There's no buisness like snow buisness!

With the temperatures continuously cycling above and below freezing, ice has become a hot topic here at grounds. Higher temps mean rain and melted snow, and quick drops of nighttime temperatures turn all of that water to ice. The main danger ice poses to turf is the creation of an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment, in which turf can literally suffocate given enough time.

Though certain greens have elevation or exposure to sunlight to help keep them clear, others need a helping hand.  While the ice itself can be difficult to remove, we went around to each troubled green to clear the snow off any icy patches. Hopefully the warmer weather and direct sunlight over the next few days will eliminate the ice, and avoid having all that melts freeze again overnight.

Fairways are another matter.  As seen above, the easiest solution is to avoid the problem all together.  Where the lower portion of 13 fairway is heavily covered (Top), the raised portion which saw a drainage installation this past fall, has remained relatively ice free (Bottom). Water must be able to linger on the surface before it can form a sheet of ice- something that the presence of proper drainage makes quite hard to do. For those fairways that have seen a build up of ice, we are employing a simple solution: cracks in the ice should aid in the exchange of gas which we're hoping will avoid any suffocation. What better to crack ice than something large and extremely heavy?  

Think warm thoughts,
Elliott Dowling

Snow!!

The National Weather Service says:
"Naperville accumulated 4.2 inches of snow over yesterday and this morning."

I say:
"Better late than never."

Elliott Dowling

A Breath of Fresh Air

At the Greens Committee meeting held on Saturday January 7 Ryan and I received the order to begin work on the side of thirteen fairway. The goal is to create a better screen for the dump, one that hides it from the view of players. After much brainstorming, we agreed that the easiest way to achieve this goal would be to increase the height of the existing berm. Today, we began work on doing just that.

Phil uses the ASV to pop the trees up and out.

The first step in the process was to excavate the existing, low-growing trees from the inner lip of the berm as it stands now.  These trees will be set aside for the winter, and come spring they will be used as part of the pump house landscaping plan discussed earlier this year. Construction on the berm itself will be held off until spring as well, but the mild temperatures of late offered a chance to get outside- so we took it and ran!

When all is said and done the existing berm will be four feet higher, which should offer a much better amount of visual cover for the dump area. The elevation will be achieved using dirt and clay from the dump itself, meaning that the entire project will be done using materials we had on site. Nothing like low cost improvements to ring in the new year!

Elliott Dowling

2011: A brief review

Like many area superintendents, I am more than happy to be putting 2011 in my rear view mirror. I see no sense in putting this gently: 2011 was a brutal, if not cruel year for growing performance turf. Record setting amounts of heat and rain came at overlapping intervals and formed a two-headed turf consuming monster. My industry peers who are a bit longer in the tooth than I tell me this was the hardest season in the past thirteen years. Some even go back as far as the summer of 1988. I can most assuredly say it was the most difficult year I've experienced in this industry.

No doubt the weather the week before the invitational left a sour taste in every one at Cress Creek's mouth. Despite that, I still want to highlight some of the the good that was done this year.  The new bathroom at 7 tee, the berm at the practice tee, and especially the reconstruction of the greens expansions.  These are all projects that the course is much better for having completed and they should not be forgotten.

The rough also took a major turn this year. The undertaking of an aerification and over-seeding program has already had a few of you commenting on the boost to overall rough health and consistency. And speaking of aerification, I am very excited about the implementation of an aerification schedule for Tees and Greens.  These are things that will give great things back to us the coming years, and you should be excited about them too.

This year Cress Creek grounds began it's transition to an all organic fertilizer roster. Already we have made a complete shift to organic liquid fertilizers for the greens tees and fairways, and much of our granular line up has been changed as well. Environmental stewardship is something that must be taken seriously in our industry, and it's moves like these that point us in the right direction.

With the help of the CDGA and USGA we've been able to identify some pretty glaring issues that need to be addressed, but knowing is half the battle and identification is the first step of any repair. The CDGA is always available, and we plan on making visits from the USGA an annual occurrence. The wealth of knowledge represented by these two organizations is a vast and unequaled tool that should not be left unused.

One of the things I am most proud of is what the grounds crew was able to accomplish after everything came crumbling down at the end of July. Their willingness to work long ours in the record heat, and wade through day after day of soggy socks while the rain came pouring down shows just how much this place means to these men. They showed it again during the biting cold and occasional snow as they stepped up time and time again to tackle the massive undertaking of drainage installation late in the year.

