Monthly Archives: February 2014

Winter Work: Practice Tee

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With warmer weather forecasted for the weekend, our staff cleaned the snow off the Practice Tee to eliminate an ice layer that had formed under the snow.

Practice Tee February 20 2014 d

Above is Gaudencio Rodriquez operating a snow blower.  What was left after this process is represented in the picture below. 

Practice Tee February 20 2014 c

Just to the right of the shovel we can make a some turf, covered by a slushy medium of ice and snow.  This area just above the turf was ice as thick as 3 inches.  Below is the Practice Tee as it looks today.  The higher temps over the weekend help eliminate any remaining snow.

Practice Tee February 20 2014 e

USGA Green Section Award

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Earlier this month on February 8th, the USGA held it’s Annual Meeting at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.  The meeting and dinner recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to the USGA’s mission of serving the game.  I am honored to call one of the recipients a mentor and a friend as well.  Although mostly retired from from teaching at the University of Maryland, he continues to give back to the industry including here at Bidermann.

February 5th Ice Storm

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Most winter storms do not pose a threat to the golf course.  However, when ice is present, the ball game changes entirely.  The pictures below depict the damage inflicted, however, they do not tell the whole story.

6 Tee

Above, a limb from an Oak rests near the Halfway House.

4 Tee Area

Above is a white pine near the 4th tee.  You can see the damage at the center of the picture where the limb broke from the weight of the ice on the branches.

12 Approach

Above is a white pine located on the right handside of the 12th hole near the approach to the green.  Again, damage is visible where the branch broke off.

white pine #5

Above is a white pine located between the 5th and 15th fairways.  We have begun the clean-up process of chipping limbs we can reach or are not frozen to the ground.  Pictured here (left to right) is Seasonal Employee, Jose Rodrguez and First Assistant Superintendent, Tim Friel.

Near 12 Tee

Above and below is a spruce tree planted in the last few years.  This one is part of a row near the forward tee on #12 that were donated by a Vicmead/ Bidermann Member.  It was disheartening to find this tree split in half as this entire grove had taken off in the last two years and would have screened the “back 40” of the maintenance operations center.  This loss leaves a gap and exposes the natural material refuse area and will need to be replaced with another evergreen.  Below you can view where the spruce split near the bottom third of the trunk.

Near 12 Tee b

Below is the area near Halfway House that was not pruned in the winter of 2012/ 2013.  The right side of the halfway house was pruned when we installed lightning protection and had little to no storm damage.

Halway House

6 Tee b

The damage above is from a beech tree that was not pruned in 2013/ 2013.  The oak tree to it’s right was pruned and did not sustain any damage.

6 Tee c

The picture above represent where branches broke off near tops of trees.  In this case, about 75 feet above the ground.  Every tree that has sustained damaged on the course has broken limbs like this and will require a boom truck to remove the damage.

Between 3 and 4

Above is white pine the grove between the third and fourth holes.  Again, damage towards the top of the tree is visible.

Between 3 and 4 b

Here is another shot of the same stand on #3 and 4.  If you travel the cart path on #4, these trees virually have no limbs on this side of the hole.  The remaining branches only point towards #3.

6 Fwy

Above is the backside of the white pine grove on the sixth hole.  The second tree from the left has visible damage.  However, a white pine that faces the 6th fairway is far worse than this tree.

Old 17

To give you some perspective to some of the limbs were are cleaning up from this storm, seasonal employee, Jose Rodriguez, is walking on the right side of the Old 17th hole.  The large limb on the left side of the picture impaled the turf 2 feet into the ground.