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.
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.
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.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD. I think the first three sentences really sum up the main theme of this past week .~~
November 18, 2011 Scouting Report
Snow Is Up Next: Weekly Updates Conclude, Winter Conferences and Education Begins and Tim ends by saying "Winter Research Project"
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
It's cold. In a week we saw nights drop to 20˚ F, their lowest yet on Sunshine Course. We've now stopped field scouting as the growing season has ended. The basis of the weekly Scouting Report is to keep superintendents abreast of what we see and do. In 2011 we wrote a total of 36 reports which ran from 18 Mar to 18 Nov. Diagnostics: Using an education with an emphasis on plant pathology I said things like Tufts, Rings, Spots, Patches and in this difficult summer I said Kitchen Sink. Research: Some E=MC2 (energy is equal to mass times the speed of light squared). Actually, it's just turf but it is complicated and can be diffiucult to understand as it encompasses genetics, plant science, entomology, plant pathology, weed science, and plant physiology. This year some of what Tim had to say included, Agrostis stolonifera, Poa annua, Poa pratensis, Festuca arundinacea, Digetaria spp., Zoysia japonica, Sclerotinia homoecarpa, Rhizoctonia solani, Waitea circinata var. circintata, Sclerophthora macrocarpa, and Photorespiration. Weather: We look at weather daily to understand effects on pest development, plant physiology and overall environmental conditions. I said things like ET, High T, Low T, Soil T, Inches, and in this growing season I said Flood. We're about to say Snow and so the Scouting Reports now conclude. Thank you for your support in 2011 as we really needed it. P.S. Enjoy your holidays!
With more cold weather on the way next week and the most frigid of seasons just around the corner, everyone in the grounds department is finding their own way to prepare themselves for winter's arrival.
The greens froze over night as the temperature fell to 23 degrees. The ground will thaw today but until then, we will not be able to allow golfers. The low for tonight is 27 degrees so anticipate a long delay in the morning. My best guess is it will be late morning before the ground thaws enough to allow players. The lows over the weekend are above freezing, I would anticipate a frost delay at most.
Looking forward at the 10 day forecast, the lows will be below freezing for most of the week. If this is the case, this could be the last weekend for play to the greens. We have cut our temporary holes in the approaches, they are marked by yellow marking flags. Please be cautious when walking, I do not want anyone to get tripped up by them.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
November 11, 2011 Scouting Report
Triple 11 is Good Luck Somewhere? First Snow, Few Issues, Hindsight is 20/20, and Tim says Scleropthora macrospora
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
It snowed in northern Illinois! It was what we had been waiting for - all around first reports had occurred. In Chicago early November had been cruising along with few periods of frost, but on Thursday all would change when clouds combined with freezing temperatures would deliver a more solid substance. For most Midwesterners it was nothing new and reports of snow had already occurred in Wisconsin and south in places like Kansas. Old Man Winter now has at least one foot in the door, but we're ok. Golf courses have been diligent in preparations for winter and most deciduous trees are now without leaves. It's just the few maples and elms that continue to linger with a golden canopy, not to mention those stubborn oaks. Still, outdoors a few color standouts remain like the bright reds of burning bush, Euonymous alata, and the usual splash of green courtesy of dormant turf. We'll continue to see some color until snow cover, but it's always amazing to see the speed by which our landscape becomes a monochrome of browns and grays.
As far as scouting and research goes - not too much to say this week. We put out final applications on a study for selective removal of Poa annua from bentgrass, but we'll have to wait until next spring to get a good estimate of what worked. In the meantime final research reports are going out and, at times, I clog my email. When will I ever learn to use fewer images?
Tomorrow's forecast calls for a high in the upper 30's, a first for this fall. Today's frigid winds and tomorrow's low ceiling come as yet another indicator that we are well into the time to prepare for winter.
Soon we will be closing the greens to get them ready to winter the snow. There are a couple things you will notice when this occurs.
The first is what will look like piles of sand on top of our new expansions. We will be "burying"these areas to help them overwinter. The turf in these areas is still new which makes it even more vulnerable to extreme cold and hard frost. The sand we will cover it with will act as a blanket throughout the winter, helping to keep it safe. Though the sand may look odd, it is completely intentional.
The second set of sights you should expect are the temporary pin placements. In the coming weeks cups will be cut into the fairways to keep any lingering play away from the greens. It is a sight we all know well, and one that we grudgingly accept in exchange for the increased safety of our greens.
The things we are doing now to prepare the course are meant to protect against all that we can foresee, which- when it comes to mother nature- is usually but a fraction of what we actually get. Many meteorologists and historians are predicting a particularly harsh winter; I wonder if they are including this past winter in that comparison? Nevertheless We will do all we can to ready the course, and then wait out whatever comes just like everyone else. When spring comes (and it will come), we will be here to set any wrongs right.
