Glen Eagle Maintenance (11/13/26)

A Little Taste of Winter Is on the Way!

Big, but temporary, changes are coming to our weather starting today. The next couple of days will bring abnormally cool temperatures, with overnight lows dipping into the 50s. Fortunately, this cold snap will be short-lived, and we should be back to more seasonal temperatures next week.

An unexpected round of rain yesterday morning left the course temporarily wet, requiring cart-path-only conditions for the remainder of the day. Surprisingly, we even experienced some standing water in a few fairway areas for a couple of hours after the rain had stopped. While it certainly caused a disruption to play, the rain was beneficial for the course, and we were back to normal playing conditions today.

On the maintenance front, our contractor began trimming palm trees throughout the golf course and common grounds this week. This project should take approximately another week or two to complete. Once the trimming is finished, we can move on to refreshing the landscape with new pine straw and mulch. We anticipate having both projects completed by Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone enjoys tomorrow’s Fall Classic Golf Tournament! Be sure to bring your jackets and hand warmers. It’s going to be cold out there, at least by Southwest Florida standards!

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!

Glen Eagle Maintenance (11/6/26)

Golf Course Maintenance Update

As we continue moving toward season, our maintenance routines are becoming more repetitive, and the golf course is transitioning from summer maintenance practices into our regular in-season schedule.

This week marked the start of Leagues and Couples, bringing our first shotgun starts of the season. It was great to see everyone back out enjoying the course and getting into the rhythm of the season. We were fortunate to receive some rainfall early in the week, but thankfully, not enough to require cart-path-only restrictions.

Fall Agronomic Consultant Visit

On Wednesday, we welcomed Dr. Kammerer, our Agronomic Consultant for his fall visit. These visits are a great opportunity to discuss agronomic topics and challenges specific to Glen Eagle while also hearing what he is observing during his 100-plus annual visits to golf courses throughout the region.

It was a very productive visit, and Dr. Kammerer was complementary of the overall condition of the golf course. He specifically commented that our new tees and the course in general looked good and were ready for the upcoming season.

Dr. Kammerer will be putting together a report covering the items we discussed and his recommendations. Once I receive it, I will share the report on the club website so everyone interested can review the information.

Keeping Our Greens in Top Shape

With the change in our playing schedule, we will be taking advantage of Friday afternoons to perform light verticutting and topdressing on the greens before the Couples shotgun.

These are important maintenance practices that help us maintain consistent putting surfaces throughout the season.

Light, frequent verticutting helps control excess lateral turf growth and grain, encourages a more upright growth habit, and helps maintain a smooth, consistent putting surface.

Here is a video of the light verticutting, well really more what we call grooming. We still use an verticutting blade but go ultra light which does not remove thatch, the primary purpose of a true verticutting. All we are trying to do is align the leaf blades vertically so we can come behind with the mower and cut off any straggling blades. Like a hair cut when the barber or stylists pulls your hair up between their fingers and cuts it in a straight line. That’s similar to what we are doing.

Frequent light topdressing applies a thin layer of sand that helps smooth minor surface imperfections, dilute organic matter, and maintain the firmness and consistency we want in our greens. By incorporating these practices regularly and keeping each application relatively light, we can maintain healthy greens while minimizing disruption to daily play.

As we get further into the season, these smaller, routine maintenance practices become increasingly important. Our goal is to stay ahead of turf growth and maintain the best playing conditions possible.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf! 

Glen Eagle Maintenance (10/30/26)

It’s great to see so many of you returning to Glen Eagle. I was out on the course today during the Halloween Tournament and everyone was having a great time in their costumes and Halloween themed outfits. It was great to see.

The golf course is looking pretty good considering all the wind we have had recently. We have been working on course details and adding material to the cart paths this week. We will finish that project next week and move on to checking our bunker sand depth as we prepare for a busy and fun season.