A skilled Superintendent alone can not bring a course back from the historical summer we saw this year.  These men fought to keep this place together even as the weather was determined to tear it apart.  And after the fact, they stuck out wet and cold days to help make sure the course was better prepared for next year. My thanks go out to each and everyone of them for their hard work. I cannot say it enough. Thank you!

Looking into the future, I have nothing but great expectations. It may sound perverse, but we gained quite a bit from our rough ride this year, after the fact. Calamitous as the weather may have been, it also made plain a lot of weaknesses our course has- weaknesses that have now been diagnosed and can be watched and worked on in seasons to come. 2012 will also see us begin to collect dividends on projects we invested in this summer and fall, not the least of which being the drainage additions we've made and the work done on the expansions. When all is said and done, we will have 2011 to thank for many of our successes in 2012. I, for one, can't wait to get started.


Respectfully,
Elliott Dowling

Winter in the Grounds Department

If it has wheels or reels, Phil is hard at work getting it ready for 2012!

Thursday December 22 marks the official start of winter. With the course put to bed and ponds already buried under multiple inches of ice (and now thawed again), the grounds crew has officially shifted gears. It occurred to me that many of you may not have any idea what it is we do during the coldest months of the year- so I thought I would give you all a brief overview.

Our highest priority is snow and ice removal. Anytime the club receives a fresh dusting (or a full bore arctic dousing for that matter) you can expect to see us hear plowing, shoveling, and salting. Back at the shop, Phil is hard at work getting all the machines prepped for another year of duty.  Carts, Mowers, and even our larger machines all need gaskets and gears replaced, hydraulic hoses repaired, reels ground etc.

Meanwhile, every piece of furniture that spends the summer season on the course must be repainted or oiled and touched up.  Ball washers are completely broken down, sanded and repainted, as are the tee markers and pins. Benches are oiled and any damage to them is repaired.

Everado Garcia, a 37-year veteran of Cress Creek grounds, restoring a trash basket.

Winter is also our time to restock all the products we exhaust over the course of the season. We inventory the entire department, from paint to pesticide, and decide what needs to be ordered. This can be an especially tedious project as that running out of certain products during the course of the season can throw a very large wrench into our exacting summer schedule.

For us, winter is really about preparing for the coming year.  Anything we can do to get ready for spring we do. Our goal is to hit the ground running when the sun comes out again, and the ice disappears.

Happy Holidays,
Elliott Dowling

Tree Removal on 10 Fairway

There have been many questions surrounding the tree we removed from the right side of ten fairway earlier this month. Let me begin by saying that this tree was not removed on a whim. Much discussion was had internally before the final decision was made to bring the tree down.

This particular Cotton Wood was nearing the end of it's life cycle. Statistically this species of tree will live to an average age of 60-70 years. This particular tree had already begun to show signs of it's age, as Phil had noticed branches being shed this time last year that were hollow or rotten inside. We also noticed areas of the tree that were lacking in blooms- another sign that a tree may be growing old.

At this stage in it's decline these things alone would have put it on our list for removal- albeit down the line, however, it was the trees proximity to the pump house that made the matter urgent. The downed branches I mentioned earlier hit the pump house when they fell. Our measurements of the distance and the angle at which the tree was already leaning showed that even in conservative predictions not just the branches but the main body of the tree would have hit the pump house roof- a blow the roof could not have withstood.

Were the tree to have fallen on the pump house, we would have lost more than just the thousands of dollars worth of essential equipment that it shelters. We would also have lost any number various pieces of maintenance equipment that are stored inside the building at any given time. I should also mention the immeasurable damage losing the pump house would cause to the entire course should the Cotton Wood have fallen during the golf season.

Weighing all the information we decided that removing the tree was in the best interest of everyone.

The plan for next year is to landscape the area around the pump house, as well as select a smaller variety of tree that can thrive in wet conditions to screen the pump house from the tenth tee. We are currently considering the same plan for the area behind seven green along the pond.

Respectfully submitted,
Elliott Dowling

Temporary Pins

With the average night time low having dropped well below freezing and a forecast that says it will not be rising anytime soon, the time has come to close the greens.  Winter pins have been placed in the temporary cups and the tee markers have been removed from the course. With the greens closed we ask that any members and guests please keep all traffic and play off of the putting surface.

Temperatures will be dropping even lower next week.  Believe it or not this is probably the end.

Stay Warm,
Elliott Dowling