With freezing weather soon approaching (some say as early as the end of the week) it was time to winterize the irrigation system. This was the scene yesterday as we used compressed air to purge water from the miles of pipe beneath the course. As we all know, substances expand when frozen and a pipe full of water left over the winter will become a broken pipe full of ice.
In just under four hours every single head on the course was opened and allowed to run, along with our ponds and specific quick couplers (apparatuses that allow hoses to tap into the irrigation system). While winter is a worthy foe that can find ways to cause damage no matter how well you prepare, this preventative maintenance should help keep the damage to our irrigation at a minimum.
As the month grows colder, we will also be making our preventative fungicide applications. These applications are designed to help discourage the establishment of turf diseases that thrive in the cold and beneath snow cover. Again there is no 100% shield against these outbreaks, but we will be doing all that we can to avoid them.
Believe it or not, it is just about that time of year ladies and gentlemen. Attention must be shifted to finishing what projects we can before the inevitable freeze and the long wait for spring.
Believe it or not November is upon us; frost has become a frequent visitor and close at it's heels are ice and snow. Just as the club has begun to wind down it's hours so too must the course.
Just as in years past, the course will now be closed along with the course on Mondays and Tuesdays. The range tee will be mats only for the remainder of the year as we put the turf to bed. This way it can wake up bright and early for us next season, ready to do it all over again. For the rest of the tees on the course, we will be rounding up all but the ladies and hybrid and/or silver tees. Tee furniture such as benches and ball washers will be making it's way into the grounds shop as well, weary from a hard year and ready for a rest.
Of course, all of this will not be happening in a day, or even a week- but it will be happening. These things must be gathered and ushered inside before the cold touch of winter can damage them. Once extreme cold has chased even the crew and I off the course we will begin restoring and refurbishing it all for the 2012.
I would also like to take a moment to thank my crew for all their hard work this season. For them it has been a year of big changes and frustrating rain- but for the most part they have persevered. Even after weeks of cold, wet, miserable weather they still put in more than a full days work without complaint- and even find the strength to enjoy the rainbow that comes after the storm.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
October 28, 2011 Scouting Report
Coldest Week of Fall Yet: Earthworms Everywhere, Skunk Damage, Rust, and Tim likes Morton Arboretum's 41,000 Species
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
We just survived our first real chilly week of fall (Sunshine Course: 3 of 7 nights below 32˚ F). Most of what I now hear is that final golf course projects are complete or are in the home stretch. No more pest issues are being reported as cool nighttime temperatures are in control. This time of year we've concluded and are summarizing all studies on dollar spot and brown patch - creeping bentgrass is highly susceptible to both. It would prove to be our second stellar year of fungicide research and, as it turns out, a combination of heat and humidity is ideal for numerous plant pathogenic fungi (aka summers 2010 and 2011).
Thankfully summer is a distant memory now and in November we'll continue a new North Central Region fertility trial and we'll finish a study with Dr. Bruce Branham and Bill Sharp that sought a new way to remove Poa annua without harming bentgrass in fairways. Meantime our superintendent Chris Painter shut down the irrigation system, other courses will follow. My scouting brought me close to animals this week? I saw an amazing amount of earthworms on fairways and more skunk damage on a rough in search of white grubs. Freezing temperatures and snow should be about a month away, but today a headline shared on Twitter said "Major October Snowstorm Targets Northeast". Uh Oh.
The work continues on two fairway, where we are installing our most extensive lines of drainage. Anyone who's seen this fairway after a fresh bout of rain knows that the amount of drainage we are adding to it is no coincidence. Our crew has quite a few hours under their belt now as far as the process itself, and even on the cold, wet, miserable days that last week had to offer us their performance deserved nothing but high marks.
We are on schedule to finish our work on the fairway today. Next we will be crossing the cart path to number eight. It's hard, increasingly chilly work but spirits remain high.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
October 21, 2011 Scouting Report
Cold, Windy and Wet: Dollar Spot's Last Dance, Rust Rages, Yellow Tuft, Earthworm Activity, and Tim's Nice Summary of Dollar Spot in 2011
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
It was Thursday and my daily notes said, "Clouds are above and light rain is falling. It all began Wednesday with 0.75 inch recorded on Sunshine Course." As it turned out, Chicago had been enjoying an Indian Summer the first two weeks of October, but by the 20th our high would not cross 50 degrees. Weathermen would tell us it was our coldest day since 26 May. It got windy too and little Sunshine Course recorded winds at 9-19 mph every hour that same day. Now that's unusual. Closer to Lake Michigan, Soldier Field would clock gusts of 53 mph and north shore places like Highland Park would feel winds of 45 mph. In the landscape the cold, wet, windy weather meant the peak fall color of many trees promptly ended. Within the week, cottonwood leaves would be completely down, though I had to wait to see the change - I was out of town.