One area we are a bit behind on is herbicide application to the beds on the course. The wind has been blowing for 2 weeks straight and has pushed back most of our weed spraying. We hope to get back on cleaning those beds up next week if the wind dies down (HaHa! No pun intended).

November will be a busy month for golf with leagues starting and maintenance will be also. Palm tree trimming on the course and in the common areas is scheduled to start next week with pinestraw being installed the week of Thanksgiving.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf! 

Glen Eagle Maintenance (10/23/26)

Bright, sunny skies and cooler-than-normal temperatures have made for a very enjoyable week at Glen Eagle! The cooler overnight temperatures have slowed turf growth just enough to help our maintenance team keep up with mowing, while the warmer afternoons continue to provide the conditions needed to keep the grass green and healthy. It’s a welcome balance as we move further into the fall season.

Behind the Scenes: A Major Irrigation System Repair

While the golf course has been enjoying some beautiful weather, we also completed an unexpected repair behind the scenes this week.

Check out this video to see the repair process.

The project involved replacing a large, 16-inch pipe tee immediately downstream of our pump station. This fitting plays a critical role in our irrigation system, splitting the water supply between the front nine and the back nine. A small leak developed at the tee, making replacement necessary to maintain the reliability of our water distribution system.

The pipe is made from a material called HDPE, or High-Density Polyethylene. HDPE is widely used in water distribution and irrigation systems because of its strength, durability, and flexibility. It is resistant to corrosion, many chemicals, and the deterioration that can affect some traditional piping materials. Its flexibility also allows it to accommodate some ground movement without becoming brittle or easily damaged.

One of the biggest advantages of HDPE is the way it can be joined together. Rather than relying on mechanical connections such as bolts, clamps, or conventional couplings, HDPE pipe can be joined using specialized heat-fusion techniques.

During the fusion process, the ends of the pipe and fitting are prepared, heated to the appropriate temperature, and pressed together under controlled pressure. As the material cools, the two pieces become a continuous joint. When performed correctly, the fused connection is designed to be as strong as the pipe itself and provides a reliable, leak-resistant connection.

Depending on the application, this can be accomplished through butt fusion, which joins two prepared ends, or electrofusion, which uses a specially designed fitting with an embedded heating element to fuse the adjoining surfaces. For a repair involving a large pipe tee, the appropriate fusion method depends on the pipe configuration, fitting design, and contractor’s repair plan. In our case, electrofusion was determined to be the correct choice.

While a repair with HDPE repair takes specialized equipment and expertise, it provides a durable solution for an important part of our irrigation infrastructure. Considering this is only the second repair we have had made in 10+ years it proves that HDPE pipe has been a great investment for the club over the life of the product.

If you watch the video you will see a picture of bags of bread in a pile. Inside baseball but the pipes have to be perfectly dry for the electrofusion process to work properly. That bread is packed into the pipe to keep any residual water from contaminating the welds. Once water is turned on, the bread disenagrates and is flushed thru the irrigation heads without causing any clogging.

Also in the video, you can see a red machine sitting on the sidewall of the hole. Then another picture with two probes in the side of the coupler. That machine provides the current to heat up the copper wire in the coupling that welds together with the pipe. It also reads resistance and tells the crew how long the pipe needs to “cook” and cool in order to provide the correct weld. In the case of that coupling it “cooked” for 15 minutes and cooled for 30. Then the rule of thumb is 3X the cooling time before water can be applied to the joint. So total time for that one joint to cure 2:15 minutes.

Just a few interesting facts about the process of keeping green grass on the property 😂.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!

Glen Eagle Maintenance (10/16/26)

Transitioning from Summer to Fall on the Golf Course

Last week, I attended the Florida Turfgrass Association Annual Conference in Ocala. This annual event provides an excellent opportunity for turf managers to learn from University of Florida turfgrass scientists, share ideas, and connect with other professionals in our industry. We even got a tour of Florida Field at my Alma Matter! Go Gators!

