Superintendent's Message


We have a created a new way to try to keep all our customers updated of the progress of the golf course and its current condition.


August 3rd 2010

      Is it me or did it appear that we got spoiled last year with a very mild summer, it seems like every day I get another email from the GCSAA or the USGA about summer stress and golf courses around the country suffering along with greens struggling.  No course appears to be safe this year, from the small public courses to those where money is no object. Mother nature has a plan for us this year along with her apparent disregard for superintendents the countryside over.  Keeping a golf course green is tough, so please learn to appreciate the term, brown is the new green.  You will be hearing more and more of this as the economy continues to struggle with no apparent end in sight.  This is how we like to keep Aberdeen most of the time, allowing the golf course to dry down and play more like the style it is designed after.  With this in mind our summer thus far has been ok, the zoysia looks great and our continued effort over the past 3 years to have it thicken and fill in seems to be paying off.  Apart from the odd weak spot or a spot around bunker edges where everyone continues to drive, it is the best it has ever looked. Tees look great, we have a couple on the golf course where it continues to fill in and recover from some winter damage, we continue to rotate those tees in and out of play, we hope you understand in case the hole became longer or shorter.
Greens are the toughest to look after, too much or too little water and you have a dead green. We are doing nothing but hand watering, with the moto little and often.  All we are trying to do is cool off the canopy, so no dry spots appear and the greens can survive.  We might from time to time rotate our problem greens in and out of play, these are #7 and #11, they suffer from a lack of air movement and with that the heat rises, meaning it will struggle more than the others.  If it is a day you play and we have taken one of them out of play please accept my apology for this and understand it is a full necessity so we can be playing on them all year round.  We have been working hard to keep them in shape.  They have been punched or aerified 3 times this past 6 weeks, allowing air and moisture in to the canopy.  They are are currently in very nice shape so we hope you enjoy them. 

See you all soon, stay cool out there.


Matt O'Dell


June 29th 2010


With both teams that I follow out the world cup, it might be hard to follow the rest of the tournament, with both the US team and England being outdone by some bad calls this time around.  It was nice to see the USA get behind the team, who knows maybe the sport of Football has a chance to thrive after this.
The course just hosted the US Junior AM qualifying event yesterday with some low scores coming in, the course played great and everybody had some great feedback on the course and how golf should be played on it..
With the greens holding up through the bad spell of heat, we managed to get some weeds sprayed on the tees and fairways along with some organic fertilizer to help them through the summer.
I  still need to bring up ball marks, the golfer is responsable for fixing their own when playing and if at all possible to repair one other.. If you are not sure if you are fixing them correctly ask one of us to show you, we will always have the time to help you to help us.

See you all soon.


Matt O'Dell


June 16th 2010

The World cup of Football is in full swing, not soccer, Football...

The big game in question could have gone either way, but for all those involved I guess a fair score for all, unless you are English..

The course received some much needed rain yesterday but we are still driving carts out on the fairways, a great sign that the extra fairway spiking we managed to squeeze in is working. 
The greens were spiked a week ago and recovered to the full quality I expect from them.
We are trying to finish up some leaks and irrigation head issues that the course has, I wanted to say thanks to everyone that calls in when they notice a problem out on the golf course.  It is much appreciated.

Dont forget this weekend is the US open, so Sunday we will have Sunday pin locations, couple of ridges will be in play, I know this will bring joy to a couple of you out there, naming no names!

See you all soon.



Matt O'Dell


May 31st 2010


While the world waits for the world cup to happen, to which I am very excited, please come down and watch as the US Team takes on the Three Lions.  Will they repeat the 1950 upset, there is one that hopes not.  The golf course still keeps improving.  We are in the process of spiking the fairways, with no top mess to worry about, the fairways will still play as intended.  Seed heads are almost gone, which the heat we are having has helped move the process throught a little quicker.

The greens are holding up well, we have cut back a little on the speed, but they still roll true.  Continue to get in the habit of fixing your ball mark plus one more.. A better greens surface will benefit us all.  Remember to rake sand traps as well, we have supplied more rakes over the past few weeks to aid in this.

