PC Conversion Update - 7/7/12

      We officially have three weeks in the books. Only five weeks more until the Players Club re-opens. This past week we had excellent weather and were able to accomplish all of our goals. The greens are moving along nicely and we are confident that they will be in excellent condition on August 13th. Here is a rundown of last week and a look ahead to next..

Last Week 7/1-7/7

• Monday - rolled and fertilized the greens. We fertilized with a starter (7-23-19) fertilizer and high nitrogen (21-0-0) fertilizer. This application will encourage new vertical growth. The new growth will provide the leaf tissue necessary to produce carbohydrates. The stored carbohydrates will help to produce new plants and encourage the surfaces to fill in.

Associate Juan Diaz Garcia

Associate Paul Stephens

• Tuesday - applied growth regulator to the entire course. This will slow growth, resulting in less scalping from mowers and improved water efficiency.
• Wednesday - we sent our staff to assist the Members Club for their triple tee preparation. The PC managers stayed and watered throughout the day. Here are a few snapshots of the surfaces on July 4th.

      You can see in the photos that the green is beginning to cover. On Monday, we decided that we would mow on Thursday. The appearance of the greens on the 4th reassured us that they were ready.

• Thursday - This was probably the busiest day of the week. We mowed the greens for the first time. The height of cut was (.200"). This cut was designed to "clean up" the surfaces. Here is a picture of the mowing.

Associate Ricardo Hehua

      From the picture above you can see the difference that the cutting made. The mowed section is to the left of our associate and the uncut portion is to the right. You can see that the mower has removed the top layer of the new growth.
      On Thursday we were able to begin another long overdue project. Replacing the artificial turf on #6 ladies tee/drop area. This tee has deteriorated and become an eyesore for the last year. Here are some pics of the removal process.

      The last picture shows the tee on Thursday afternoon. We expect the new turf to arrive late next week. I will post more pictures through the week detailing this project.

• Friday - We finished our topdressing application that we started on Thursday afternoon. We applied a light to medium amount of sand/peat mix to the surfaces. The turf is growing at an uneven rate. The topdressing helps to maintain the smoothness through this transition. Here is a picture of #10 green after topdressing.

     
Next Week 7/8-7/15

• Mow the greens two to three times next week.
• Topdress greens. We will be applying another light-medium layer of sand/peat.
• Fertilize greens with calcium nitrate (15-0-0). The calcium is necessary for a few reasons, but one in particular. The reclaimed water that we use for irrigation has a slightly high ratio of sodium. Since we are watering aggressively, we need to take preventative measures to avoid a calcium deficiency.
• Apply insecticide to the entire golf course. This application targets mole crickets, grub worms and ants. This application will be made on Wednesday, July 11th.
• Finish #6 ladies tee.

      With only 36 days until re-opening, we are beginning to see the greens come to life. We will continue to water regularly through next week. The greens have matured to the point that we can increase the amount of water and decrease the frequency of application. I say this to remind you that we are watering the greens regularly. If you choose to stop by and see the greens, do so between 8-10 A.M. and 1-3 P.M. And of course, continue to follow the blog for more updates from the maintenance staff at St. James.

Associate Spotlight - Ben Poteat

      Ben Poteat is a part-time associate on the maintenance team. He works at all four courses on the plantation. Mr. Poteat or "squirrel" as he is referred to, is a valuable asset to the St. James family. His work spans all aspects of the golf course and his attention to detail is second to none.
      Ben started at St. James in 1995. He splits time working here and caring for family in western North Carolina. Ben is originally from Marion, NC and he currently lives on Oak Island. Before joining St. James, Mr. Poteat was employed with Progress Energy at the nuclear facility in Southport.
      Ben's job duties cover all 81 holes in St. James. Some of Ben's responsibilities include:

• Tee marker restoration. There are 800+ tee markers at St. James Plantation. Ben is responsible for them all. On closed days, Ben will remove all the tees, clean and re-paint them. In addition, he replaces stolen and damaged markers throughout the year.

Mr. Poteat restoring tee markers.

• 150 yard markers. Ben maintains all the 150 poles on the plantation. Similar to tees, on closed days he removes, refinishes or replaces them.
• Yardage blocks. Below is a photo of 'squirrel' in action.

Ben making new yardage blocks.

• Hazard and boundary stake care. Painting, straightening and replacing.  
• All miscellaneous signage. Ben's famous saying, "If it isn't moving, I am painting it."
• Birdhouse maintenance.  
• Brush mowing. Ben does this on an as needed basis. He concentrates on areas that we can not mow with our rough units.
• Golf Course Appreciation Day organizer. Ben organizes and gathers the maintenance supplies for these bi-annual events. 
• Food and drink distribution on closed days. When we close for aerification we do not drive to the shop for breaks. Ben brings our refreshments to us.

      Ben, in a nutshell, is our maintenance utility guy. He takes care of all the 'little things' around the plantation. His golf knowledge and dedication make him the perfect person for this job. Mr. Poteat is a valuable member of our maintenance staff.
      You may see Ben travelling the courses. Next time, stop him and say hello. You may be amazed to hear what he is up to.