lately so stay tuned over the next few weeks as we update you about our fencing project at Morro Bay, a stream bed project with the CCC's, some great wildlife photos, a perplexing irrigation problem, and a discussion about dormant turf!

Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues, powered by SNAG, to be introduced in U.S. Park and Recreation programs

I must commend Mr. Nicklaus for helping to create some outside of the box thinking or some thinking that should have happened at golf courses around the country long ago.  And kudos to the National Recreation and Parks Association to help make this financially available to the masses.
The game of golf has provided Nicklaus many opportunities during his career and Jack has given back in many ways throughout the years, not to mention the type of embassador that he is for the game of golf.
Without much information at this point it is hard to know what these programs will look like in the form of cost, activities, promotion, and cost.  Whoops! did I mention cost more than once?  Hopefully, these programs will remain affordable without the grants that the NRPA is seeking.  I manage three County operated golf courses as part of our San Luis Obispo County Parks and Rec program and I know I am interested in implementing this initiative at our courses!  Any way we can continue to attempt to attract new generations of golfers to the game is good in my opinion.  Stay tuned as this program rolls out and information becomes available.

Please read the link below to find information regarding these programs.

Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues, powered by SNAG, to be introduced in U.S. Park and Recreation programs

"Golf is a simple game made difficult by man."

~ Tom Haliburton, British golf instructor

SLO Golf Card 2013 for $99

The 2013 SLO Golf Card makes a great stocking stuffer for the golfer on your list!  There simply is no better golf value on the Central Coast.  The card offers up to 40% off of our already reasonable green fees 365 days per year with no time limitations and special promotions throughout the year.  The membership includes play at three distinctly different courses:  Morro Bay has ocean views from every hole, Chalk Mountain is a traditional American style course carved through the hills of a Coastal Oak forest, and Dairy Creek is a links style course with rocky arroyos and breathtaking vistas of the nine sister ancient volcanic peaks.

Your membership affords you 6 guest passes so that you can bring your friends to pay the low rate of $29 anytime.  If purchased by December 31, you will get 3 free rounds of golf up front, so the card virtually pays for itself the minute you buy it and then you receive your discounts every time you play!  When you buy a SLO Golf Card your spouse can get their card for only $50 and you can also get up to two FREE Jr. cards and your child's green fees are always $6 each time they play.  As stated before this truly is the best golf value on the Central Coast and perhaps all of California.  Don't take my word for it, get your SLO Golf Card(s) today!