June 7, 2024

Course Update

This past Monday the Turfcare team made a repair to the collar on the right hand side of the 5^th green.  Please refrain from taking your rickshaw over this collar as we work to establish it.  A reminder that the club asks for rickshaws to stay off of tee boxes and avoid walking them over the collars of greens.  With some weak turf from a difficult winter the traffic will hinder recovery and wear these areas down.

• The rains have continued making it difficult to meet the demands and expectations of the property.  We are still behind in many facets of course maintenance. 
• Rough is growing rapidly.  We have been challenged to get equipment into all areas in need of mowing due to soft grounds conditions and standing water.  When we do mow we are leaving clippings which we are working to disperse with the blowers.  Please be patient as we navigate this early season growth which has been greatly assisted by the relentless rain events.
• We will button up the 10^th tee surrounds repairs on Monday June 10^th.
• With the standing water on the property and general wet conditions around the city we are beginning to experience some mosquito activity.  A reminder that bug repellent kills grass and is not to be applied while on turf.  Please apply on asphalt, concrete or cart paths.
• Flowers have begun to be planted on the property.  This process has also been hindered by rain events.  This will continue into next week.
• Cart paths continue to require attention after each rainfall.  If you come across a path with water and pot holes please just slow down and travel through the area using the path.  When we start to go around the rough areas of paths we are beginning to wear out the turf in that area.
• On Monday June 24^th the resource advisory group will be having a volunteer thistle pulling event in the morning.  We had great success with this last season making a significant improvement to the area between #18 & #10.
• This Saturday June 8^th if you are golfing you will see a large volume of canoes and kayaks in the Seine River. Please be aware of these folks as you play your game of golf to ensure everyone is safe.
• Our working relationship with Save Our Seine continues to be a very positive one for the club.  This weekend June 8^th and 9^th they are looking for volunteers to assist in planting 1000 trees at Marlene Park.  If you are able and want to contribute to this great cause for the City of Winnipeg they are asking for volunteers to show up between 10am and 3pm each day.

We are hopeful for some sunshine and warm weather for both the game of golf and course maintenance. Have a great week ahead.

Respectfully submitted,

Shawn Major, AGS

A Message from the Chair of the Course Committee

As members of the Niakwa Country Club we have the privilege of playing on one of the best conditioned golf courses in the province thanks to Shawn Major and his staff.  That privilege comes with a responsibility.  Members and their guests are expected to do their part to help care for our course. 

Contributing to course care includes the following general items:

• Abiding by power cart rules and traffic restrictions
• Ball mark repair
• Bunker care and raking; and

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some best practices on these and other course etiquette items. This information is intended to provide members with the necessary knowledge to ensure that we are doing our part to protect and care for the golf course.  By doing so we will help the maintenance team focus on their most important tasks while also providing every member and their guests a memorable experience day in and day out.

For this week we will be dealing with power cart rules and traffic restrictions. Below you will find some information provided by the course team:

Power Cart Rules and Traffic Restrictions:

• Power cart traffic control is an important item as it relates to course care.  We have a historic property.  With that comes a lack of space.  We do not have cart paths tee through green.  With the lack of space and cart paths, wear patterns and damage can happen quickly if we do not control where power carts travel.  Weather variables can also add to the challenges of power cart traffic on course.
• We utilize stake and rope in many areas to protect turf.  Without this in place we would have many soil voids on the property taking away from the playability and presentation. When you see stake and rope in an area or white and black traffic control posts the goal is to keep power carts from travelling in that general area (see Figure 2 below).

Figure 2 – These traffic control stakes and rope are preventing this damaged area from becoming worse due to power cart traffic.  If you see these setups simply keep your power cart away from the area and travel around it. We would ask for no travel in the red “X” areas but follow the green arrow around the challenged location.

• As a club we have a rule that power carts are to remain in fairways.  This is done for a couple reasons:
  • We have great drainage in our fairways.  If conditions are soggy our fairways will have the best chance at successfully handling the traffic as there is generally minimal standing water. 
  • There is a lack of irrigation and drainage in our rough areas.  When we get into wet periods we hold water in the rough.  Driving through saturated areas displaces the turf and with enough receptiveness we will see the turf die back creating unsightly conditions. On the flip side when we are in drought periods the rough can wilt with the inability to handle the traffic and recover.  Please keep carts in fairways.
• Travelling near a green or tee is not permitted. 
• Generally, we ask to keep power carts a minimum of 30 yards from greens and approaches. 
• All tee box locations all have a cart path.  Please keep power carts fully on these paths with all four tires on the cart path and off of the turf.

Thanks for your attention to this very important matter.  A little extra effort on our parts will enhance everyone’s experience at the Club.  If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Respectfully

Paul Beatty, Chair

Course Committee