It's almost time to let the Golf Bug Bite!
The forecast indicates warming temperatures beginning next week, March 4th thru 10th. If so, we will be open the latter part of next week. Please call 765-458-5664 or watch for postings via social media for updated information.
We need your help
Sometime in early April we will be asking anyone interested, to attend a focus group meeting at the Club to give us some ideas on how we can improve the Club's operation. Please watch for details in the coming weeks.
Part of the input we will be looking for is how we can best communicate with golfers and, when possible, make them raving fans of Liberty C.C. Please open the following link for an article explaining one of the processes we are trying to develop.
Please use great care when bringing non-golfers to the course
While we encourage introducing new or potential new players to the game, it is important we are mindful of the inherent risks for those who are on the course.
The Indiana Supreme Court recently issued a decision which tees up the surviving claims for settlement or trial.
In Pfenning v. Lineman, a sixteen year old girl accompanied her grandfather to a golf outing, where she proceeded to drive the beverage cart. The grandfather, accompanying her at the outset, bailed out shortly thereafter to join a shorthanded group of golfers. He left her in the custody of his sister, but she, too, opted to play golf, and the girl thereafter was left with an employee.
Sure enough, the girl got clobbered in the mouth by a hooked drive. The ensuing lawsuit was brought against the golfer, the club, the sponsor of the outing and her grandfather. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld summary judgment in favor of the golfer and the club, citing the inherent risks of the game, but denied summary judgment for the sponsor of the outing and for the grandfather. According to the court, there were issues of fact concerning the presence or absence of a windshield and roof on the cart, and exposing the girl to risks when she was unfamiliar with the sport.
Upshot: golfers can swing with impunity, but those inviting non-playing guests may be responsible for their safety.
Turf Tips
In this blog will attempt to provide some timely tips you may be able to use at your home throughout the growing season. We often are asked our thoughts on lawn maintenance, the article below, from Nebraska turfgrass professionals, describes how to best seed this time of year. Dormant seeding is the 2nd best time of year to seed your lawn, second only to early fall.
Still time left to dormant seed
Feb. 24, 2013Turf areas that did not green up before winter are likely dead and will not recover in the spring without reseeding.
Seeding now will enable the seed to absorb water and then start the germinate process as soon as soil
temperatures warm. Waiting to seed in the spring risks critical delays due to soils that are too wet and conflicts
with other spring clean-up and maintenance tasks. Much of the north central Great Plains is covered in snow, but
applying seed directly over snow risks seed loss by wind and/or flowing with melting snow. We much prefer to
apply the seed directly to the soil if possible. Be careful with herbicide use following seeding because most herbicides will negatively affect germination or establishment. (See Link Below for Crabgrass germination timing)
Following is a summary of points to maximize success of dormant seeding.
Soil preparation: Though simply broadcasting the seed and allowing it to work into the soil naturally
through frost-heaving can be effective, it is better to improve seed-soil contact with aerification, powerraking, tilling, power-overseeding, or some other form of cultivation. Wet or frozen soils will likely
determine which cultivation is best for each situation, but maximizing seed-soil contact is essential for
successful dormant-seeding.
Species: Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue work best, but avoid perennial ryegrass since it may germinate
in a mid-winter warm-up only to die in ensuing cold temperatures. Buffalograss can also be dormantseeded.
Seed rate: Our typical recommendation is to seed at 10-25% higher rates than normal to account for seed
loss via erosion, animal feeding, etc. Seed Kentucky bluegrass at 3.0 lbs/1000 sq ft, tall fescue at 10
lbs/1000 sq ft, and buffalograss at 3.5 lbs/1000 sq ft on bare soils. These rates can be cut by as much as
one half if overseeding into existing stands with thin turf. We have research studies current underway to
further define seed rates for dormant seeding.