This week saw our first real hard frost as low temps dropped below 30 degrees in places like North Barrington and Aurora. Nevertheless, effects of a warm October are still with us and my weekly scouting would find terrific rust, amazing dollar spot, and that yellow tuft stuff. Superintendents noted earthworms had returned and course projects were in their concluding phases. Next up, irrigation pumps will be off and folks will say two short words - SNOW mold.
Over the course of the year I have fielded a large volume of questions about the appearance and condition of our nurseries. While I certainly never would have guessed that the nursery of all things would be the source of so much conversation, I thought I would take a moment to address these questions and concerns by explaining exactly what the nursery is and how it is meant to be used.
The first and most straight forward of a nurserie's functions is to provide sod for repairs. By seeding and establishing separate stands of green, tee, and fairway turf we are able to affect minor and even some major repairs to damaged areas in house. Specialty sods like the fescue we used to repair south oriented bunker faces have to be ordered from area sod farms. However, the bentgrass sod on two fairway this morning was cut from the nursery not twenty minutes before it was laid. And because the nursery is maintained with all of the same practices as our course features, once installed it matches it's surroundings.
The nursery also serves as a sort of turf laboratory. Experimentation is in integral part of the scientific process and rather than experiment on the golf course, we perform them on the nursery. Want to test a new fungicide or fertilizer? We head to the nursery. Need to see exactly how a prospective piece of equipment operates? We take it to the nursery. Unsure about a new crewmen's machine operating skills? Nursery. And if the application rate is off, or the machine doesn't quite deliver as we expected, it's the nursery that suffers instead of your course. In some cases the turf will even die (the price of discovery) and if it does, we seed it and start over with the players none the wiser.
While it is important to maintain the nursery with the same practices as the course it is a separate entity. It is meant to serve function over form, with aesthetics being at the bottom of our list of concerns for it. As seasons come and go it will be burnt, killed, seeded, practiced upon and stripped bare in short order. And in all of these things it will be serving it's purpose.
The next time you play holes Three and Four you may notice the bunkers have gotten a bit of a face lift. It is no secret that some of our bunker faces have been suffering through out the year, especially the south facing surfaces which get the most sun. Some of the worst areas have been on holes three and four, with certain bunkers on these holes presenting completely dead faces.
Over the last two days Three, Four, and a few other areas have been sodded with a Fescue blend rather than our usual Bluegrass. I'm using this species because it is much better suited to hot, drought-prone soils, and should be able to out perform the Bluegrass on these south facing areas of intense sunlight and heat. While this certainly won't bring about an immunity to damage in these areas, it should give us a fighting chance at catching and addressing the hot spots as they intensify throughout the season.
If you've noticed the pile of soil, rocks and sod in the left-side rough of eight fairway you've probably wondered to yourself about where it was coming from and where it was supposed to be going. Let me take a moment to answer both questions. I'm sure you can all remember the many times we've had to restrict carts due to rain this year. Each time eight and two were the wettest holes, with the rough on the right side of eight being extremely easy to flood.
We believe that a large part of the reason this area floods so quickly is that it is essentially the shape of a bowl, and so draws all the water from the surrounding highlands. In hopes of eradicating the problem, we have been depositing all the material excavated for our drainage project on two fairway on this area in eight rough. Once we've gathered it all, we will spread it across the area and level the surface.
I know the slowly growing pile may be unsightly, but believe me when I say it serves a distinct and important purpose.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
October 14, 2011 Scouting Report
It's Cloudy: Goodbye Indian Summer, Dollar Spot Returns, Watching Yellow Tuft, Fall Color and Tim's Tenacity vs Bentgrass Update
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
An interesting week weather-wise. We continued a record pace of completely cloud-free days until Monday, October 8. On that day we saw 95% of full sun and it meant our record 8 days of 100% straight had come to an end. In the interim it was a nice experience. Arguably, we had experienced some of the best fall color ever to be produced by deciduous trees. The main thing is that rain, and associated wind, can easily knock colorful leaves off as their petioles teeter on the edge of senescence. Quick story. I met some out-of-town friends on Sunday. As I was passing through Millennium Park my eyes were filled with gold - the golden color of honeylocust and ash trees within the venue. I said, "To arrive in Chicago this week was just genius!" They agreed.
In my scouting this week I saw a few things. I saw golf courses do their final push of core aerificaiton (greens and fairways). I saw dollar spot return (lows rose to 50˚). I saw yellow tuft continue to do its thing (bentgrass fairways). I saw a golf course continue drainage installation (on greens). I saw earthworms return (with rain). I saw leaves fall (with wind). I saw trees with great color (honeylocust, black locust, red bud, sugar maple, ash and cottonwood). I like to scout. Click here to view the October 14, 2011 Scouting Report.
