Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  The Holidays are always a welcomed time of year so enjoy your families and eat plenty!  Have a great day.

Be Thankful

I just returned from a visit to Hillcrest Golf Course in Washington, IL.  To see the devastation first hand is overwhelming and those of us who were unaffected should be thankful.  Superintendent Chuck Bishoff is doing his best to put all the pieces back together and get this long time recreational facility back in shape for his community.  His concerns are daunting to say the least and this small 2 man business will be challenged to the extreme in getting through this process.

Chuck and owner Brian Brubaker have asked me to serve as a consultant in helping them through this disaster.  I have been asked over the years to consult for various courses around Central Illinois and this time it was easy to say yes, I will help.  This business is the sole lively hood for these two gentlemen' and their families.  They cannot afford to be out of business for a long period of time.  The people in the community need somewhere for recreation as Washington is rebuilt over the next few years.  Hillcrest needs to be a viable option for the community.  As a young boy I experienced a fatal tornado which leveled our home and devastated our community of Ankeny, Iowa.  I can remember that as recreational facilities reopened people felt a sense that the community would be alright.  We could make it through this and get our community back.  First the parks then the pool and finally our little local public golf course.  As each one reopened it brought back something normal to the otherwise chaotic world that we had been thrown into.   

If you are not from a small community this may sound like nonsense.  If you are from a small town you know exactly what I am talking about.  Washington, IL will recover from this disaster.  It will take years and countless hours of hard work but they will recover.  If  I can help in a small way assisting Brian and Chuck in dealing with this disaster then count me in.  I know there are numerous Superintendents that are willing to lend a hand.  Superintendents are funny that way, always willing to help each other out in a time of need.  That is just what we do and how we do it.     

I will leave you with some pictures I took of Hillcrest Golf Course and the surrounding area.  Every tornado has what I call miracle stories and Hillcrest has one.  There were 3 ladies and 1 gentleman that survived the storm in the pro shop.  One of the ladies was 84 years old!  How they survived is a miracle and when you see the photos you will understand.  The pro shop is leveled and has a car flipped over laying on top of it.  The gentleman made it to a small basement but the ladies rode out the tornado in a restroom on the main floor.  All four walked away with minor injuries.  I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Hug your kids, tell your wife you love her and Be Thankful! 



Pro Shop-notice the seats for snack bar counter

 

Damage on # 18 green

Vehicle in parking lot with Pro Shop in background

 
                          

 

Restroom where 2 ladies laid on floor holding toilet and 84 year old sat

Look across golf course...the car is a new addition to the course

Golf green damage

 

 

Leaves and More Leaves!!

The fall leaf drop came late this year.  Just in the last few days we have seen the leaves really come down on the course.  We deal with them in numerous ways to clean up the course.  The big "vacuum" is in heavy use along with mowers equipped with mulching units.  We have a turbine blower that is used to help in the effort.  This year is slightly more challenging as the majority of our staff have been laid off for the season so late season leaf cleanup is left for a skeleton crew.

Mower equipped with mulchers cleaning up leaves

It seems like there was not much transition this year from warmer weather to colder temperatures.  We have already seen a measurable snow and we are just at the midpoint in the month of November!  I hate to say it, but you might want to get the shovel out of the shed and test fire the snow blower.  The predictions for this winter are colder and wetter then what we have seen the last few winters.   Hopefully the forecasts are wrong and Mother Nature is kind to us.



Turbine blower rounding up leaves on the course

Well, I wish I could tell you all to come out and enjoy the course but the weather conditions and temperatures right now are not optimal for golf.  We will have the course cleaned up for any brave souls that would like to come out and test the elements.  We have the Annual Turkey Shoot coming up on November 23rd and who knows what the weather could bring this year!  It is always an enjoyable event for those who participate in it. 

The big vacuum helping out with leaf cleanup

   

 As the year winds down and we head into the Holiday Season the Golf Maintenance Staff would like to wish you all Happy Holidays and an enjoyable winter.  We will be busy with on course projects and the annual equipment maintenance duties.  It won't be long and Spring will be back around.  Until then we will see what Winter has in store for us.  Enjoy the Holidays!!