Aberdeen Golf Club is now on Twitter and Facebook, with updates posted weekly and pictures posted too.  Just posted pictures of the drainage project on hole #2, which will help us to open the fairway more often.


See you all soon


Matt O'Dell



May 4th 2010


Hope everyone survived the storms that blew through the area, my famliy and I were able to spend some quality time down in the basement..Always fun.
The course survived with minimal damage, only a few bunkers were washed out, I know that I have a biased opinion but the course looks great right now, greens rolling great, the rough is a deep bright green that we are just managing to stay on top of.

I wanted to make a quick note to let people know it's that time of year when you all ask whats up with the fairways?  They look brown are they dead?  Don't be alarmed it's just mother nature doing her thing, the zoysia is seeding.. They look great when mowed but then a couple of days later the seed heads come back, it's a good thing and only lasts a few weeks.

Our driving range is slowly filling back in, we have the range mats in play for the wet days and we have a temporary tee mowed down in front of the tee, I wanted to say thanks for everyone's patience while we allow the tee to grow back to it's best.

We look forward to seeing you all soon, and remember to fix those ball marks.

Matt O'Dell






April 20th 2010

The Fairways are green, just looking for some nice consistent weather to thicken in a bit.

Tee construction is moving forward, with 3 in progress, these will not be available to next year, as we look to let them mature before play.

All the bunkers have new sand in them, with over 90 tons being put in them, all we ask is to remember to rake them after use.

2 new bunkers on hole #15 have been added, they frame the green lovely, even though not greatly in play a great looking addition.

See you all soon


Matt O'Dell




March 26th

                  A quick update for all you that follows this update.  Greens have been aerified and clean up was swift and well.  The holes are only small and will continue to fill in as the fertilzer we put down feeds the plant. The greens will be topdressed next and continued to be rolled every few days to maintain their current speed and smoothness.
The zoysia is slowly greening, and this is aided by our continued spiking of the fairways, this has helped to drain out the fairways after the winter/spring rains and allows us off the path a couple of days quicker than most.
The rought is greening nicely and will now need cutting next week, a couple more weeks and we can now say spring is here..

Look forward to seeing you all soon.

Matt O'Dell



March 10th

                   The spring might be here, or at least around the corner.  Thank god for that, its been a long winter for us all, and now the sun has been out for a few days.  The greens are starting to green up with some help from us and our maintenance procedures.   Bunkers will be worked on soon with new sand added soon.  The long grass areas has been cut down and I need to remind all to not drive in these areas.  Tees have been spiked to allow air and moisture to penetrate the surface.

Remember if you would like to know why we do certain things please track me down and ask.


See you all soon


Matt O'Dell



February 10th


Yet more snow, mother nature is trying to upset our early start to the golfing season.  In between the snow days we have experienced some golfers, the ground may be hard but for the willing few, it feels good to get out and play.  We started work on the last new back tees that we have designed for your golfing pleasure.  Progress will be slow with the weather but they will be a great new addition.
Don't forget to sign up for links E club and spread the word of our little piece of golfing heaven.  We also have some great online specials currently running, so take a look and save a little money early this year. 

See you all soon.


January 28th

                     
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years and enjoyed some wonderful moments with your family.   I am excited for the year ahead and we are busy planning the 2010 season and how we can improve the golf course for you all.  If you are in the area, stop by and say hello, coffee is always hot.  I always have the time to discuss the year ahead.
The weather will turn soon, and I look forward to seeing you all real soon.

Matt O'Dell





October 13th


It has been a while since my last update, we have been so busy on the course that it has been hard to catch a breath.
We have aerified the greens this fall early with some great heal up time allowed going into the fall weather we are experiencing at the moment.  The greens are rolling as well as they have done all year, makes putting fun.
The fairways are slowly going dormant, but the rough is still green and a great everyday hazard. 

Remember here at Aberdeen GC we do not have a leaf problem, so if you like to always find your ball in the rough or fairway and not spend countless hours hunting, we are your number one destination this fall.

Also please remember our continuing commiment to you, we will always have our course in the best possible shape it can be...This is our promise.

We will look forward to some warmer next week so come out and see us soon.


