As we say goodbye to Jason and wish him luck in his new position, we also want to welcome our new superintendent Joe Stoudt. Joe is joining us from a course in Colorado and we are very excited about his enthusiasm and experience to help make Lander Golf Club the best it can be.
Welcome to your new home.
Posted: August 3rd, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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The golf course is experiencing some difficulties with the available water for our irrigation practices. The recent flooding has left us without much needed water in our irrigation ditches. We are only able to use the remaining water that we have for our greens until these repairs are made to the head gates. I ask you to please keep your carts as close to the pathways as possible to help with the traffic stress. Also keep in mind once the ditch turns back on it’ll take us a couple weeks to fill the pond back to normal so this healing process will take some time to” green up”.
Thanks and put in a prayer for some rain.
Jason D. Aanestad
Golf Course Superintendent
Posted: June 22nd, 2010 under Uncategorized.
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SCOTT KAUFMAN
MAY 16TH,2010 9:45AM
#3 190 yds. 5WOOD
GOOD JOB!!!
Posted: June 16th, 2010 under Uncategorized.
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COURSE OPEN!!! APRIL FOOL's
Posted: April 1st, 2010 under Uncategorized.
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#18 after sand is removed...then it started snowing.
#5 after sand is removed
Posted: April 1st, 2010 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none
Hello,
Today is supposed to be opening day and we are covered in this all too familiar white stuff. It looks like we’ll be having our usual spring Wyoming weather. Let’s hope this isn’t on the ground for too long because we are all getting tired of this routine.
We have begun removing the sand cover off of the greens this week to begin the process of opening the course up. This can only be done when the sand is dry as it tends to smear and cause more damage from the extensive brushing. The greens that have been uncovered have wintered very well and we are pleased with the condition of the turf. We figure that as soon as the surfaces dry up, we will continue this work and get some flags and cups in the ground.
Aerification of the greens will commence on May 17th/18th and we will have nine holes shut down at a time to accommodate this very crucial process. The work is time consuming and an eyesore but is beneficial and a necessary lifeline for the turf.
The crew has been busy with equipment repairs and servicing golf carts for the season. This work is almost completed and we are ready to begin working outdoors. Cross your fingers over the next couple of days as we are supposed to receive some more wet weather and maybe it will stay in the mountains where it is needed. Once again we can’t wait to see all of you and let’s make 2010 a great golfing experience.
Thanks for your continued support,
Jason D. Aanestad
Golf Course Superintendent
Posted: April 1st, 2010 under Newsletter.
Comments: none
Hello,
The golf season is near…I think. Wow, this has been one long winter and we haven’t even gone through our typical April/May weather. The course has basically been covered with the same snow we received in November and is still hanging on as long as it possibly can. I know many of you are suffering from cabin fever as we are but the snow cover has been a blessing. We didn’t have the horrible wind that is normally blowing off our snow cover and the greens are very thankful for that.
We’ve spent the off-season working on budgets, equipment, and attending educational conferences. The board and staff members had to make some hard decisions with budgets this year due to economic status of the club. There were several cuts made to ensure that the budget was more fiscally stable and realistic. With that said we have had to improvise some of our maintenance practices to accommodate these changes and hopefully they’ll make ends meet. The costs associated with golf course maintenance are continually rising and we are doing our best from having to pass all of these on to our customers.
The club was recently granted funds from the Lander District Recreation Board and this year they will be used mainly for offsetting these recent budget cuts. We also plan on using some of the monies to improve fairway conditions and installing some sod on bare areas around the facility. The club is very fortunate to have received this assistance as we would not be able to function without the grant(s) awarded.
The cart path project on #15 and #16 hasn’t been completed due to the ability to get the concrete trucks out to the jobsite. Our foundation work is done however in process of getting this established our haul route collapsed and never dried out before the snow set in. We have an alternate plan in place with shuttling the material out to the potential cart path but we will have to wait until the property is accessible. Please cross your fingers as once this path is completed, we’ll have checked off one of the engineering nightmares from the never-ending list.
We have several little projects to take on this year. The board has decided that it cannot afford to take anymore on until the financial situation allows us to maintain the current layout that we already have. This will also allow us to get the course in the best possible shape for the upcoming tournament schedule. The WSGA tournament in September will require plenty of volunteers and I will have a signup sheet that will be posted at a later date.
Well our time will be focused on getting the course ready for the opening date weather permitting. This involves sweeping the sand off the greens, mowing, establishing tee areas, cleaning up debris and watching the snow melt. I can’t wait to see all of you in a couple of weeks and my staff is ready for a great year.
Thanks for your continued support,
Jason D. Aanestad
Golf Course Superintendent
Posted: March 16th, 2010 under Newsletter.
Comments: none
Hello,
The summer is starting to finally come around after the long spring. We are seeing some warmer temperatures along with the typical thunderstorms that are rolling through the area. Our course continues to improve on a daily basis and we are bailing hay in certain areas.
The greens went through aerification on May 18th and 19th and only had a few setbacks. There were some greens that were stressed before this process and the following week they had a slow recovery. Some of the greens have come back real nicely and the others are not that far behind. We started lowering the height of cut on the mowers this week and we will continue to use our rolling practices. The “bumpy” putts will soon be eliminated (our staff will no longer be responsible for missed putts).
We have begun our control on the broadleaf weed populations on the entire property as well as the pasture grass on that has invaded the back-nine. With the recent moisture we have been forced to halt this process so the chemical doesn’t get washed off the surface of the plant. The control being used on the pasture grass is only experimental and needs a second application before we can see results.
Starting the week of the 8th we’ll be beginning our fertilization of the rest of the facility so when you see the big red spreader heading your way please cover your face as a precautionary due to distance at which this piece of equipment throws the material. The chances of us coming near you are slim but better safe then sorry.