The conference covered a variety of important topics, including nematode management and water-use efficiency. We also visited the UF/IFAS research center in Citra, where we had the opportunity to see firsthand some of the research trials underway. These studies are exploring new ways to combat our most challenging pests, improve control strategies, and introduce innovative technologies that could help reduce pesticide use in the future. It is always exciting to see the work being done to improve turf management and learn how these advancements may benefit our course in the years ahead.

While it rained the entire time we were there (I mean never stopped for 4 solid days), we were still able to get in the field and see several demonstrations of projects the scientists are working on.

Here are a few of the things I saw at the conference…

Autonomous Mower

AI Spot Sprayer

Flame Thrower for Mite & Thatch Control

A Welcomed Rain Brings Green Grass!

While I was away, Mother Nature decided to make sure we didn’t miss out on the rain! Last Wednesday brought approximately 4 inches of rainfall in some areas of the property, depending on which end of the course you were on.

While the additional rain continues to delay our fairway topdressing work, it was a welcome sight to see the lakes topped off again as we head into our traditionally drier season. The forecast suggests we could receive more rain this weekend before making an abrupt shift to drier weather next week. We’ll take the extra water while we can get it!

Seven Days a Week Ahead!

This week marked our final Monday closure for the year, and we’re looking forward to having the course open for play seven days a week moving forward.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding throughout our summer maintenance closures. These scheduled closures give us the time and flexibility to complete important agronomic programs that are difficult to accomplish during regular play. While some of the work may temporarily affect playing conditions, these programs are essential to keeping the golf course healthy and performing at its best throughout the year.

Preparing for the Season Ahead

We’re entering an important transition period for our turf. Summer is demanding on the grass, with intense heat, frequent rainfall, heavy traffic, and the stress associated with our regular maintenance programs. As we move toward the cooler months, our focus shifts to preparing the turf for the upcoming season.

Here in Southwest Florida, this is especially important. Our grasses naturally slow their growth during the cooler part of the year, meaning they have less ability to recover from divots, ball marks, cart traffic, and everyday wear. The work we do now helps strengthen the turf and prepare it to handle the increased traffic that comes with our busiest playing season.

This transition is common at golf courses throughout the Southeast, but our climate and growing conditions make it particularly important here in Southwest Florida.

I recently came across an article from the USGA that does a great job explaining this seasonal transition and the management practices golf courses use to prepare for the months ahead. I’ve included it below because it offers some helpful insight into what you can expect from our maintenance practices over the next couple of months.

As always, our goal is to provide the best possible playing conditions while protecting the long-term health of the golf course. The work we do now plays a big role in setting us up for a successful season ahead.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green-section-record/64/issue-18/setting-bermudagrass-fairways-up-for-winter-success.html#

Fresh Landscaping and a Splash of Color

We’ve been busy adding some fresh color and curb appeal around the property!

The landscaping improvements at the Davis entrance are now complete, with the exception of one remaining flower bed that will be finished shortly. We hope everyone enjoys the refreshed look as they enter the community.

We also completed planting the median beds along Glen Eagle Boulevard, creating a more consistent and uniform appearance throughout the area.

And there’s more color on the way! Our fall and winter annual flowers were installed this past week. As they settle in and begin to flourish, we should soon see vibrant new colors popping up throughout the property.

These improvements are a great way to welcome the upcoming season, and we look forward to seeing everything come to life over the next few weeks!

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!

Glen Eagle Maintenance (9/30/36)

Fall Is in the Air — and the Tees Are Back In Play!

We received a nice little cool-down last weekend, and while it didn’t exactly feel like what most areas of the country feel in the fall, for Southwest Florida in late September, it felt very nice! The break in temperatures provided just enough of a slowdown in turf growth to help everything on the golf course look more consistent. Course conditions remain good, and we are happy with how things are coming together.