Summer Draws To An End

With the last day of summer having past on the 21st of September maybe now summer will come to a close.  The last few months have been very dry, hot and non typical for August and September.  As we enter into fall we can only hope for some cooler temps and some needed rain.  This was like a summer in reverse with July being milder and September providing us with some of our highest temperatures of the year.  The real challenge has been the lack of rain.  Mother nature does a much better job of applying an even distribution of moisture compared to the best designed irrigation system.  When you have to rely on irrigation as the sole supplier of water on the golf course then there are some potential issues that can become problematic.  Since the first of July through today,  on our course we have seen a total of 3 inches of rain while our evapotranspiration (ET) number is at 14 inches.  (see May 24, 2012 blog post for ET definition)  The 11 inch deficit has become a major concern for turf managers. 
In Central Illinois some courses have been put on restrictions while others are simply running out of water in their irrigation ponds.  Thus far we have been fortunate with our water supply and have had no mandates placed on us like last season.  It felt like this season was going to be a decent year to grow turf with limited challenges but in the last 8-10 weeks the challenges have been numerous and very unseasonal.  I guess that is what makes the job of being a Golf Course Superintendent  challenging, rewarding and stressful all at the same time!  It seems every year Mother nature likes to remind us that she is in control and she allows us to grow turfgrass.  Each year is different and you have to roll with the punches.
As we enter into fall we have completed aeration of greens,tees, approaches and 4 of the fairways.  The fall season is busy for the Golf Maintenance Department as we prepare the course for the upcoming winter and next season.

Crew member Sonny Jordan  processing cores on #1 fairway

In addition to aeration there are numerous other agronomic practices that must be completed before the snow flies.  Fertilizer applications, fall herbicide applications and seeding and sodding projects are all on the the agenda.  Add in the annual war on leaves beginning in a few weeks and things will be busy around the course. 
Give the aerated areas a few weeks to heal and come out for one of the prettiest times of year on the course.  The fall colors are always impressive and it appears the temperatures will continue to be favorable for some golf.  Hopefully summer has drawn to a close and now fall can move in! 

What A Summer!!

What a difference a year makes.  Maybe Mother Nature is trying to show some kindness after last years brutal heat and drought.  Regardless, this year the weather has been great for growing grass with just 10 days or so of hot temperatures thus far in the summer.  Mid August is when we see the days begin to shorten and even "hot" days don't seem to be that much of a problem.
 
The cooler night time temperatures are always a welcome sight and we started seeing those return in late July.  Last year we did not see a day with a low in the sixties from mid May until August 12th.  That was a long stretch of terrible weather.  This year we were wearing wind shirts and jackets in July with a few lows in the 50's.  Can you say "Climate Change"?  If you are not a believer in global warming you have to agree that we are seeing weather extremes pushed to new limits.

Hole #6 July 2013

  The course remains in good shape and playing conditions are very good.  As we enter into the fall we are preparing for a busy September highlighted by The Grandview Invitational September 12-14.  The Course will be closed on September 23-24 for fall aeration of the course.  September and October are always busy with agronomic tasks that begin to prepare the course for the upcoming winter and next year's season.

But for now, what a great end of summer!  Come out and enjoy the course during the final round of summer.  Next week's forecast is a little warmer in the upper 80's.  The kids are returning to school and soon fall football, soccer and my personal favorite, hockey will dominate any free time that is available.  For now, get out and enjoy the course.       

Busy Week for Visitors

This week was a little different in that we had many guests come to tour the course.  Oscar Miles, Retired Certified Golf Course Superintendent paid us a visit on Monday with a group from Spring Lake Country Club in Quincy, Illinois.  Mr Miles is consulting for Spring Lake C.C. during a gas and regrass project that they are going to be doing.  Oscar is somewhat of a legend among superintendents in Illinois as he was Superintendent at the Merit Club in Chicago for over 20 years.  He was also Superintendent at Olympia Fields and Butler National prior to the Merit Club and is in the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.  Oscar has hosted numerous PGA and LPGA tour events during his 40+ year career as a Superintendent.  It was an honor to spend time with him on our golf course.  He was impressed with the results of our regrassing project as were the rest of the group.

Oscar Miles (far right) with group from Spring Lake C.C.

