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ThePowderHorn
USGAGreenSectionTurfAdvisoryServiceVisit
Sheridan,WyomingSeptember12,2011
Present:Mr.JasonBusch,SuperintendentMr.MarkJensik,OperationsManager(briefly)Mr.JohnHathaway,AssistantSuperintendent(briefly)Mr.FredE."Derf"Soller,Jr.,USGAGreenSection
ThePowderHomSeptember12,2011
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ItwasmypleasuretoreturntoThePowderHornonSeptember12,2011,onbehalfoftheUSGAGreenSection.ThisTurfAdvisoryService(TAS)reportprovidesanunbiasedreviewofyourgolfcoursemanagementoperation.Thankyoufortheopportunitytoopenlysharemythoughtsandsuggestionsasdiscussedduringthevisitandfoundinthisreport.ThemaintopicsdiscussedduringthisTASvisitincludedwetandhotweatheraccentuatescourseinconsistencies,wetareasaroundRainbirdheadsinfairways,irrigationaudit,drainageneedednearcollectionbasinsinfairways,greensaeration,tractoradditionneededtoutilizecurrentaerationequipment,surfacedrainagerepaironNo.8Eaglegreen,remodelofEagleNo.6bluetee,bunkerremovalonNo.6Mountain,anddecreasingroughacreagebyincreasingnativegrassesinselectlocations.EXECUTIVESUMMARYThissummaryprovidesabriefdescriptionoftherecommendationsfoundwithinthemainbodyofthereport.Theremainderofthereportcontainsseveralvisualobservationsandspecificrecommendationshighlightedhere.WeatherExtremes•Wetweatherinspringandahot,drysummerstretchexaggeratedanyflaws.IrrigationSystem•Irrigationauditconfirmsinadequacies.•WetareasaroundRainbirdirrigationheadsareapuzzler!FairwayDrainage•AddingFrenchdrainsandtyingintoexistinginletsshouldcontinue.PuttingGreens•Greensdidmakeitthroughthesummer,butdid"sealoff'duringhotweather.•Coreaerationisnowimportantforputtinggreenhealth.
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MaintenanceEquipment•Addinganothermaintenancetractorwillbetterutilizeaerationequipment.MiscellaneousProjects•RemodelofNo.6Eaglebluetee•RemovaloffairwaybunkersonNo.6Mountain•SurfacedrainageimprovementtoNo.8Eaglegreen•Continueconvertingmaintainedroughareastonativegrassesinselectlocations.WEATHEREXTREMESObservations-
It
wascertainlythetaleoftwoextremesatThePowderHornthissummer.Unfortunately,suchextremesalwaysseemtohighlightandexaggerateinfrastructureflaws.ThewetweatherinspringaccentuatedthelackofsurfacedrainageinmanyareasofthegolfcourseandhighlightedareaswhereadditionalsurfaceFrenchdrainageneedstobeinstalled.Ontheflipside,oncethelong,hotdryspellwasinfullswing,inadequaciesoftheirrigationsystempresentedthemselves.Correctivemeasuresforbothoftheseextremeswillbediscussedlaterinthisreport.IRRIGATIONSYSTEMObservations-
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wasinterestingtohearabouttherecentirrigationauditconductedbyMr.MikeHuck.Assuspected,efficiencyofthecurrentirrigationsystemisfarbelowwhatisnecessarytoprovideuniformcoveragethroughoutmostareasofthegolfcourse.ExtremelywetandsoftareasaroundsomeoftheRainbirdirrigationheadswereanothercuriousphenomenonnoted.Recommendations-Theirrigationauditconfirmedwhatmanyhavesuspectedconcerninguniformirrigationcoverage.Mr.Huck'sforthcomingreportwillverifythisonahole-by-holebasis.Repairingthisinadequacywillrequireamajoroverhauloftheirrigationsystem.Currently,thisisprobablyunlikelywiththestateoftheeconomy.Theseinadequaciesaretheculpritfortheinabilitytoprovideuniformirrigationonaday-to-daybasis.Theneedtoplaceanirrigationsystemupgradeonacapitalimprovementlistforthefuturehasalsobeensubstantiated.
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