Scouting Report for September 2nd

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~

September 2, 2011 Scouting Report September Arrives: Another Hot Holiday Weekend?!?, Anthracnose on Poa Greens, Dollar Spot, Summer Patch, and Tim says Festuca arudinacea Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle - DSettle@cdga.org/Weather Blog Having endured a difficult summer again what did we learn? One thing is certain. The difficulty of a humid environment like Chicago should not be underestimated. For the second year it brought turf leaf blades to their knees - not to mention us. Unfortunately, Chicago's cool, humid environment can drop a lot of rainfall within one summer. Some seasons we've been lucky and the deluge occurred outside of midsummer or when cooling temperatures were nearby. Last year and this year, thunderstorms have brought horror of horrors so to speak. For example, in this growing season we would achieve our most significant flooding during our hottest summer period in July. It was as if Mother Nature didn't like us anymore. If you were a superintendent, the price you paid varied. If you collect water for the surrounding community you're likely going to flood somewhere - lowest fairways usually take the hit. If you have large bodies of water or streams that meander in a delightful way across your golf course - nearby turf will definitely be in harms way as banks overflow. The point is that in certain summers we can understand a very logical sequence of events that will negatively affect a property prone to flooding. Perfect turf is no longer perfect and, if you are the unfortunate superintendent, you've become the talk of the town. But really who's fault is it? As we move forward in September our soil temperatures will begin to drop from the mid-70s. When we leave that threshold we will once again see terrific root growth. The last time we saw optimal temperatures for root growth, let me check my weather records, was June 15 when little Sunshine Course recorded 69.9° on average at a 2 inch depth. Since that time our soils have been 70-80° with a peak reading of 85.5° on 21 July or two days before a 24 hour record rainfall event. All I can say is Happy Labor Day! Click here to view the September 2, 2011 Scouting Report.  Have a great holiday weekend - we can now look forward to cooler outdoor temperatures. Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program Timothy A. Sibicky, MS Manager of Turfgrass Research