Scouting Report for April 27

I have another Scouting Report from the Chicago District Golf Association for all of you. But before I post it I thought I would call attention to the first paragraph of page 2 (for those of you who follow the link). Dr. Settle quotes a superintendent who had made a note to himself equating the purple appearance of his inactive bentgrass with the cold and frost we've been seeing for the last few weeks. I'm sure many of you have notice the same thing here at Cress Creek!

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

April 27, 2012 Scouting Report Spring Drought: Chi Suburbs Dry, Nights See Hard Frosts, Sod Webworms, Yellow Tuft central IL, Dollar Spot southern IL, and Tim's KBG Variety Trial Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle It was a cool week. In my mind that kind of puts things to zero. Like someone pushed the big red reset button. The one that says "Season 2012. How's that? Well, our current soil temps have cooled to the low 50s and that half century mark at a 2 inch depth held all week. Its hypothermic rebirth largely propelled by the return of hard frosts. Things slowed as one might expect. For example, we're now without active dollar spot, fairy ring, or Rhizoctonia yellow patch. Yes, I'm frowing a little. Not any fungi that had gotten me so excited especially early this season - 80s in March! Instead it feels normal - brrr, jackets required in April. From here on out we will likely see a general and consistent warm-up of spring - so I say. Our calendar-based historical records will again mean something - old school IPM can return. Integrated Pest Management is what we live and breath. But it's not all roses, actually I should have said tulips since it's that time of year - some varieties out there are still blooming nicely. Instead we continue to see quite a bit of early insect activity of the pest kind. In travels across the state, I would identify sod webworm damage on golf greens in both southern and central Illinois. The other striking item was just how dry it had become statewide. Localized dry spot was causing a diseased look on one bentgrass fairway I saw and then today I found the exact look on a Sunshine Course fairway. It made sense. Dry! Click here to view the April 27, 2012 Scouting Report. Have a good weekend and enjoy the return of RAIN! Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program

While I included this picture on this mornings frost delay email, some formatting issues apparently rendered it invisible for certain recipients. I am posting it again here, for anyone who could not see it before. As I said this morning, it's often hard to appreciate something so disruptive as beautiful.  Anyone who's ever seen an entirely frosted course at dawn, however, would have to agree that it is something to behold.

See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling

New Bunker Rake Placement

After much discussion it has been decided that the new rules for rake placement shall be slightly altered, making them even newer rules for rake placement. While the rakes will still be left inside the bunkers, rakes will now be placed 4-5 feet away from the edge. The hope is that this extra space will help avoid any ball that strikes the face or inner edge of the bunker from rolling toward the hazard's center and becoming trapped by the rakes. Thank you for your cooperation.

See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling

"Monday Monday, so good to me..."

Yesterday was a typical in-season Monday for grounds, which is to say that we got a heaping helping of work done! With the course usually entertaining varying amounts of play, non-outing Mondays are our only days to target big, or invasive projects too broad to attempt at any other time.  Below are just a few pictures of some of the larger undertakings from yesterday.

#18 Fairway receives a face lift.

 In a post last fall I mentioned the patch-work appearance of eighteen fairway between the last two fairway bunkers, and discussed my intentions to one day fix the area. Yesterday was that day.  All of the poor turf was stripped, the compacted soil beneath was replaced, and new sod was laid on top.  For now the area will remained roped off to give the sod time to knit together and root. We ask that you please respect these ropes as, at this stage, ruining our hard work would not take much.

After much discussion it was decided that trees should be installed along the pond bank behind seven green.  Cress Creek became the new home of two Heritage River Birch trees yesterday. Players may notice the green bags surrounding their trunks- these are temporary water sources to keep the trees well irrigated as they acclimate to their new surroundings.

The two new tenants on #7 pond bank.

Monday also proved a great day for mulching. As of this moment we have already put out more than 30 cubic yards, with more waiting and ready to go. While our mulching project is yet on-going, our bunker edging project is now complete thanks to the strides we were able to make yesterday. I hope all of you enjoy the crisp edges as much as I am!

