Assistants

Being a Superintendent is similar to being a head coach from many angles. There are many different methods to choose from, the fan base is extremely diverse, and you rely so much on the players you have to get the job done. The latter mentioned is one of the underrated key elements to success. In most cases when you take over a new job, staff assessment followed by terminating and replacing employees is part of the first phase. I was pleasantly surprised upon my arrival at the knowledge and work ethic I inherited. We added one more Assistant to fulfill my management style and we hit the ground running. The Assistants I am about to introduce had the opportunity to jump ship with a changing of the guard, but instead have diligently worked with me to change our philosophies and shared their knowledge and experience. They have passion for RiverCrest and a great understanding of what it takes to get the job done right. I get many compliments about the conditions that we provide, but I want to make sure everyone knows the leaders behind the scene who deserve all of the credit in the world.

Chris McKernan has been with the club since the Grand Opening and has complete understanding of all facets of the operation. He graduated from The Restaurant School in Philadelphia with one year as a line cook, spent three years as a Teaching Professional, and is currently working towards his Agronomy degree online from Penn State University. He grew up playing the great courses of the Philadelphia Area and enjoys the game of golf whenever he has time. When not on site, he usually can be found cruising down the highway on his Triumph.

Derek Mohler graduated from Penn State with a Bachelors degree in Turfgrass Science. Upon graduation in 2008, he joined the team as an Assistant Superintendent. Prior to RiverCrest he worked at Lancaster Country Club and Bent Creek Country Club both near his hometown of Lancaster. He enjoys Penn State Football and is one of only three people I have ever met to admit to being a Detroit Lions Football fan. Derek also enjoys the game of golf in his spare time.

Corey Forbes has been with us since June of 2010. He also graduated from Penn State last year with a degree in Turgrass Science. His previous course experience comes from Regents Glen in York. Corey is an avid baseball fan, but his true sports passion is following those Nittany Lions. He grew up outside of York, PA and his first words were We Are.

All three of them are headed to professional tournaments this year to volunteer for the entire week of course preparation. Chris will be heading to TPC Sawgrass for The Players Championship. Derek will be making the trip to Hamilton Farms in New Jersey for the LPGA Sybase Match Play event. Corey will be staying local and helping out at the AT&T hosted by Aronimink Golf Club. It is our way to lend a hand within our industry while learning different methods at other top notch golf courses. Make sure you introduce yourself to these young men as you enjoy your round, they thoroughly enjoy talking about the course.

Crabgrass

With these warm, wet days the window of opportunity to apply crabgrass control is closing quickly. You will see us applying it on the course tomorrow with rain expected Thursday to soak it in. If you have not put down your application yet, make sure you do so in the next week or so. For those of you who did any seeding, it is a great time to apply a starter fertilizer to help the seedling root quickly before the summer heat comes to take all of the plants energy reserves.

Plugging Poa

Poa is a very difficult grass (to us it is a weed) to control and once it gets a foothold spreads rapidly through seed. It is a weaker plant and more susceptible to things like winter kill, ice damage, and many diseases. Managing a new golf course with the majority of the turf being bentgrass, it is a battle worth fighting. Every spring we inspect the greens and remove the poa plants one by one. It is a week long process and usually takes two walk-overs to ensure the greens are clean. If you happen to spot us wandering across the green at a snails pace and heads down, the poa is in trouble. As you can see, the plugs removed are very minimal and replaced with fresh clean turf plugs. Thanks Coach Kramer!!! (we steal the plugs from his putting green)

Wrigley's Great Adventure

Wrigley loves RiverCrest and is willing to share the attention he receives here with no other animals. When he spotted a furry creature nearby, he immediately took off. There was an incredible showdown with a groundhog looking to set-up camp here and neither side would budge.

After a heated discussion that lasted nearly 10 minutes, Wrigley finally barked out "What can you do that I haven't already done to earn your place here?" The groundhog had no reply, just wandered over to the 10 ft. tree and climbed right up. Wrigley was dissapointed, but agreed to let the groundhog see another day. Who Knew that a groundhog had the abilty to climb a tree?

Wetting Agent

Wetting agents are one of the many tools that we use on the greens here at RiverCrest to promote deeper rooting in the spring and fall. These products penetrate the soil, helping create uniform playing and maintenance conditions by moving water and oxygen deep into the rootzone. The product is sprayed on the turf and watered in immediately to the profile. You can see the effects early in the morning as dew is not even present in the treated areas. Roots are diving deep!!!

Complete

The fairway aerification process is complete and we are in recovery mode. Greens will be cut tomorrow and are showing great signs of recovery in the last 48 hours. We should be on a regular cut/roll schedule next week. The tees are bouncing back nicely and we were able to apply divot mix and seed to them before yesterday's rain. Most of the fairways were cut today and cleaned up extremely well. Thank you for your patience during this process. It will be extremely beneficial in creating great conditions for the rest of the season.

Greening up

While everyone enjoys seeing the golf course green up, I am equally excited to see a bit warmer temperatures for the plant's health. The aerification healing process is a tough task as it just took a beating with a machine, shovel, blower, sand, and a brush to top it off. With the cold temperatures hanging on, the plant was just not able to grow not only to recover its strength but close the holes as well. Yesterday was a huge step in the right direction with temperatures in the mid 70's. The roots started to move and with a warm rain, the healing can begin. One of the worst things that can happen to a course is a wet cold spring where the roots do not move followed by early summer heat to give the plant no root structure heading into July.

The aerification holes are used to channel the moisture out of the top organic layer (darker color) and increase the infiltration rate of the profile. The faster the water gets to the sand (lighter color beneath) the better conditions we can provide from a firmness and plant health standpoint. 

 

 

 

The white thick roots that you can see, appeared right where the aerification holes are located. The roots need to breath and when there is oxygen present, they will dive down at a rapid pace. The second important factor in rooting is water management. The roots will dive deep to find water if it isn't available at the top. This is another reason the agronomic practice of aerification is so vital to the plants health.