Scouting Report for October 19

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD. Don't forget to follow the link!~~ October 19, 2012 Scouting Report Needed Rain Arrives: A Mild Week Of Temperature, Very Few Issues, Dollar Spot Is Active Again, Meanwhile Tim Says Fall Fungicides AND Dollar Spot Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle This week was a temperature zig zag, so to speak. Best of all, it was in the right direction of up! Following our coldest period since spring which ended annual flowers in the landscape, Mother Nature relented. Instead she delivered a reprieve in a big way and our high temperatures climbed considerably. For example, on one day we touched 70° with two other days coming pretty darn close to that mark as well. Meanwhile, nights also jumped and all 7 were without freezing. Few if any issues are now troubling turf, although dollar spot has continued to nag - redeveloping on creeping bentgrass surfaces for golf. Biting our nails, dancing for rain and going to church finally paid off... needed rain fell with 1.7 inches this week's tally on Sunshine Course in Lemont. The main feature of the landscape continues to be excellent fall color of trees. Never mind it follows an otherwise difficult growing season and that some individuals had speculated this summer that 2012 wouldn't see much fall color. Shew, it turns out they were wrong. Our most recent splash of color over the past week or two has been spectacular and not surprisingly some have enjoyed more attention than others - luminescent orange sugar maples. Not to be outdone, ginkos, American elms, and lindens began to peak with golden color. This week in a nutshell? The return of rain, few issues and spectacular fall color. As you might expect, there are few complaints. Click here to view the October 19, 2012 Scouting Report. Have a good weekend and enjoy THAT fall color. Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program

Rock Retaining Wall

I mentioned our work on the rock walls to help stabilize certain parts of the pond banks on holes three and eight. I wanted to share a picture of the finished product. This is number three.

See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling

A Few Course Notes

Germination on the re-seeded portion of 18

There are a couple of things on the course that I wanted to call attention to. Th first is the area of eighteen fairway that was re-seeded earlier this month. Germination has been wide spread, with a much higher percentage of coverage than with the original seeding. Anyone who's seen it recently will undoubtedly have noticed the green tint of tiny leaf blades.

On numbers three and eight, we have been working on stabilizing certain areas of the pond banks. You will notice a "rock wall" has been put in place on both holes. This structure is meant to retard the deterioration of these areas, which were slowly giving way to the water.

And while we are on the subject of water, you may notice as you putt out on number five green that the crew is hard at work on the rear bank. Rain, shade, and immense amounts of clay have lead to that bank growing soggy, and the turf there has begun to suffer. We are currently installing additional drainage, and will be sodding the entire area once the drainage is complete. Until then, please excuse of mess!


See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling

Scouting Report for October 12

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD. Don't forget to follow the link!~~

October 12, 2012 Scouting Report It Feels Like Fall: Light Jackets Can't Cut It, Few Issues, Residual Dollar Spot, Rust Is Mild So Far and Tim Teaches Turf Students About Research Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle We were feeling 20s early on Monday, October 8 and it meant the coldest temperatures since April had come true as forecast. At this point we had to accept our flowers and vegetable gardens were no more. On the turf-side, the grass is still green (or maybe a purple-green) but its use has also tapered - cool temperatures and shortened day length naturally slows the game of golf, but not greens! We saw the fewest numbers of golfers playing the game in a season that otherwise had a lot (a warm, long lasting, dry season was 2012). Still, we don't quite want to accept it, the end of a growing season. Some even continued a tendency of going outdoors unprepared (from experience...my light jacket thing). Meanwhile, some good news this week. The landscape did pick up some needed rain, but the bad news is that it still wasn't near enough in a season who's current total is half of normal. And so irrigation and necessary hand watering were still required in an otherwise low water demand period for turf. And golf courses still saw other activity. They saw numerous projects either finished or in their final stretch prior to winter. They saw more tree leaves had senesced, now finding a place among the blades of grass, streams of water, lakes and paths. They saw a golden glow of shag bark hickory, honeylocust, green ash, basswood, elm and maples begin their orange. They saw a most beautiful sky. They saw an exclamation mark in the landscape, the peak purple-red leaf color of white ashes. Man oh man, fall in Illinois is sure nice. Click here to view the October 12, 2012 Scouting Report. Enjoy your weekend and those fantastic fall colors. Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program