These are just a few of the things we managed to tackle in one day. Days on which the course is closed are always action packed for us, with yesterday being no different. With all of the deliveries grounds receives on these days, Cress Creek can sometimes resemble a truck stop. But if you think we got a lot done last Monday, just wait until next Monday!

See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling

Living on the Edge

I am sure by now that many of you have noticed a difference in our bunkers appearance.  Along with our ongoing sand redistribution project, this past week we dispatched a small crew to edge the bunkers as well. Each one of our 90+ bunkers will have gotten this treatment by the end of the coming week, with most of the bunkers having already been edged. This is not so much a make-over as a restoration; one which was sorely needed.

While we're on the subject of bunkers, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge a small change in protocol with our bunker rakes. This year it was decided Golf Committee that rakes are to be placed inside the bunker when at rest, as apposed to outside in the rough. Our men have already been placing them accordingly since the start of the year, we ask that you do the same!

See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling

Scouting Report for April 20

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~ April 20, 2012 Scouting Report Nice Temps, Needed Rain Arrives, 1st Crabgrass Seedlings, 1st Sod Webworm Injury, Poa annua Seedheads, Microdochium Patch, and Tim says Embark Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle  As April's go, things feel pretty normal. Did I say that? Daytime temperatures felt comfortable with 60-70° highs and most nights felt chilly - as they should. Our lows were 30 something and most days, a light jacket would do. A more normal pace of temperature accumulation calmed us. Only once out of a span of seven days did we record frost in the north suburbs. Meanwhile, south suburbs saw not one. Nevertheless, new pests did arrive and reminded us that they do have early life this season. 1. Like our first crabgrass seedlings to appear (preemergents are needed earlier in 2012!). 2. Like sod webworm moths and their larvae which spelled the letter V on Sunshine's greens this week (v for victory?). 3. Like pink snow mold's reappearance which for obvious reasons has been renamed Microdochium patch (it's April and it isn't snowing!). 4. Like Poa annua, now shining flower-wise on most courses (Poa seedheads!). 5. Like a disease look-a-like or frost induced reddish creeping bentgrass (not leaf spot of bentgrass!). Overall in the landscape, I noticed deciduous trees seemed to be leafing out all at once and a couple eye-poping woody ornamentals were done - lilac and crabapple flower gone. Otherwise, most things look really healthy as progression to 'all green' continues. Soon Mother Nature will say "Ta da!" Click here to view the April 20, 2012 Scouting Report. Have a nice weekend as we continue to enjoy cooler/normal temps. Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program

Scouting Report for April 6

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~ April 6, 2012 Scouting Report 30s at Night. A Hard Frost, Issues Slow Down, Dollar Spot, Rhizoctonia sp., Crabapples and Lilacs Bloom, and Tim's Tall Fescue ABC's Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle More normal temperatures? Yes, is the answer to that question this week. Since March 26th we've had low temperatures dipping down into the 30s and 40s in Chicago. We didn't complain as it represented a return to normal spring weather - we have written records of these temps! It did mean that sooner or later a hard frost would happen and it did. I would find that out in an email today. This morning news from Sunshine Course came - with a request. It said, "There is frost on the course this morning, please refrain from going out on the course until 10 a.m. this morning." The early activity of emails and phone calls with which I had been involved, especially early this season, went away. The communications dropped off as quickly as our nighttime low temperatures had. Instead, in a week, I was happy to watch lilacs and flowering crabapples begin their bloom. The two combined expanded our color palate beyond the early woodie ornamental display of yellows and whites. As far as applications go, some superintendents would be making their second timed-application to prevent Poa annua seedhead development on golf playing surfaces. On little Sunshine Course in Lemont, as well as others, our first fungicide would be necessary to suppress dollar spot which perhaps enjoyed its earliest development in a given season. What a string of 80s can do for you in March! Next up? Easter! Click here to view the April 6, 2012 Scouting Report. Have a great weekend and Happy Easter! Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program