This week has been a bit soggy, and the forecast looks like Mother Nature isn’t quite finished with rainy season yet. The rain is great news for our lakes and water supply, but it’s not quite as good for course conditions and play. It has also continued to delay one of our remaining summer projects — fairway topdressing.

Every time we think the fairways are finally dry enough to bring out the heavy sand trucks, another round of rain arrives and puts us back on hold. Those trucks are great at moving sand, but they aren’t nearly as good at floating across wet fairways! We will get the remaining fairways completed as soon as conditions allow. For now, we’ll let the weather have the final say.

As we move into October, our focus is beginning to shift away from major cultural practices and toward the details that make the property look its best.

Our crews will be spending more time edging, trimming, cleaning up and putting the finishing touches on areas that have seen plenty of activity and growth throughout the summer. In other words, we’re moving from “big projects” mode into “make everything look sharp” mode as we prepare for the upcoming season.

The Tees Are Back!

The big news is that the tees reopen October 1!

Our tee renovation project is officially complete, and the golf course will return to its full length. We are very happy with the overall project and excited to have the new tees back in play.

With new turf comes a little bit of change in responsibility. As we move into our busy season, we will need to carefully manage traffic and wear on the new tees. The grass will continue to mature and strengthen as it establishes its root system, and how we manage the tees this season will play an important role in getting them fully established.

We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to read the USGA article regarding newly constructed tees. It does a great job explaining what the turf will go through during its first season and why the grass will continue to improve and become significantly stronger as we move into next summer.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green-section-record/64/issue-17/reopening-after-a-renovation.html#returnable

Common Grounds

Our work on the common grounds continues as well.

The landscaping improvements at the Davis Entrance medians are now being installed, and we are also beginning to sod several areas along GE Boulevard. These projects will continue to add some finishing touches to the property as we head into season.

There is still plenty to do, but the transition is underway. The major summer work is winding down, the finishing touches are beginning, and the golf course is getting ready for a busy season.

And if the weather would just cooperate with us for a little while, we might even get those last fairways topdressed!

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!

Glen Eagle Maintenance (9/23/26)

 A Little Rain, a Lot of Sand

Last week’s final maintenance closure of 2026 turned out to be a pretty rainy one. While the rain didn’t cause any issues with our greens aerification, it did throw a bit of a wrench into our fairway topdressing schedule.

We had planned to topdress the fairways on Thursday, which would have given us several days to work the sand into the turf canopy before reopening. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, and the rain pushed the work back until Monday.

That meant we opened Tuesday with some very wet sand still sitting on the fairways—not exactly the finished product we were hoping to present!

Our team is working on it daily, dragging the fairways to disperse the sand and get it worked into the turf. However, with the amount of moisture we’ve had, there is still some thick, wet sand in areas. The good news is that the forecast is calling for drier weather beginning tomorrow, so we’re hoping the sand will dry and spread much more naturally as we get toward the end of the week.

We also have three holes remaining to topdress after getting rained out on Monday. We’ll continue working through those areas as conditions allow.

We appreciate everyone’s patience while we get the course cleaned up. Having only a one week  maintenance closure in September limits the amount of time we have to complete some of these larger projects before we need to reopen, and sometimes the weather has a vote in the schedule too!

The bridge at 3 tee was completed this closure a looks very nice! This completes our bridge work for 2026.

Davis Entrance & GE Boulevard Improvements

Our landscape removal work is now complete at the Davis Entrance and along the medians on GE Boulevard. The irrigation system is currently being checked and repaired, and once that work is complete, we’ll move on to installing the new plant material.

The project is currently looking like a mid-October completion.

We also took advantage of the week to trim the trees at the Davis Entrance. This will allow the Christmas light installation to move forward without any tree-trimming delays once our lighting vendor is ready to begin.

So, while the rain may have given us a little extra sand to deal with, the work continues—and we’re making progress on several projects around the property. We appreciate your patience as we put the finishing touches on the course and continue improving the areas you see every day.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!