Matt O'Dell


 

August 24th

What a great break in the weather, the course really is in great shape.  The hard work that the crew puts forward appears to be paying off.
 This week we will be aerfiying our fairways, this helps us with the green up for next spring, as we have already aerified them once this year.  We will be applying some fall fertilizer after and also overseeding our rough as well.

Check back next week when I will try to load up some pictures of how to repair a ball mark correctl, it is amazing how many people moan about the ball marks, but yet if they are all being fixed how is there a problem.  So it must mean they are being fixed incorrectly, so I will try to aid you in aiding us to improve the greens.

As always thanks for allowing us to be your choice for your leisure time.


Matt O'Dell



 

August 9th
 

July 31st

I know you all feel the same when I say what a great break we have had in the weather as of late, who would have thought July could be this nice.  We will have to wait for August to come around to see if summer returns with a vengence.
The golf course is playing just like it should, we are maintaining the fairways to continue to roll and play as if you had just walked off the 18th at Turnberry.

My hat goes off to Tom Watson, a great open even with out Tiger in the mix.  Great all round for the great game of golf.

We will aerify the zoysia for the second time starting next week, but do not let this deter you from playing, we only do a few a day and always have them clean and cut prior to play.

See you all soon.


Matt O'Dell

 

July 10th

What a strange past few weeks it has been, hot then wet then back to hot.  It makes for a testing time trying to keep the golf course green and alive.  We are surviving well thus my very slow response to the updates.  The greens require alot of work when it is over 90 degrees for over two weeks.  We hope you are all enjoying the fruits of our labor.  The zoysia is loving life though, all it needs is some water, a small amount of fertilizer and some nice hot days.  The fairways are filled in and still rolling miles with the dry conditions we are experienceing.  Bare with us if some things are not mowed daily as I mentioned earlier the greens might need all of our attention when heat is extreme.

See you all soon.


Matt O'Dell
 

June 10th


               As you can tell by my late response we have been very busy indeed out on the course.   I want to take a moment to thank my staff for their help and support to try and make Aberdeen the best it can be every day.

This week we are working on some fairway damage.  Some of it is from the winter and some from excessive cart damage, please remember to not always follow the same path on and off fairways as this will leave to damage. 

The fairways and tees were fertilized late last week and we should see some good green up very soon from this application.

We will be aerfiying the zoysia soon, weather pending of course, we will make very effort to keep fairways clean and open throughout the process but please be patient if a fairway is not clean.  A organic fertilzer will go down after this to add some nutrients to the soil.

Hopefully some warmer daily temps will help to heal the fairways real soon leaving a great playing surface behind.

See you all soon.


Matt O'Dell
 

May 26th


The Golf course held up very well with the weekend storms, carts were still out on the fairways all weekend long.  A true credit to how well our fairways drain after rain storms.

Not too much to report this week, we are going to put fertilizer down on the the entire golf course this week, some good results will be visable next week.  The greens are looking great, a nice rich green color to them with the ball still rolling well.  A light topdressing will be applied this week which will help with ball to ground contact thus making the ball roll even better than normal. 

The #5 tee box parking area got a much needed facelift and will be open next week for full traffic.  This wiil help the look of the teeing ground.


See you all soon.


Matt O'Dell


 

May 19th


              Couple of days behind with my latest report, I apologise to those that follow what is happening at Aberdeen GC.

I wanted to say that we appreciate every bodys feedback, both good and bad.  It helps us to keep on top of our game at all times.

The course is finally greening all the way up, the zoysia is still seeding but we are mowing regulary to keep them supressed as much as we can.  The warm weather is helping to dry out the fairways with some holes yeilding 300+ yard drives on them.

The greens are really rolling well, we try to keep the speeds at around 9 most of the time, at present they are a little over that.

We are trying to add the final touches from our to do spring list, from more ball washers out on the course, extra water jugs, mulch around the clubhouse and golf course.  Sod repair in spots that need some TLC.   Again I thank everyone for their patience and I hope they enjoy the golf course when you visit.