 
Tuesday we had a visit from Dr. James Crum, PhD from Michigan State University.  Dr. Crum is one of the leading authorities on turfgrass soils/ chemistry in the industry.  He has worked around the globe as a consultant for such projects as the Beijing Olympics, World Soccer Federation, NFL, Major League Baseball and countless golf courses from Spain to China.  He was here to visit our MSU intern Kyle DeRoo who has been with us this season.  Again it was an honor to have Dr. Crum on the course for a tour and he also attended a Green Committee meeting that evening and gave some insight into the benefits of topdressing fairways.  Dr. Crum has always been a mentor to me and his evaluation and input of our course is always appreciated on his visits.  He has visited our course numerous times over the last 8 years so he has seen the transition as course improvements were made and was very complimentary of the course conditions.

Thursday we had Dr. Ed Nangle, PhD, Director of Turgrass Programs for the CDGA on the course for the morning.  Dr. Nangle is new this year to his CDGA position and was visiting different courses around the state to get a feel for the diversity of growing conditions and challenges that he will be consulting on.  Originally from Ireland Dr. Nangle did his PhD work at The Ohio State University.  (We won't hold that Against him! )  He worked in New Zealand and Florida prior to making his way to the Chicagoland area.  Illinois is an interesting state to be a turf advisor as you have both warm season grasses in the south and cool season grasses in the north with the transition zone in between.  After meeting Dr. Nangle he will be a great asset to all CDGA clubs throughout the state as he has worked with all grass types.  He was pleased with our golf course and surprised by the topography that the course is on.  We look forward to working with Dr. Nangle on agronomic issues and wish him luck in his new position.

The course continues to be in good shape so get out and play some golf.  The ten day forecast looks good and it is hard to believe we are looking at mid July already.  The heat and humidity have not been too bad and the staff and the turf both appreciate that!  
     

The 4th of July.....Already

Where did June go?   As we move into July the weather for the first few days has felt like late May!  Highs in the 70's and nighttime temperatures in the low 60's.  What a strange year we are having.  The course remains in good shape as we head into July and what is usually the most stressful time of year for the turf.  Warmer temperatures and the humidity have to show up sooner or later but until then this weather is simply Awesome!

Hole #1 at Country Club of Peoria

The weather for the 4th of July could not be better so come out and play some golf.  It is a great way to burn off some of those BBQ ribs and get ready for all the fireworks that will be presented in the area. 
We all enjoy the parades and fireworks but let's not forget what this day is in celebration of.  On July 4th, 1776 our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence declaring our freedom and separation from Great Britain.  Please remember those who currently serve in the military and past veterans as Americans have always led the fight for freedom and justice not only on our soil back in 1776 but around the world.  We should all remember that freedom is not free so thank a veteran or someone currently serving in the military for what they have done for our country.  God Bless America!      

Hole #4 ready for some golf!

Come out and enjoy some golf, eat plenty of BBQ and be safe as you enjoy the fireworks during the holiday.  The CCP Golf Maintenance Staff wish you all a Happy and Safe 4th of July.

4th of July celebration at Washington Monument

A Fine Time to Deep Tine

As we prepare the course for the summer stress period we are utilizing a new deep tine machine that was purchased earlier this Spring.  The Redxim 7120 Verti-Drain can drive solid or hollow tines down to 8 inches deep.  We are using this machine on the fairways to relieve a hard pan that has developed at a 3 inch depth.  After aerating the fairways at a depth of 3 inches for the last 50 plus years it is not hard to imagine that a compaction layer has developed in the soil profile.  The same problem occurs in agriculture after a crop field is plowed for years at a 10 inch depth.  A hard pan develops in the soil profile at the bottom of the plowing depth.  This new machine allows us to break through that hard pan and shatter the soil profile at depth. We have the flexibility to set the depth anywhere from 1 to 8 inches. 

Deep tiner in use.  Turf behind the machine is ready for play

The process has very little impact on golf as it does not pull up any debris and creates very small holes.  The surface is basically playable immediately after the process is completed.  A very small half inch hole may be visible but for most golfers will go unnoticed.  After the fairway is mowed a couple of times the holes cannot be seen.  We set the machine to a depth of 4.5 inches to start with and over the next few years will continue to go deeper.  We are finding there are plenty of hard objects at the 4.5 inch depth and can only imagine what we will find once we are down to 7 or 8 inches!      

Holes made by half inch solid tines 4.5 inches deep

We will deep tine Fairways and Tees a couple of times during the season. Some Superintendents are using this machine on greens and we may test that out at some point in time.

Deep tining obviously helps break up and shatter compacted layers but there are other side benefits.  It allows water and air movement down into the root zone.  It also provides a great channel for new root growth to occur and promotes deep healthy root systems.