Have a great weekend and hold onto your hat - it's gonna get windy!
I'm sure many of you have noticed that the rear tees on numbers one, five, ten, eleven, and eighteen have been roped off- with he tee markers place on the forward tee instead. These tees have been closed for the remainder of the season so we can set about repairing and restoring them.
The hybrid tee system has the unfortunate side affect of channeling a larger portion of play to some of our smallest tee surfaces. This has meant increased wear on all the hybrid tees, but the tees mentioned above have suffered the most for varying reasons. One and ten, as the first tees for the front and back nines, see very heavy usage- not to mention that most players hit two or more balls from each of these. Other tees, like the rear tee on five, are very heavily shaded and so cannot recuperate with the speed and tenacity of other tees.
Whatever the reason may be, these six tees have taken the most punishment over the course of the season. We will be using this time to aerify, topdress and re-seed them. Anything we can do to strengthen them we will do over the coming weeks. Losing them for the remainder of this year, allows us to concentrate our efforts on having them as ready as possible for next year.
See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling
Thursday, October 13, 2011
It's that time of year again, when then constant shower of red and gold quickly buries turf if left unchecked. Certain trouble areas, like the left-side bunker of number ten green, suffer the worst under this onslaught of leaves but no area of the course is safe. We have already begun removing and mulching at the highest volume we can muster.
You may have already noticed that, with the exception of 10 and 9 green, the ropes protecting our newly seeded expansion have come down. The leaf blades have now established themselves, and can resist light foot traffic. And with the root structure now in place, our young plants will be more inclined to stay in place rather than being pulled root and all out of the ground as they might have been when their roots were barely half an inch in length.
Let us not mistake better for best, or harder for hardest. These plants are still far more tender than the fully established turf that makes up the rest of any given green, and as such still require your care in dealing with them. Though they may not be susceptible to any amount of traffic as they were before, but they are still sensitive enough to be damaged by a twisting foot or repeated ware. Relief should still be taken when your ball comes to rest in these areas, and when they can be avoided by foot traffic they should be.
I have removed the ropes for the aesthetic gain of having them gone, but they will be replaced without hesitation should our seeded areas come under abuse.
Our tractor mounted aerifier worked on fairways all day without interruption.
I'm sure most people don't realize just how much time the grounds department looses to Cress Creek's many outings. For anyone who's ever wondered what we do when we finally have the course to ourselves I thought I would share a couple pictures.
Our first leg of drainage for #2 Fairway
Yesterday, with the course closed and no outings scheduled we fertilized, aerified, and watered fairways. We also made good progress on number two fairway's drainage installation (though this is a project far from completion) and made protective applications to both the tees and greens. With tasks like spraying tees and greens and fertilizing fairways, having a a free Monday to complete many of them uninterrupted means you won't have to be interrupted by them later this week. Everybody wins!
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
October 7, 2011 Scouting Report
It's October, It's Cloud-free: Enjoying Fall Colors and Indian Summer, Skunk Damage Means Grubs, Flowers Peak, and Tim says Sclerophthora macrospora
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
So, it looks like I may have been out of town? You would be right and I missed some of the best weather the Chicago environment has seen all year. All I can say is rats! Soil temps are now below 60 degrees and root growth, of say creeping bentgrass, is now unencumbered by "supraoptimal temperatures". Many of our issues related to cool-season turfgrass, and for that matter landscape ornamentals, are root-related. Yet, we still have a poor understanding of roots, root diseases and root growth dynamics. When soil temperatures rise above 70 degrees we have real trouble maintaining root biomass due to a natural physiological decline. Now we are enjoying optimal root growth - these periods occupy a relatively short window in spring and fall.
What else? Chicago's ash trees are now peaking in color while most maples and oaks have yet to do their thing. Chlorophyll, the green pigment in leaves, gets denatured as we experience cooler evening temperatures. Meantime, the reddish anthocyanins attached to sugars continue to accumulate in the leaves. It won't last long as senescence of leaf petioles is up next. But, for now it's all about yellow, orange, red and even purple. Did I say I like it yet? I do.
Take a look at the picture I snapped on the course yesterday, I thought it was something everyone should see. These are two samples taken from the same green. The difference? The upper sample was taken from one of our expansions- only weeks old. The other was taken from the main body of the very same green which has had years to establish itself and thrive. Samples like this are held together by the roots of the turf growing in them. The more roots, the longer a sample will be.
