Tee Aerification Underway

Tees before scraping - click to enlarge

This is the time of year when we do our fall preparation work on the golf course tees. We did a vertical mowing (verticut) on the tees last week. This helps reduce the thatch and minimize the lateral growth (runners.) We are aerating (plugging/punching) the tees this week . This helps reduce the thatch (sponginess.) We will follow the aeration with an overseeding with perennial rye grass and a shot of fertilizer. By mid-October, the tees should be looking really good and fully recovered from the work. Please excuse any inconvenience during the next few days!

Course Conditions, How to Fix a Ball Mark

The golf course is responding to the fertilizer that was applied last week. The turf is very green and lush with growth. This growth is necessary to provide a good playing surface going into winter. But the rapid growth is making the rough very difficult to play from, especially in the mornings. Mowing is taking place but the clippings are not dispersing well. Clippings are sticking to shoes and cart tires, often falling off on the putting surfaces and cart paths. Extra effort is being made to clean up the mess using blowers. We are trying to get around to clean things up, but it is impossible to follow every group. Please excuse the mess for the next week or so........

Here is a link on how to properly fix a ball mark using the Green-Save tools we provide:

http://www.greensave.com/How%20To%20Repair%20Graphic.pdf

Check Out This Hail Damage in Wichita, KS!

Check out this damage from baseball sized hail hitting the Auburn Hills GC in Wichita, KS!

Maybe the ball marks at Stanford are not too bad after all.........

Here is a link to the video:

http://www.golfcourseindustry.com/gci-video-whichita-course-hail-damage.aspx?List_id=29&email=kkwilliams%40stanford.edu&key=

Memorial for Jason Oliver 1985-2010

Jason Oliver 1985-2010

Please join us for a celebration of Jason's life on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 3:30pm at the Siebel Practice Facility. His remembrance celebration will be lead by Reverend Scotty McLennan, Dean of Religious Life.

Jason David Oliver, a resident of Palo Alto, California, died on August 20, 2010 in Palo Alto. He was 25 years of age. Jason was born on July 16, 1985 in Portland, Oregon and was the son of Bob and Linda Oliver. He was raised and educated in Portland and graduated from David Douglas High School in 2003. He went on to graduate from Oregon State University in 2007. Jason resided in Palo Alto, California where he worked as the Assistant Superintendant for Stanford University Golf Course. Jason is survived by his parents, Bob and Linda Oliver of Portland, brothers, Ryan and Christopher Oliver, as well as his fiancé, Lindsay Frankfurt.
Here is a link to Jason’s memorial:
http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Jason-Oliver&lc=7392&mid=4367169

What Others Are Saying About Jason Oliver

From Northern CA Golf Course Superintendents Assn. President Thomas Bastis, CGCS:

On behalf of the GCSANC board of directors it is with a deep and profound sense of loss, I must inform you of the sudden death of Jason Oliver, Director GCSANC, Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, Stanford University Golf Course. Nothing is quite as painful or tragic as the premature death of a young, vibrant man with such a promising future.

In addition to his responsibilities as a dedicated assistant superintendent at Stanford University Golf Course and its golf-training complex, Jason was an ardent supporter of the profession serving on the GCSANC board of directors as the association’s assistant representative. He liked being involved and was an exceptional advocate for fellow assistants.

During his recent board tenure, Jason devoted his talent and eagerness to any task he undertook for the association. He directed the reshaping and updating of the web site. His latest task, the addition of member oriented “swap, trade and sell craigslist concept" will be opened in the future for membership use.

Remember this young man each time you visit this site, I know we shall.

Jason we love you and we will miss you greatly. Find peace with your Lord.

Thomas Bastis, CGCS


From David Phipps, CGCS, Stone Creek GC and an early mentor of Jason:

http://stonecreeksuper.blogspot.com/2010/08/remembering-jason-oliver.html

The Passing Of Jason Oliver

It pains me to report the sudden and unexpected passing of Jason Oliver, Assistant Superintendent at the Stanford GC. Jason was 26 years old. He was charged with overseeing the Siebel Varsity Golf Training Complex. Jason was a dedicated employee with an incredible passion for the golf industry. He had enormous potential and often stated his goal of someday being President of the Golf Course Superintendents of America. We will miss Jason and hope he is somehow in a better place.

Ball Marks Are Avoidable - But it Takes Some Effort!

(Click to Enlarge Photo)

One difficulty with bent grass greens are their susceptibility to ball marks. It takes three to four weeks to heal an improperly repaired ball mark. If just ten people per day don't repair their marks correctly, that is 70 bad ball marks/week or 210-280 total per green. Hopefully you can see the importance of repairing every single ball mark, every single day!

It is very important that the ball mark is repaired correctly. When repairing a ball mark, think like a gardener, not a golfer. Take your time and do a good job gently kneading the turf back together. The repair, when done correctly, should look like no damage ever occurred there. There should be no brown showing and the repair should be tapped flat. This will allow the damage to heal in a day or so - as opposed to weeks.

If we could all do a better job with our ball marks, the greens would play much better for all involved!