Mulch on bare soils: Mulch is likely not required, but may reduce potential erosion or seed movement. A
tackifier may still be required on the mulch to minimize wind loss before spring. Hydroseeding can be
used on bare soil if air temperatures are warm enough to apply. Erosion blankets or sod should be used
on highly erodible areas.
Fertilizer: Starter fertilizer should be applied as the seedlings emerge. Apply 1.0 to 1.50 lbs P2O5/1000 sq
ft depending on soil test levels. This same fertilizer and same rate should be applied again four to five
weeks after emergence and maybe again at eight to ten weeks after emergence depending on the density
of the new stand.
Irrigation: Dormant-seeded areas will need irrigation after seeding just like any new seeding. Once soil
temperatures reach 50F, irrigate as often as needed to maintain moisture in the top ¼” of soil, which may
mean irrigating once or twice per day. Irrigate less regularly and in larger volumes as the seedlings
establish. However, dormant-seeded areas may need irrigation all summer as these relatively young
plants will not be mature enough to withstand drought stress.
Mowing: Early mowing on any newly-seeded area encourages lateral spread and quick fill-in. On most
areas, set the mower 10-20% lower than the regular mowing height for the first 3 to 5 mowings to
encourage the most rapid fill-in. Mow as soon as the first few leaves of the seedlings reach the mowing
height and mow regularly thereafter (in spite of only apparently affecting a small percentage of the
plants) to maximize fill-in.
When will crabgrass germinate?
Just my opinion, but I would consider not putting any herbicides down until late fall if you are doing any seeding this Spring. Yes you will most likely have some weeds, but you should easily be able to clean the stand up this fall and next spring with some properly timed herbicide applications. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
For those of you inclined to work on your golf fitness
With the golf season rapidly approaching we thought the following article on a little pre-season fitness might be in order.Fitness Friday: Be A Multi-Plane Athlete
Walk into any commercial gym in your neighborhood and spend a few minutes watching people exercise. Forget about the people on cardio machines, and pay no attention to sloppy form or unusual grunting sounds. What I want you to observe is how people are exercising. See any common threads?
You might not notice it at first, but almost all gym goers do exercises that move the body up and down or backward and forward. While no one would ever question the validity of doing lunges and push-ups this way, if you aren't moving your body in other planes of motion, then you are really missing key components of total-body fitness. This is especially true if you are training for golf.
Not only does the body move in straight lines back and forth and up and down, but it also moves from side to side and it can rotate. Think of your golf swing and how your body winds and unwinds. How your hips shift. How your trunk turns back and through to the target. How your knees flex and straighten. Knowing this, does it make sense to only exercise in straight lines?
Ben Shear, a rock star of golf fitness, trains his elite-level players on the PGA Tour (Jason Day, Luke Donald, Webb Simpson) to move their bodies in multiple planes. You can take almost any exercise that is done linearly and add other planes of motion. One example would be jumps. You should jump forward, jump up, jump to your side and jump and rotate into another direction all in the same workout.
You might not notice it at first, but almost all gym goers do exercises that move the body up and down or backward and forward. While no one would ever question the validity of doing lunges and push-ups this way, if you aren't moving your body in other planes of motion, then you are really missing key components of total-body fitness. This is especially true if you are training for golf.
Not only does the body move in straight lines back and forth and up and down, but it also moves from side to side and it can rotate. Think of your golf swing and how your body winds and unwinds. How your hips shift. How your trunk turns back and through to the target. How your knees flex and straighten. Knowing this, does it make sense to only exercise in straight lines?
Ben Shear, a rock star of golf fitness, trains his elite-level players on the PGA Tour (Jason Day, Luke Donald, Webb Simpson) to move their bodies in multiple planes. You can take almost any exercise that is done linearly and add other planes of motion. One example would be jumps. You should jump forward, jump up, jump to your side and jump and rotate into another direction all in the same workout.
Another thing to consider this coming season
Click on the link below for an article on proper game management. In other words, think before you act.manage your way around the course to lower your scores
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