As so much of these last few weeks were spent discussing aerification, I thought a step-by-step explanation of exactly what we do during this time could be helpful to everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Step 1: Core
The coring process is completed with one man walkers that must be guided across every square foot of the putting surface. These machines have multiple arms, that end in a total of twelve tines specially designed to remove material. Once driven in the ground they come up with small cylinders of turf, sand and soil called cores. These are then removed from the green by a a shoveling crew. This step is by far the most laborious and time consuming of the entire process.
Step 2: Topdress
Sand is spread heavily over the entire green. This is a type of sand meant especially to be used as a root zone. "But weren't we removing sand during our expansion project? Why are we putting it back in?" Yes, we were removing sand during the expansion. However, the sand we were removing was installed on mass in a single area. It was never amended and had no organic or soil content- which, in addition to the layering problem pure sand on clay caused- is why it eventually became a problem. The sand we are adding during this process is being added in small amounts across the entire green. Because of this the sand will work in conjunction with our soil profile and gain organic content from the layer of thatch that we have already established.
Step 3: Broom
The sand is then pushed into the holes through a process called brooming where a heavy duty broom is pulled behind a golf cart across the topdressing surface. Most holes will be filled by this process.
Step 4: Blow
Now we use a machine made up of a turbine with an attached nozzle to direct airflow to help force sand down into the open holes as well as to help open any holes that may have begun to collapse. This will also disperse any extra sand to other areas that might need it. Once We've made sure that all holes have been filled we will use the blower to evacuate all excess sand from the putting surface.
Step 5: Fertilize
Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind (in the right measure), and even though the aerification process may offer a lot in the way of plant health long term, here and now damage is still being done. To help the turf heal and knit together through our aerification holes, we follow up the process with an application of fertilizer.
Step 6: Water!
Also applied to help the turf bounce back, but it also brings with it the ability to wash fertilizer into the soil profile where the roots can have access to it, as well as any remaining sand that may be left on the surface.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
September 30, 2011 Scouting Report
Of 144 Years, We're Record Wet: Enjoying Fall Colors, Yellow Tuft of Bentgrass, Dollar Spot Ends, and Tim Tim says Mesotrione and Kentucky Bluegrass
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
As seasons go, I really like fall. I said that recently to a friend and was then reminded that our favorite season is sometimes just the one in which we currently find ourselves. I said, "Ok! Fall is my favorite!" As far as the seasonal life of plants go, we now have begun to move quickly. More and more, fall color has appeared in the landscape. The larger color palate now extends to lawns where tree leaves have begun to appear. In my neighborhood this week, I would see my favorite honeylocust trees give up about half their leaves - helped by 45 mph winds on Thursday afternoon. Oh, and at work I've begun to admire a couple of woody ornamentals I've otherwise walked by - white fringe tree, Chioanthus virginicus, and downy serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea. Currently, Chioanthus is a clear yellow and Amelanchier is a nice reddish-orange.
As far as turf issues go, you won't hear many complaints from the land of cool-season turf. Our current soil temperature is optimal (roughly 60° at 2 inches). Also, our high/low values all week have been 60° by day and 40°-50° by night. Now that's nice! Lingering dollar spot has quickly faded now that nights are cool. Instead of plant health, talk this time of year focuses on course projects. "Glad aerification is complete and everything healed up. Working on leveling tees, next week we begin work on drainage for greens." On the last day of September...no complaints.
As our work continues with the drainage installation project, you will be seeing more and more fairways with lines of seed and soil. These areas, like the expansions, must be avoid by any traffic or play. We have run rope along the length of each line to keep carts from crossing over them and we ask that foot traffic be kept off them as well. I would hope that there is no need for these areas to be completely enclosed with rope and stake; that one line of rope indicating that they are there will be enough. Please do not prove me wrong!
With yesterday proving to be another washout I have no confidence that we will be able to complete our aerification by Thursday. This would be an unrealistic deadline even if we could have begun this morning, which could not happen with the course still trying to drain more than an inch and a half of precipitation. I have discussed the issue with Dave Gould and he agrees that there is no point in attempting to continue at the cost of member access to the course when we would not be able to finish regardless.
As such, the course will be open Wednesday (today), Thursday and throughout the weekend as normal.
Aerification will begin Monday October 3rd and continue into next week. I will be working with Wally to ensure that the Ladies Road Runner event on Tuesday has nine holes to play. Outside of this event the golf course will be closed Monday and Tuesday of next week, with the goal being to have nine holes open by Wednesday.
Even the best laid plans can easily fall prey to the whims of mother nature. The forecast for next week is clear and hopefully it will stay that way. We thank you for your understanding and patience while we adapt to whatever the weather throws at us.