Scouting Report for October 5

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD. Don't forget to follow the link!~~

October 5, 2012 Scouting Report Fall Color Says Pow, Pow, Pow: Coldest Night in 7 Months, Chicago's Turf Very Healthy, Dollar Spot Fires Up (briefly) and Tim talks Poa Control? Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle Wait a minute, how did THAT happen so fast? It's October. Well it happened and just to show you...on Thursday of this week we lost something like 27 degrees in 6 hours - from 80° at 2 pm to near 50° by 8 pm. Friday morning it hit me when I found myself in Naperville at a couple of courses unprepared - two light jackets didn't cut it. This growing season suddenly seems striking in it's contrast of 'degrees' in just a few months. As far as pest 'issues' and things of plant health, very few now exist given nighttime lows are rhythmically falling to the 40s. The bigger issue at hand is a realization that we continue to be way behind on annual rainfall and current lake level information is the perfect illustrator. Versus the same time a year ago, the Great Lakes tell the 2012 story of drought (Superior -2", Ontario -11", Huron -13", Michigan -13" and Erie -17"). Besides Lake Michigan being down 13 inches from a year ago, drought is serious because it also effects needed soil moisture reserves for crops and the landscape and this can last into the next growing season (e.g., the severe drought of 1988 meant 1989's growing season was also negatively affected). Currently we are holding our heads up more and more. Not just because we did a good job in season 2012. Ha! Mainly it is because the canopy of the landscape has begun to change rapidly. Talk about nice fall color. White ashes are a reddish burgundy purple and green ashes are golden. A group of honeylocusts today... I found myself forming the word "electric". Click here to view the October 5, 2012 Scouting Report. Have a good weekend and don't forget to put on your 'good' jacket! Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program

Seedling Update

As a whole, the current state of our seed projects, the practice tee, the approach fairway on number 8 and the whole of 18 fairway, for the most part, are progressing on schedule.  However, some of you will notice that some work has been done on number 18. While the rest of the fairway is filling in nicely, I've noticed in the past few weeks that the front right portion of this fairway was not keeping up. Upon closer inspection it was revealed that the seed there had not reached proper depth, and was struggling to perform. 

After allowing the seed some time to progress, it was clear that this area would be germinating sparsely if at all, and I opted to reseed the area to the proper depth. This is a better option than waiting because it allows us to maximize what sun we have left in this season, as ungerminated seed does not use nor require sun.  This also allows us to take advantage of sun in the coming months, should we find ourselves in the middle of a mild spell this winter, and to utilize everything from the very first rays of sun and heat in the coming spring.

See you on the course,
Elliott Dowling

Scouting Report for September 28

~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD. Don't forget to follow the link!~~

September 28, 2012 Scouting Report

Fall Color Begins: First Real Frost, Other Than Grubs...Few Issues, Ryder Cup Sees Perfect Weather and Tim says Fairway Creeping Bentgrass

Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle

And on the fourth week of September, the Ryder Cup came to Chicago - nice weather would be on tap! After all it is fall, and we had just recorded our first two frost events. In other words the weather was perfect with tree color appearing in the landscape early, some of our deciduous trees like maples and honey locusts already had turned gold to orange. For cool season turf things just line up nicely in the fall. For example, the natural growth of turf begins to slow and soil temperatures are at optimal levels for root growth (60s). Also this scouting report gets kinda brief - as we cool there are fewer and fewer pest issues in the landscape. For creeping bentgrass golfing surfaces it means perfection personified - good health both above and below ground.

Ahh September. By September we have reclaimed quite a bit of our lost roots due to summer's heat (all-time record heat that is). By September, if you manage turf, you can now look back on a season and her lessons to better prepare for next season. By September you have more time to volunteer on the grounds crew for things like the Ryder Cup! And so we remember the 2012 season for all its challenges present during regular day to day play as well as during numerous tournaments and events. At the end of each growing season it's hard not to be in awe...especially in 2012 when you find yourself working with a team at Medinah under Curtis Tyrrell. Go USA!

Click here to view the September 28, 2012 Scouting Report.

Have a good weekend and... if you can't be in Chicago this weekend, enjoy the Ryder Cup at Medinah on TV!

Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program