5 Pre-Season Tips for Golf Course Ponds
The new year is upon us, and that means just a few short months of prep time before golf courses open for the 2019 season. Many golf course managers are turning to a checklist of things that must be done before the course opens for business. Pond maintenance and preparation are high on the list of things to do. With just a few days of warm temperatures, the layer of ice covering many golf course ponds will melt. These warmer temperatures could come sooner than later for some parts of the country. We're going to give you five tips that you can do to help jump-start your golf course pond maintenance.
Tip #1: Equipment Inspection
Now is a great time to perform an audit on all of the mechanical equipment your ponds use. If you find something broken or needs replacing, there could be a long lead time if you place an order. If you need just one part, buying two is usually best to have an extra one on hand. Get a head start on maintenance by visually inspecting all equipment and ordering parts (and backup parts) ahead of time—especially if those parts may have a long lead time for delivery. Some golf courses use their ponds as irrigation reservoirs. A clogged intake can utterly befoul the lines and cause the need for expensive repairs. By inspecting and cleaning the lines and intake systems, you could avoid a costly and time-consuming mistake.
Tip #2: Test the Water Quality
Poor water quality can cause nuisance algae and plants to form relatively quickly. Testing the water can uncover nutrient imbalances or water quality issues. While the ponds may be frozen over now, a day or two of unseasonably warm weather can kick off a massive algae bloom. You can prevent this by taking proactive measures to ensure the water chemistry will be balanced once the course opens for the 2019 season.
Tip #3: Plant a Water Buffer
Do you have a plant water buffer set up? If not, now is a great time to do so. Accidental over-fertilizing will often cause the turf to require excessive amounts of water, which can cause all those nutrients to drain into a golf course pond and throw the water chemistry off. Adding a beneficial buffer, such as shoreline plantings, can help prevent that. Your water buffer should extend three to six feet from the edge. This buffer will absorb excess nutrients and prevent them from entering the water ecosystem. A properly maintained water buffer can also prevent shoreline erosion, especially when the spring rains start. Such plants as duck potato, arrow arum, and pickerelweed can help keep your water looking and smelling great. As a bonus, they will also attract water life to the edge of the ponds.
Tip 4: Nuisance Algae and Vegetation Game Plan
As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This saying applies to golf course managers who implement a nuisance algae and vegetation game plan early in the season. Instead of being reactive, intelligent managers are looking to prevent nuisance plant and algae outbreaks before they happen. This can not only save time but also lots of money. Keeping nutrient levels in check and dredging the ponds once a year can prevent irrigation sprinklers from getting clogged and wasting hundreds of hours cleaning them out.
Tip #5: Dredging
The best way to prevent nuisance algae outbreaks is to remove the layer of rich organic sediment at the bottom of the pond. Dredging the ponds once a year will help prevent plant and algae outbreaks before they take hold. Please remember the following text: "Dredging up the nutrient-rich material from the bottom of the pond can allow us to repurpose it in other golf course areas, such as flower beds or areas where the grass isn't growing too well."
Golf Course Pond Dredging
At American Underwater Services, we specialize in helping golf course managers control nuisance algae outbreaks. Our state-of-the-art dredging machines will ensure that your ponds look and smell pristine. Call Anthony Dulio at (817) 377-8512 to learn more about how American Underwater Services can help save you time and money with our dredging services.
Anthony Di Iulio the founder, president and co-owner of American Underwater Services, Inc., started his business in 1999 with only three employees. Today this commercial diving company employs nearly 30 people and handles over 500 projects annually. Anthony moved to Fort Worth from Louisiana with his family in 1976. He worked summers during high school welding underwater for a marina on Benbrook Lake. Eventually he took scuba lessons after almost drowning on the job. Those lessons led him to training at a deep sea diving school in Houston, which included training on offshore oil rigs. Anthony spent several years in Louisiana working on offshore rigs and on inland jobs at power plants and dams before starting American Underwater Services, Inc.