Early this month the U.S.G.A. head agronomist for our region, Ty McClellan, payed a very enlightening visit to Cress Creek Country Club. Anyone who was able to accompany us was treated to an informative tour of the property. He has since sent me his formal report (called a Turf Advisory Service Report) and I am posting a link that will allow you to read it in it's entirety. I strongly encourage you to not only read it, but share it with any of
your fellow members who many not follow the blog- and while your at it, get them to start following the blog!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
What was a small chance of rain at the end of last week became a malevolent force by Sunday night, washing out what was meant to be our first day of aerification week. What's more, tomorrow's forecast is not offering much of a respite, calling for rain throughout the night and a 60% chance of rain during the day. For now we can make no promises about the schedule for the rest of the week.
If we can begin tomorrow, it has been agreed that the course will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Our goal will be to have at least 9 holes open for play come Thursday. I want to make it clear that even if tomorrow does not prove to be a wash the more time consuming requirements of this week, namely the solid tine aerification of the fairways, will not only go on during play but will most likely spill into next week.
David Gould and I will be emailing and posting updates as they come. We thank you for your patience and your understanding.
Certainly some of you have noticed that the area between the final pair of fairway bunkers as Eighteen fairway meets the approach is a collection of three or four different varieties of turfgrass. As the temperature has changed, each of these varieties has responded according to it's own natural programming, which has made the differences much more prominent than they were at the height of the season. These variations have also helped bring to light the fact that these separate varieties are not coincidental transplanting; they were laid as sod in prior years. The picture below shows clearly the almost perfect right-angles that mark the edges of sod.
It is because of this that our typical approach of weakening invasive species and allowing our bentgrass to out compete them will not be affective here. Our only option is to strip the entire area and sod it with the proper turf. This means a small amount of extra work, but it is unavoidable if we want to make this area right.
Heavy rain may have washed aerification out today, but we still managed to get a bit of work done. The image above was taken on the right side of one approach. This is yet another instance of sod from previous years having been laid directly atop gravel. There is only one thing that can result from this, and that is the slow death of sod. I'm sure most of you can remember how this area looked before we stripped it- just like every other area where sod and gravel have been laid together. Number one is the just the latest on the list of areas like this that we have stripped and repaired- and it is far from the last.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
September 23, 2011 Scouting Report
Sunshine Course Hosts iTurf Expo: We String and Sign Turf Research Plots, Dollar Spot Ebbs, and Tim tells of a Multi-State Evaluation
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
As I write, today is Friday, but it's not just any Friday. At 4 am it quietly became fall when most of us were still alseep and it was dark out. It means our summer season is offically over and our golf courses now have a look that is not just green. For example, I've begun to notice yellows, oranges and even occasional hints of red quietly arriving on deciduous tree branches (as fall begins I like to watch maples and honeylocusts). It means the landscape is about to wrap up this growing season. On Sunshine Course we wrapped up our year of turfgrass research by hosting an event called the iTurf Expo for the Illinios Turfgrass Foundation. Thanks to Chris Painter and Niki Munroe, Sunshine Course had become a green gem of paradise and it sparkled as guest speakers arrived from Wisconsin (Dr. Jim Kerns), Indiana (Dr. Aaron Patton) and Missouri (Dr. Lee Miller). They would complement speakers from across Illinois. Let me tell you that story...
Illinois is a state with a shape different than where I grew up - Kansas. North to south, Illinois is longer than wide and that has significance as we enjoy more than one zone of plant adaptation. That is why we feel a turfgrass research field day in Lemont is strengthened by representation of turf scientists from each distinct region. It allows us to discuss and learn of our similarities and differences of turf research efforts from southern (Dr. Ken Diesburg), central (Dr. Bruce Branham) and northern (CDGA) Illinois. To everyone who has helped the CDGA Turf Program this year with the necessary encouragement to keep doing what we do, we say THANK YOU!
The pictures I am posting are of the expansion on 17. Not only are there clear golf shoe prints across the seedlings and mix, the ropes were removed and left on the ground. Put plainly: I cannot help Cress Creek unless Cress Creek helps me. These expansions can be damaged to the point of failure, it will not take much.
As I posted earlier, many of our repair plots have had the matting removed to allow more sun for the infant turf developing there, but these areas must still be left alone. Please respect the rope boundaries we have erected around these sensitive locations. For the good of the course they must be allowed to develop and thrive. Please watch yourselves and each other, police your guests if you must. We cannot destroy our own creations.
I wanted to take a moment to correct a mistake with one of the dates sent out on our blog posting yesterday. Aerification will begin on Monday the 26th with the course being closed both Monday the 26th and Tuesday the 27th. Again, our hope is to have the process completed by Thursday the 29th- weather permitting. I apologize for any confusion.
Aerification week will be proceeding as scheduled. Beginning Monday the 26th we will be aerifying the entire course. That Monday and Tuesday the course will be closed to all play. It is our hope that at least nine holes will be open for play on Wednesday and that the entire aerification process will be completed by Thursday the 29th. Though as of now the forecast for next week is clear, weather will be a factor in our completion. Any time we lose to rain will have to be made up.