Matt O'Dell



 

May 11th

The fairways are now slowly starting to grow, they are a little long at present and the zoysia is seeding.  This gives them a purple look to them, this is nature at work and is normal for the time of year.  Along with this we have sprayed for weeds and added some fertilzer as well, this will help us in the long run as we try to clean the fairways for the summer.  They will be mowed later in the week and will look great.

The rough is growing like crazy but we are keeping up with it, even though thick it plays to be in the fairway.  The greens are rolling well and the greens on 7 and 11 are now looking great, we appreciate everybodys patience in this matter.

See you all soon.

Matt O'Dell

 

April 27th


The week finished with some truly Scottish like weather, the wind made the experince second to actually walking down 18 at St Andrews.  Those that played had some good holes and some tougher holes.  However the wind helped dry out the course and many drives were reported over 300 yards, the extra firm fairways helped add distance to the game.

The course is really starting to green and take shape.  The construction work is finally being wrapped out out on the course and around the clubhouse.  The results will really stand out.

The new short game areas and the new targets on the range look great, I am really pleased how they turned out, just need some seed to grow to finish the project so we can open to the public.


See you all soon


Matt O'Dell

 

April 20th


Wow what a end to the week, a good amount of rain fell again.  The course handled it well, but some of the tee boxes remain very wet.  We will be spraying a product that helps tomove the water through the soil profile and dry out the tees in future.

Some of the seed we put down is benefiting from the moisture, just need a little overnight warmth to get it fully going.  Then the new tees and short game area we built will have a finished look to them.

Thanks to all in your help when it is cart path only, we really appreciate the help in this matter.   Also remember to fix your ball marks and one other if the time allows.


Thanks again

Matt O'Dell



 

April 13th

The wet weather we are experiencing is playing havoc with our plans for the course this week.  But rest assured every effort will be made to keep the golf course playable.

The rough was cut last week, with a few extra spots mowed down to make the errant shots easier to find.  Greens were top-dressed and are now rolling well for the time of year.  The greens collar work was finished with the back nine completed, this will be a great improvement later in the year.

This week we will be concentrating on our irrigation system trying to make sure it is fully operational, nothing worse than getting to the heat of summer and then having to work on broken heads.   We like to keep the course in its best shape for you all.

A personal note to add, I feel for Kenny Perry after yesterdays disappointment, but it proves that we can all roll back the years and I wish Kenny all the best.  A great guy out there on tour.

Talk soon


Matt O'Dell


 

April 6th

Even though the cold weather has halted the players from playing, it has not stopped us from working.  The greens will have a small topdressing applied this week to help smooth out the surface.  The poa removal from our collars went well with the front nine completed.  The back nine will be attempted this week.  It might also be time to start cutting the rough, we will keep an eye on this so not too lose too many balls when leaving the fairway.

See you all soon

Matt O'Dell

 

March 30th

The golf course has held up well over the last few days, with the heavy rain we experienced.  One positive factor came through with the rain  though.  The Zoysia fairways are thinking about turning green, as long as we do not get any very cold overnight temps we should continue to green up till the fairways are fully green and growing strong.  I know we all hate being cart path only, but with the rain we had it helps to aid in the green up so please be patient with us while the course continues to dry.

We are going to Verti-cut the greens this week, this is the process of putting very small thin blades down into the subsurface of the green, removing some thatch material and unwanted matter that grows there.
This helps the plant grow more vigorously, allows us to top-dress the greens, in turn smoothing and quickening the putting surface.  There should not be any disruption to your Scottish Golf Experience as the greens will be mowed directly after the verti-cutting.

We over seeded some of the greens, and are removing some of the poa around the collars of the greens this week.  Any questions please email me.

More next week


Matt  O'Dell


 

March 23rd

The greens have already been aerified and are now rolling very well, including a small touch of speed.  During the spring we may have the odd temporary green(only one at at time) on the course as we try to bring all our greens up to par. Please be patient with us as we try to complete our full restoration from last years spring floods.

The new tees are nearing completion and we will be a great addition to the course.

Feel free to email me at mattodell@aberdeengolf.com with any questions you may have throughout the year.


Thanks for your continued support


Matt O'Dell
Aberdeen GC