Written by Jack Creveling, our Golf Course Superintendent.

Combating Mother Nature with Bunker Maintenance

This past summer, we received 10 inches more than the annual average rainfall in Ocala. Therefore, our team was ready to perform bunker maintenance because the bunker sand needed to be evaluated for depth and uniformity.

The largest challenge for the Golf Course Maintenance staff was the large bunker that runs from the tee complex to the fairway on hole 19. With little sand remaining at the highest parts of the bunker (and in some areas over 2 feet of sand in the lower areas), heavy machinery was needed to replace the sand to its proper uniform depth of 6 inches.

Here, you can see two of the team members relocating and pushing the sand with a large back-hoe and a push blade bunker machine to correct the distribution of sand.

Fighting Pests is a Year-Round Battle

Nematode and egg, magnified 1,000 times

In addition to combating mother nature, fighting pests is a battle that we encounter throughout the entire year. Nematodes are unseen pests that feed on the roots of the grass plant and cause significant problems with the grass’s ability to take in water and essential elements from the soil.

To fight against these pests, we apply a nematicide during the fall months to control nematode populations living in the soil profile of the golf course greens. We apply different nematicides to rotate the mode-of-action during the growing months of Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Enjoy our Championship Golf Course!

Working on a living piece of property always presents challenges, but my team and I are prepared to overcome anything that comes our way. If you see me out on the grounds, say hello and let me know how we can help you better enjoy the championship golf course we have here at Golden Ocala.