Suffice it to say that this will not be a good week to bring guests and/or give first impressions.
This picture, taken on Monday, is a perfect illustration of what has been going on with our fairways throughout the year- and even farther back if what I'm told is true. In it we see number two fairway after the rain the course received on Sunday night. The importance of the picture is not that areas of the fairway are flooded, rather that it is the same areas that have flooded repeatedly for the entirety of the year and eventually either boiled or drown.
The next time you find yourself (or anyone else) debating whether our need for drainage is real, please settle the argument with this picture of areas that died from flood damage- once again full of water. As I've said many times before, seed and sod are temporary solutions when it comes to problems like this. It is my hope that all of you are tired of temporary solutions.
With the major work on the expansions complete we are wasting no time moving on the next entry in our project agenda: Drainage. For any of you who didn't come across us on thirteen fairway, today marked the kick off our drainage installation project. Though we chose to work on thirteen fairway first because of it's proximity to the shop and it's status as a repeat offender when it comes to flooding, this fairway is far from the last that will know our trench diggers touch.
Over the fall season we will be installing more than 3,000 feet of drain tile over numerous fairways. This tile is intended to collect and direct water as it moves through the soil, helping us to reduce the amount of flooding we see on the same fairways year after year. While no amount of drainage can make any course immune to flooding, if we can increase the amount of water it takes to cause a flood then we can reduce the amount of flooding the course will see.
Similar to the housing market with the mantra: "Location, Location, Location", the golf course version could easily be: "Drainage, Drainage, Drainage!" Even at 3,000 feet, this will not be the end. My current plan is to be installing at least some additional drainage every year. No course can have enough, and we are already behind the mark.
Though touch-ups should be expected in any seeding project, the bulk of our work on the expansions is now complete. Below are pictures of the first expansions we completed at the start of our project. Please do not let the hearty appearances of these areas fool you; they are still easily damaged and are to be avoided at all costs!
The right side of three 11 days after seeding.
The right side of two 13 days after seeding. Look at it go!
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
September 16, 2011 Scouting Report
Cog Hill hosts PGA's BMW Championship: We Volunteer, First Frost, Rust Disease, Dollar Spot, and Tim meets PGA's Paul Vermeulen
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
Ready or not our fall season is just a week away. I looked it up and fall officially begins on Friday, September 23 at 4:09 am. However, fall seemed to begin this week - an early arrival of cool temperatures came true. For some in northern Illinois, the experience would occur smack dab in the middle of Cog Hill's #4 Dubsdread. It was Thursday, September 15 and I was awake bright and early as a turf maintenance volunteer at Cog Hill. The PGA Tour's BMW Championship had begun in the southwest Chicago suburb of Lemont but an early morning frost meant the turfgrass crews scattered across 18 golf holes would wait. It was 2 hours until the go ahead was given at 7:30 am, because that's exactly how long it took the rising sun to melt ice crystals which otherwise damage turf when trafficked. Together outdoors, we had the look and feel of a different season as we assumed our appointed duties with jackets, hats and gloves on. The early hour work schedule was no trouble because we were helping our neighbors, course 4 superintendent Scott Pavalko, director of courses Ken Lapp and PGA agronomist Paul Vermeulen. It was a spectacular experience and along the way we were able to take in all the sites and sounds associated with a PGA Tour Event. Scott, Ken and Paul thank you for sharing and teaching what you do. Next week, when we officially welcome a new fall season, I will always remember where it began for me - Cog Hill's #4 course on number 1 green at 5:30 am. Click here to view the September 16, 2011 Scouting Report.
Have a great weekend. Maybe we'll see you in Lemont!
Front right expansion of number one green after it's first mowing.
Germination- we've got it! As you can see above, expansions worked on last week are already showing good coverage for being nearly a week old. At only 9 days since seeding the front and back right on number one green both received their first mowing today. So far, so good. To help these and other areas showing strong germination, we will be removing some of the covers that currently protect these newly repaired areas. Our hope is to allow them additional sunlight, further encouraging their growth.
Though the areas will be uncovered they remain closed to all play and traffic. Please respect the rope boundaries as these areas are far from hearty as of yet.
I have been trying to think of a way to explain more clearly the night and day difference between the kiln dried sand we are removing from beneath the greens expansions and the custom blend we are replacing it with. In the end, however, the simplest way to compare and contrast is to see the two things you are considering side by side. To that end, I will be leaving a small sample of each material in the men's locker room tomorrow morning. Please feel free to examine and touch each one. Hopefully the difference will immediately become clear.