We are excited to have this piece of equipment in our "tool box" and to see the improvements it can make to our turf quality and turf root system.  The course is playing very well right now and is in good shape so come out and enjoy it.       

8 inch long deep tines used on fairways  

    

Rain, Rain and More Rain!

Lately it seems that the rain will just not end.  Over the last week from May 26 to June 2 we recorded over 7 inches of rain at our course weather station.  Some may believe that this is good for the turf but excessive rain can cause numerous issues for the turf plant and is an area of concern for Golf Course Superintendents.

Saturated soil conditions limit pore space for air and gas exchanges to occur in the root zone and roots need oxygen.  Some areas of the course have had standing water on them for the last week.  Bent grass suffers drastically when submerged for more than 24 hours and we are seeing some submerged areas turning yellow and thinning out after being underwater for almost an entire week.   

#1 fairway after .4 inches of rain in 20 minutes

Prolonged saturated soils also prevent the turf plant from developing a deep root system.  This may not result in immediate decline in plant health but when the summer stress period shows up in July and August plant health declines readily.  Root development occurs in the top 2-3 inches of the soil profile because plants have not had to put roots down to seek moisture.  The roots heat up very quickly in the top 2-3 inches as soil temperatures increase resulting in plant health decline and root die back.  This time of year we would usually water deep and infrequently to force the plants to develop deep root systems.  The current rains are exactly the opposite of this agronomic strategy. 

The other issue that is concerning is disease pressure.  Saturated soils along with higher soil temperature literally provide the perfect environment for disease development.  It is like Mother Natures petri dish!  You might ask, "Don't you spray for disease control?"  We do spray but getting the sprayer out on saturated soils can cause major damage to the turf due to rutting and ripping the turf right out of the ground.  Getting mowers, sprayers or any large equipment out on the course for any daily maintenance over the last week has become very challenging. 

As you can see the current situation regarding rain has created many concerns for the upcoming season and we have not even touched on current playability or the financial impacts it has on the Club.  We will do our best to manage our way through this situation and get the course back in shape.  Understand that the course is not drying out very well and getting carts out will take a few dry days and some time.  Unfortunately this weeks forecast is calling for more rain mid week.  Hopefully the forecasters are wrong.  Last year we could not buy a rain event and this year we could not pay to keep rain away!  Crazy....                        

      

Spring Aeration Nears Completion

The aeration of greens, tees, approaches, fairways and cart path ends is very close to completion.  The greens and tees were aerated 2 weeks ago and have fully recovered from the process.  We have 3 fairways left to aerate and we will be done with this important spring cultural practice.  The weather over the last few weeks has been challenging in getting the fairways completed as we lost numerous days to rain but we will wrap up fairway aeration this week.



#5 fairway being aerated

 Aerating these areas is a huge task and one that is vitally important in promoting healthy turf.  It allows gas and water exchange to the root zone, relieves soil compaction and removes thatch.  Thatch is the dead and dying organic matter that if allowed to accumulate can cause many issues.  Thatch can tie up water, nutrient and chemical applications preventing them from getting down into the root zone of the plant.  Excessive thatch can also "cap" or seal off the gas exchange between the root zone and the atmosphere allowing toxic levels of gases to build up in the root zone and potentially reduce plant health. 
The benefits of aeration are numerous and it is one practice that allows us to nurse the turf through the summer stress period.  We understand that it is disruptive to play but the short term inconvenience provides long term benefits in providing good playing conditions throughout the season.

#4 green 13 days after aeration.  Hard to tell it had been done!

So the next time you see that holes have been punched in a playing surface, please consider the below ground benefits it is providing to the turf.  A few weeks of inconvenience now provides 3-4 months of solid playing conditions during the season.  That is not such a bad deal, is it? 
Get out and enjoy the course as conditions are very good currently and the weather has been fantastic, except for the rain days!                 

A River Runs Through It....

Just a quick post showing the current status of the course after 3.62 inches of rain in the last 24 hours.  There will be no carts today but if you are interested in a canoe or kayak rental we can work out the arrangements. 

No. 1 fairway with new water hazard

The forecast today is calling for another 1-2 inches so we will be wet for a few days.  Hopefully the rain will stop before Friday and we can dry out and have carts sometime this weekend.  Crazy weather!!
Have a good end of the week and stay dry.

