Superintendents Corner
Welcome to the Maintenance section of our Website.
Taking care of a golf course requires dedication and hard work. When dealing with living organisms (grass plants, trees, flowers, etc), the saying “it can wait till tomorrow” is not applicable.
Through the use of many different maintenance practises, we are able to create a playing surface that is balanced with the needs of the plant as well as the needs of our patrons (dense, smooth surface, reasonable speed, etc). If we favour one area over the other, problems can and will arise. It is a balancing act of keeping both parties happy.
In golf course maintenance we strive to create a playing surface that is consistent. Whether you are putting on our practise green, the 1st green, or the 9th, we want you to experience the exact roll as on the previous green. This way you will be able to fine tune your stroke and possibly make more putts.
Our golf course is maintained with mother nature in mind. We only irrigate areas that are deemed “in play” and have reduced our total annual usage by close to 30% over the past 10 years. We have accomplished this through the use of newer, more efficient sprinkler heads, hard lining golf course borders, and implementing good, sound cultural practises.
We have maintained the water on the course and it has resulted in improved health of the water, aesthetically pleasing views and decrease in chemical weed control. At one time American Bull Frogs were quite a nuisance on the course, but with naturalization of predators such as mink moved in to the property and reduced the frog population significantly and continue to do so to present. Other types of animals present on the golf course include: deer, rabbits, otter, muskrat, and, raccoons.
The course is home to a great number of birds – either permanent residents or migratory. Several “birders” have identified over 70 different varieties. In the future we would like to document these birds in a either a pamphlet or internet format or both.
If you have any questions or comments on the golf course, please feel free to contact me through our website.
Thank you,
Gregor J. Kowalski
Golf Course Superintendent
Past President, Vancouver Island Golf Superintendent’s Association.