The crew size is limited right now due to some financial constraints but hopefully with the more favorable weather we can soon operate with our full staff. Until then some of the detail work around the facility will have to be put on hold until we can get some to time to address these eyesores. There have been some great evenings these past couple of days we urge you to bring out your friends to enjoy a round after work or during the day. Please feel free to contact me(332-9407) with any questions you may have regarding the course or if you need extra balls as my dogs have brought me quite the collection out of the ditch banks.
PLEASE FIX YOUR BALLMARKS!!!
Thanks Again,
Jason Aanestad
Golf Course Superintendent
Posted: June 4th, 2009 under Newsletter, Uncategorized.
Comments: none
Hello,
This will be the first newsletter for the maintenance department and this time of year brings warmer weather and more favorable conditions for growing grass. We had such a dry winter with a late spring that gave us quite a bit of moisture which has given the course a much needed kick to the turf growing season.
The department has had several new challenges to overcome by the tight budgets that have been enforced. Our difficulties will be dealt with on normal maintenance and finishing older projects as well as any new renovations that the course will go through this season. The plan we have put together will hopefully answer all of these financial restrictions but the entire golf industry is facing new equations on a daily basis.
The Wyoming State Forestry crew has removed several large trees on the front nine to correct some agronomic issues as well as addressing some safety hazards that were present. Another huge project yet to be finished is the drainage on the back nine as the process had several delays due to irrigation breaks, ground conditions for completion and lack of materials due to monetary status last fall. This work has continued and is on pace to be finished in the next few weeks as the weather has changed the soil saturation levels. There will be some major scarring that’ll be present after completion but this esthetic blemish will be worth the overall long term results.
The health of the turf continues to be the main goal of this department and the course will keep improving as we become more consistent with practices implemented throughout the season. We will use similar practices on the greens as we did last year but with a little better control on green speed as we reached several thresholds last year that saw some slick surfaces on certain greens. Speaking of greens we had a few that were damaged over the winter due to the lack of moisture and the wind drying up what available water was present for protection. These areas are slowly coming back and will continue to recover after the aerification process that will begin on the 17th/18th of May. This is always a sore subject as far as playability is concerned but the actual process is a necessary operation to ensure the stability of these crucial playing surfaces.
The water delivery system went through some energy saving and efficiency improvements since last year. This is very important as we all know how crucial our water storage and availability hinders this industry. We have already seen the savings with the addition of the new pump and the older system enjoys having a break every now and then.
The crew has finally arrived and we are starting our regular maintenance schedule so please watch out for them as we are trying to make up lost ground in the nonexistent March/ April. Our staff is excited to be out just like all of you folks to enjoy this wonderful game and partake in the beauty that the scenery brings with green grass and snow capped mountains.
We’ll see you out there!!!
Jason Aanestad
Golf Course Superintendent
Posted: May 17th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none
Hello,
Once again I find myself looking at a piece of property that has gone through another season with many improvements and more members than I’ve experienced in the last four years. It’s great to look back on the growth and development on not only the course but all of your shots, they look so much better than the spring.
This summer has been very busy with all the projects and newer maintenance practices that have finally started to improve the playability of the course. These changes have been improvised throughout the summer to offset the rising prices in the last few months. The cost of products and shipping has seen a dramatic increase due to petroleum demands over the summer. This has put some different restraints on normal maintenance but we adapted the best that we could.
The greens played much better this year and we also reached a threshold on the speed of several holes. Speed can often cause stress and wear on the turf so it becomes quite difficult to manage the proper speeds. Next season they will be similar in speed but will be healthier in the long run. The roll of the ball is more affected by the smoothness of the surface than the height of cut. If the height goes too low there will be injury and we risk the loss of the plant. Regardless I think the majority of the membership was happy with the condition of the greens.
Earlier I mentioned the projects that were completed, well we have two major projects left ahead of us and both of them are already in progress. The back-nine is going to be closed periodically to allow for this work to be done. The irrigation and fertilization of the back has been suspended to dry the area up to accommodate the excavation. This is a bummer for us as the turf would fill in just the like front has this fall. Soon as the drain lines are in we will pour the water and a heavy fertilization to push some last minute growth. We have finally reached a point where we are able to push the grass and this is what the back needs to fill in all those voids in the rough and fairways.
The drainage project is scattered throughout the back-nine and will provide some major relief to the standing water. These drain lines have been installed as mains and will have the capability to be expanded in the future. We were fortunate enough to have Mountain West Electric to donate their time and equipment to complete all the trenching. The crew was here for almost 3 days and they were amazed at the amount of water that is suspended in the ground. This project will be a slow process due to the amount of moisture present as we speak. The trenches continually slough off and require cleaning before we can get the gravel and pipe in place. If these lines were cut in more sandy soils the clean up wouldn’t be so drawn out. However this project had to be done and the delays at this moment will be rewarded next year.
The other project taking place is the cart path between #15 and #16. This work has also begun and will be moving along as soon as this drainage is in place. The moisture is affecting the ability to remove material for the cart path but has started to dry out even with the drain lines half completed.
Our season will end soon and the course will be shut down once the snow starts to fly but this is also the time when the ground is getting ready for the flush in the spring. What we do to the course now dictates what will happen next spring. The course employees are happy to see the weather change. This means we can slow down our schedules, see our families and most importantly welcome hunting seasons. We will have a few more days of nice weather and we hope you will take advantage of the opportunities.
Lastly I have to express my sympathy for the family of Jim Jeffres, we lost him recently after a long battle with cancer. He was very supportive of the golf club and a great person to chat with and keep me in line on the course. Thanks for everything Jim!!!
Thanks,
Jason Aanestad
Golf Course Superintendent
332-9407
Posted: October 9th, 2008 under Newsletter.
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