The expansion repairs are coming along nicely, with the work on schedule for completion by the end of the week. As always we ask that you please respect the rope and stake boundaries we've erected around each of the finished areas, as they will remain even after the construction phase is finished. Again, any traffic on the mats we've laid over our work areas could damage or kill the tender seedlings growing beneath them.
Remember: the expansion you damage could be your own.
With our work well under way, I thought it might be nice to show everyone what's going on underneath all those green mats. So I am going to take you through the process step by step.
Step 1: Remove Failing Sod
Our first step in the repair process is to remove and discard the suffering sod. As with the drainage areas we'll be working on later this year in the fairways, to simply re-seed or re-sod and then walk away would be treating the symptom instead of the disease. Removing the sod allows us access the true source of the problem.
Step 2: Excavate the Kiln Dried Sand Beneath
It is the installation of this unamended sand that has spelled doom for our expansions every year since. Once we have uncovered it, we remove it in it's entirety.
Step 3: Install New Growing Medium
Once the unamended sand is removed, we install our custom blended growing medium. This blend is made up predominantly of soil, with sand and a small amount organic matter. It was mixed specifically to match samples taken from our greens. This blend will be the biggest difference in the new expansions. It will help these areas avoid being saturated for days at a time when they receive heavy rainfall, and there for help the expansions to remain healthy through the years to come.
Step 4: Seed and Cover
With the new medium in place we seed and fertilize the area. Finally we cover it with the green mats you've seen on the back of 7 green, and by now many others. This mat protects our seed from birds and other animals that may want to eat it, as well as from being washed away should they weather a heavy rainfall.
Step 5: We Wait!
Always the hardest part of any project! We will see germination (tender, small seedlings) at around 7 days. Beyond that it will be a matter of keeping them healthy, moist, and untrodden upon.
~~The following is the C.D.G.A. scouting report as posted by Derek Settle, PhD~~
September 9, 2011 Scouting Report 22 Sep Sunshine Course hosts iTurf Expo: Soil Temps Drop to 60s,Poa annuaRoots?, Dollar Spot, and Tim says Bewitched! Chicago/Northern Illinois Update:Derek Settle -DSettle@cdga.org/Weather Blog It now quickly feels and looks like fall. How do I know? You see I looked out my apartment window this morning and there it was. I found a yellow color decorating a favorite tree of mine. It was thornless honeylocust and it had begun to develop fall color - overnight it seemed. The Chicago nighttime temps must have gotten to it this week - we logged a couple 40-somethings. How do I know? In the human environment; by day our air conditioning is off more than it is on, by night our windows are closed and we are back into the closet so we can sport light jackets. In the turf environment; bentgrass is as healthy as we've seen all year, superintendents are poking holes (aerification), and greens are lightning fast. That's all positive news. It tells you we are getting beyond the thrashings of a summer called 2011. But are we? I didn't mention Poa greens did I? Well, they continue to give us some trouble. This week they still didn't look quite right in Chicago. I was asked to rule out anthracnose basal stem rot a couple of times - it was not. Instead, the problem was the inablity of Poa annua to respond to cooler soil temps with new healthy roots. Be patient, with cool-season turf, there is a lag time after shock therapy - summer 2011. Under the microscope this week I saw new roots and a sudden appearance of root hairs. It tells me it's going to be OK. In fact, the best Poa plant health on greens was centered directly over needle-tine holes that were made very recently. I'm speachless? Not really...roots! Click here to view the September 9, 2011 Scouting Report. Enjoy your weekend...without the winds of Lee! Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program
Today, Ty McClellan paid a four hour visit to Cress Creek Country Club. Ty is the United States Golf Association's head agronomist for our region. He came out to take a tour of the course with all the board and greens committee members who could find time to come along, and filled every minute of his visit with valuable insights from his many years of turf experience. For those of you who could not join us, I will be sharing the written report that he submits to the club.
Being offered ready access to a brilliant mind like Ty's is an invaluable experience. To have him tour the course and offer his thoughts is something we stand to gain greatly from. I thank him on behalf of Cress Creek Country Club for spending the morning with us.
See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Only one week later seven green shows noticeable improvement
As a reminder, the grounds department will begin work on the greens expansions tomorrow. As stated before, the ropes we will be putting up in our wake require your utmost respect if we are to see premium results. Any roped off section of a green should be avoided at all costs. Cress Creek needs this project, and we need your support to make it work. For the most part the ropes on seven green were obeyed and as you can see from the photo above our work has already begun to pay off.
I would also like to make it known that the skilled crewmen I am assigning these tasks will be under orders to continue working under any conditions. They will be on the green with you. My men will be as respectful as possible, but even with players in the proximity the work will continue. Time is of the essence if we are to have these seedlings ready to weather winter's fury; to that end we must minimize delays.
A bit of discomfort now will bring us healthy expansions later!
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!
