Snapping Turtle Migration

This morning, a large female snapping turtle was seen moving along Traver Creek. She was between the first bridges downstream from Traver Road and the #17 pond. This is great news because it means that at least some of the turtles we moved last fall for the Traver Creek Project have made it back to the areas they were relocated from. The photo above is from last fall, as I did not have my camera with me this morning. You can read more about the turtle relocation HERE, HERE, HERE or HERE.

Substantial Completion of the Traver Creek Project

With the laying of the sod on #10 fairway and tee, as well as the seeding of the remaining areas of rough, substantial completion of the Traver Creek Project has been reached. Substantial completion does not include the cart paths that need to be replaced, the spoil pile to the west of #14 tee and the irrigation system (which has some kinks to be worked out.)

#10 tee ready for sod.

Bentgrass sod being delivered and rolled out on #10 tee.

The tee is taking shape.

After the bentgrass sod was laid out on the tee, the contractors went to work on the bentgrass in the fairway on the front half of the fairway. This area was raised about a foot in order to facilitate drainage. They then put down bluegrass sod around the tee. This is the predominate grass type in our rough. In the next couple of days, the contractors were able to finish grading and seeded everything. Now it will need some time for the grass to germinate and grow.

I am hopeful that this tee and fairway will be open in a couple of weeks, although it may be longer before carts are allowed onto the new fairway section.

April 2013 Weather Summary

April 2013 was a cold and wet month. It was more like the April we had in 2011 than last year. This year we had 5.41 inches of rain. Compare that to last year (2.04 inches) and 2011 (4.86 inches.) The maximum daily rain was 1.03 inches (April 11th.)  Leslie Park had 18 days with at least a trace of rain, while 11 days had over a tenth of an inch.

The average temperature was just 45.3 degrees. The high temperature recorded was 76.5 (18th) and the low temperature was 22.3 (3rd.) Eight days had low temperature below freezing.

The highest wind speed was 39 mph, which happened on the 18th. The average wind speed for the month was 5.3 mph.

Back 9 Open

After a cool and wet spring, we have now decided to open the Back 9 at Leslie Park Golf Course. There are areas that have bare soil and are marked "Ground Under Repair." If your ball goes into these areas, please do not hit from inside the ropes. Pick up your ball and drop it at the nearest point of relief outside the roped area. There is no penalty for this. Also, please do not hit from the sodded areas. Treat this the same as the seeded areas.

Enjoy the weather and be aware that work will still be progressing during open play times.

More Sod (Bluegrass)

Anderson-Fischer came in this week and laid bluegrass sod behind the four rock walls near 10,12,17 and 18 greens. This will enable those areas to be playable much sooner than if we had seeded the rough there. Unlike the fairway sod that was laid last week, this sod is the normal 18 inches by 36 inches.

The design engineer checks out the sod on #10 and calculates the area.

#12 green is to the left in this picture looking back toward the tee.

#17 green.

A close-up of the seventeenth green.

#18 green, looking back toward the tee.

The view from behind the green.

Duck Nesting Tubes (Revisited)

In early March, Leslie Park Golf Course hosted some 4th and 5th graders from the Ann Arbor Learning Community to help us build some mallard duck nesting tubes.  Early this April we mounted the tubes on some of the water features here at the golf course.

An early morning canoe paddle.

Attempting to put in the mounting post.

Getting the tube to the post.

One of the tubes from #17 green.

A curious couple looking for a new home. (The female is on top of the tube.)

A video of the two ducks checking out the new digs.

Traver Creek Project Update #11

Anderson-Fischer brought some of the bentgrass sod for the fairways early last week.

The skid-steer with the attachment for laying big roll sod. Big roll sod is 30 inches wide and 100 feet long as opposed to the usual 18 inches wide by about 3 feet long.

The guys pulling the sod tight against the last roll on #14 fairway.

A short video demonstrating the process.

Rolls of sod waiting in the staging area.

As soon as the sod was laid out, we needed to get water on it. It is still dormant (hence the brown color) but water and warm temperatures should help to bring it out.

#11 fairway. Note how wide and flat the landing area is now.

#11 from the green. The areas that are bare soil now will be rough and will be seeded later.

The area between the north pond and Traver Road was hydroseeded with native prairie plants.

This blueish area on #12 was hydroseeded with a rough mix. The straw mulch blankets were put down after seeding with native wetland plants.