River through driving range!

   

Is It Spring Yet?

The Masters is over and it is time for some golf but will spring please show up?  We have seen the course green up quite a bit on the fairways and in the rough but tees and greens are still limping along with the cooler weather.  It is just a matter of time before everything begins to grow and warmer temps are here.  It is hard to believe that two weeks ago we were melting off 7 inches of snow and temps were below freezing.  In the last two weeks we have seen the turf break out of dormancy and at least act like it wants to grow.   After a slow start to spring it appears that it will remain a cool and damp beginning to the season. 





#6 fairway beginning to green up. Tee surface a little behind

 After a season last year that had carts running almost continually this season we are trying to get carts out in between rain events.  The turf is ready for some traffic but with wet conditions it has been nearly impossible to allow carts on the course.  Hopefully the rains will end soon and we can have some decent weather for golf!  I think we all got spoiled by 2012 and the type of season we had. 

We have had a chance to begin mowing on the course.  The greens have been mowed 4 times and tees have been mowed twice.  Fairways have also been mowed just two times this season.  With the cooler temps the grass does not grow aggressively and frequent mowing is not required like it is later in the season.  We will begin mowing rough this week if the rain ever lets up and we can get out on the course.  The forecast is calling for the possibility of 3 inches of rain in the next few days and snow showers!  I said, SNOW SHOWERS!!          

#12 Green and Fairway after mowing

It is a completely different year than we experienced last year and that is what makes a turf managers career interesting and challenging at the same time.  Just getting routine agronomic practices completed can be a real challenge.  Making required fertilizer and chemical applications can be nearly impossible when Mother nature chooses not to cooperate.   The timing of many treatments this time of year becomes very critical.  Pre-emergent herbicides and early "clean up" fungicide applications are based on soil temperatures and Growing Degree Day calculations.  If it is too wet to make these applications then the window of opportunity is missed and all kinds of problems may occur.  We just get it done when the first opportunity arises and try to meet our agronomic objectives the best we can.  We are at the critical stage right now for making some of these applications so some days of drier weather would be appreciated by the golf maintenance staff, and the golfers!  Sooner rather than later!!               

What a Difference a Year Makes!!

After a 2012 season that never seemed to end we begin the 2013 season with a completely different scenario.  March of 2012 was a record breaker with 10 consecutive days over 75 degrees recorded.  2013 has not even come close to the 70 degree mark and as we approach April 1st the forecast looks much more "normal" whatever that is.  After being spoiled with an early golf season in 2012 it appears this year, golfers will wait for spring to arrive. 

Just one week to April, 1 2013 and we have snow!

Last year on March 25th a high temperature of 78.5 degrees was recorded on our on course weather station.  This year for the same date we are looking at a high of 30 degrees with nearly 7 inches of fresh snow on the ground.  To say the least we are dealing with a completely different year as of right now.  Mother Nature is in charge and currently she has put her foot down by extending winter another week or so.
Last year by this point in time we had been mowing fairways and greens for almost 3 weeks.  This year the thought has not even crossed our minds.  We had called back the majority of our spring crew and had almost 15 employees on board by this date.  This year there are 4 golf employees currently on staff. 

No need to mow!  We may need a plow!

As we look at April 1st just one week away we will continue to evaluate the course on 5 day intervals.  We will first open for walking and when the course firms up, allow carts to follow.  We know that everyone is ready for the season to begin.  Cabin fever for a golfer is like a young child looking through the candy shop window but not allowed to go in.  We will remedy that as soon as Mother Nature hands over the shop keys!  Hang in there!!      

Winter Work At The Course

Many would think that there is not much to do in the winter regarding the golf course but that is just not the case.  We have been busy servicing all the equipment from walk mowers to member golf carts.  This is a very time consuming but necessary part of our annual winter work and is vitally important in maintaining our 1.2 million dollar fleet of equipment. 



Drain tile work on the course

We also have been out on the course doing some drain tile work on #15 left fairway rough and on #1 right side fairway rough.  These are both areas that tend to stay wet so the addition of some drain tile should help dry these areas out and improve playability.    

Work has also started with some tree trimming and selected removal on the course which will be completed before the season is in full swing.

We hope everyone had a enjoyable Holiday Season and that the winter is treating you well.  It won't be long before we are back out on the course and enjoying some golf.  Stay Warm!!