North Shore Towers Courier n May 2015 13 In 1996, Eric earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Turfgrass Management. For two summers, he interned at the Potowomut Golf Club in East Greenwich, RI. During his last year in school, Eric interned at Middle Bay Country Club on the south shore of Long Island and became the Assistant three months later. He spent three years at Middle Bay, leaving as the Assistant Superintendent and heading north to Scarsdale Golf Club in Westchester. The valuable experience and knowledge, Eric gained during his five years as Senior Assistant Superintendent, helped propel his career to the Country Club Grounds and Golf Course Superintendent position at North Shore Towers and Country Club, coming on board in 2003. Though the course may be open for the season—albeit on a day-to-day basis—it’s still too cold to start reseeding. Bentgrass, the optimal reseeding grass variety, works best with soil temps in the mid-60s. Tarps facilitate the germination process by keeping the ground warm. “We now have tarps on five greens,” says O’Neill. “Some places cover greens throughout the winter, but they can still suffer damage. There’s no guarantee.” Though the 2014-2015 season may have felt worse than the one prior, snowfall totals were virtually identical. According to O’Neill, however, this year’s outcome was much worse. “There was more than one weather storm that started out with rain followed by a quick freeze,” he explains. “It’s that sudden icing and intense wind, which I believe created our damage.” To stave off further harm to afflicted areas, which would occur if walked upon by early-season golfers, O’Neill creates temporary holes on the fairways nearby for the players, or in the case of the putting green, restricts its usage altogether. Still, there’s plenty for O’Neill and his crew to do before reseeding can commence, the most obvious of which is cleaning the detritus that has accumulated over the winter months and since the thaw. The course is strewn with twigs, branches, leaves, worm castings and Gum balls, among other annoyances. Measuring approximately one inch in diameter, the dark brown, spiked seed pods from the Gum trees along the course, fall in the thousands, and although there are only a handful of trees, the “balls” are ubiquitous. Hence their namesake, Cottonwood trees release wisps of a cotton-like substance, which is windblown across the grounds. And Worm castings are not only unsightly, but also muck up the mowers. Leaf blowers have little effect on the latter two problems, which stick to the turf. Drag mats are a possible solution, but measure approximately six by ten feet across. Attached to utility work carts, cleaning 20 acres of earth worm castings on fairways using the mats takes a long time. A better method is employing a Fairway Snake: a 150-foot rope with a heavy central core composed of ball bearings, which can be strung between two vehicles and dragged across large areas of the fairway in a single swoop. Tons of refuse are collected in towering mounds, which are trucked away. Composting the organic materials is not an option. Besides the intense smell that would result, which would debilitate NST residents, neighbors and golfers alike, such rich fertilizer is not good for golf turf, which ideally should be 80% sand, 20% silt and clay. Sandier soils allow for proper drainage, have good air porosity and do not compact like heavy soils. The greens are the most delicate areas on a golf course, due to their extreme cut, but the fairways and roughs, can similarly suffer from harsh weather. Then there are the Canadian Geese, which have become an increasing nuisance in the Tri-State Area the past few years. “The geese eat the grass practically down to the soil,” O’Neill says. The resulting poop is also detrimental. “We wait for cold mornings and drag it up. Plus, there’s the occasional carcass; more so this past season.” On a few greens, there are standing white dog silhouettes—scarecrows to ward off the geese. “They work for a while,” says O’Neill, “but the geese get used to them.” The NST Golf Course has a complex underground irrigation system, which can be set from O’Neill’s office in the field house. The Site Pro wireless computer program employs eleven satellites throughout the course to properly calibrate irrigation, cherry-picking areas for greater or lesser watering, according to the needs on any given day. (continued on page 14) Pipe connections are meticulously checked before re-pressurization Canine scarecrow keeps Canadian geese at bay Photos by Stephen Vrattos
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