That was a headline on the front page of the Naperville Clarion on Thursday, December 2, 1920. Here's the article:
This article resided in the same location on the following Thursday-December 9, 1920:
The search for club history has been a great succes so far. My own efforts are not to be credited though. These two articles were in the files compiled by former club champion and former club president, the late Vern McGonagle. Mr. McGonagle spent countless hours compiling numberous [.....]
Don't forget that the course is still open for your winter activities. Today we began laying out a path around the course for walking or cross country skiing. We made a path around the course using out skid steer in an effort to pack down the snow. There is snow in the forecast for the coming days, and we will continue to pack the snow on the path as it arrives.
The hills on our driving range make a suitable spot for sledding [.....]
Everyone at the Green Department wishes you safe travels and a very Merry Christmas!
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!
[.....]
There was some mild ice accumulation from the weather pattern that passed through yesterday. Thankfully, for the trees and the travel conditions, it was only a light coating. The branches on the trees are hanging a little heavy, and there are a few small branches down on the course.
The snow that we received earlier now has a layer of ice added to it. If the sun had been out the course would have [.....]
The humorous anecdotes of golf are ubiquitous. But, it seems, they never cease to satisfy. Here are a few.
Putt in haste and repent at leisure - Gerald Batchelor
It is a law of nature that everybody plays badly when going through - Bernard Darwin
The most exquisitely satisfying act in the world of golf is that of throwing a club. The full backswing, the delayed wrist action, the flowing follow-through, followed by that unique whirring sound, reminiscent only of a passing flock of starlings, are without parallel in sport - Henry Longhurst
Always throw clubs ahead of you. That way you don't have to waste energy going back to pick them up - [.....]
We may be fortunate this year to have a white Christmas! In the parking lot, we have the biggest piles of snow we have had so far this season. We had about 3 inches last night, and it has continued snowing throughout the day. We have pick up another 1-2 inches since this morning.
1 green.
16 green towards 14 fairway.
[.....]
I have spent a few hours at Naper Settlement and the library searching for some history on the club. I have been able to find several newpaper articles with news relating to the club. Most of the articles have been related to the clubhouse fire in 1948. Here is a newsworthy clip I found in a Naperville Fire Department book:
"One of the more unusual calls took place on September 30, 1936. A film crew was aloft in a small plane east of town trying to catch the run of the Burlington Northern Zephyr. The train was the latest innovation in fast passenger service and created much enthusiasm in a country that moved on rails. What went wrong [.....]
This week has been filled with continuing education. Tuesday and Wednesday we attended seminars offered during the Illinois Turfgrass Foundation's Winter Workshop held at the Golf House in Lemont. On Tuesday, Dr. Rossi from Cornell University talked about his ongoing research at Bethpage State Park in NY. For the past 8 years Rossi has been researching the viability of alternative maintenance practices using little to no plant protectants. Though he has been able to gain much information, all efforts to maintain golf course turf with no plant protectants has resulted in dead grass. On Wednesday we listened to information regarding the use of organic fertilizers and how to implement them into a program.
Today we attended [.....]
Winter projects in the green department have begun. The first task this winter is refinishing our wooden supplies we removed from the course for the winter. This include benches, bag stands, divot boxes, and trash can containers.
The refinishing process begins with sanding. We sand the surface to remove dirt and scratches, and expose a clean surface on the wood that will accept the new finish. After sanding, a damp rag is used to remove the dust from the surface. Finally, a new finish coat is [.....]
I can't say it any better than Torres did this morning while shoveling the walks at the clubhouse. "Mucho frío." Our weather station recorded -0.4ºF last night. It currently reads +1.0ºF. The wind has died down some to help the -20ºF wind chill. We did not receive a large amount of snow from the storm, but the winds are creating drifts for us to keep clear. We have started on our inside work for the winter and looks like we will be settling into that routine. Here are some pictures taken today:
The weather we received in October was not unique to the area. Poor weather conditions were detrimental to golfing rounds across the country. From the link below: "Double-digit drops were recorded in many soggy areas throughout the country, with the most dramatic occurring in the upper Midwest."
October rounds down 16 percent nationwide [.....]
We did receive our first snow this morning! It was not a large amount, and it is slowly melting. However there is more snow in the forecast.
[.....]
On Thursday we closed the greens, and are now using temporary greens for the winter. We do this before the soil on the greens begins to freeze. This practice prevents unrecoverable wear during winter months, turfgrass damage, and soil compaction or displacement. Reopening of the greens in the spring will occur as temperatures and soil conditions allow.
The main reasons for doing this, in no particular order are: (1) the inability of the grass to recover from wear, (2) traffic on frozen soils [.....]
Snowflakes have been late to show for many areas this years. We saw our first on Thursday.
We are still waiting for our first snow covering of the year. After checking our records, this year will be one of the latest dates before receiving a major snow covering.
[.....]
The allied golf associations from the state of Illinois joined forces with Golf 20/20 to assess the economic impact of golf on the state's economy. The results of the "Illinois Golf Economy" were made available to government officials to show the positive impact of the game, and in the coming months the allied associations will continue to publicize the results. The "Illinois Golf Economy" study is presented by the Chicago District Golf Association. A link to the report is on the right under "Further Reading" [.....]
A group of golfers enjoys one last sunset over the course on Saturday evening. Courtesy of Mr. Allara. [.....]
Another step in winterizing the course is closing the Halfway House. There are heaters inside the building, but as a precaution the water lines are drained and the water is removed from the lines using pressurized air in the same manner the irrigation system was winterized.
The first step is the close the valve on the main water line to the Halfway House. This valve is located where the old maintenance building sat at the end of the driving range. Then an air compressor is [.....]
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We will be back next week.
[.....]
After the equipments use for the season is done, it is thoroughly cleaned before the start of it's winter work. Our crew spends several days going through all of the equipment with degreaser, brushes, power washer, towels, and wax. The equipment cleaning was started on Monday, and continue into next week.
The guys power washing and scrubbing the equipment.
Our finished fairway mowers.
Once the equipment cleaning has been finished, the winter work on the equipment is done. This involves sharpening all the reels and blades, [.....]
Another maintenance practice that is indicative of the fading golf season is our final fertilizer application called the dormant application. This application was completed on Monday this week. We again utilized the service of a company to apply the fertilizer over 80 acres of fairways and roughs.
The late fall application is an important application for the health of the turf through the winter months, as well as green-up when the cold temperatures break in the spring time. The timing of the application is the most important aspect of this application. The goal is to spread the fertilizer after the grass has stopped growing, and the last mowing; but, before the ground begins to freeze. Though the [.....]
Winter conditions bring the maintenance on the golf course to a halt. However, there are a few pathogens that continue their activity through the cooler months. These pathogens cause diseases most commonly referred to as pink snow mold and gray snow mold. Our efforts to control these pathogens and limit damage caused by the diseases consists of a fungicide application.
Pink snow mold is the most common snow mold in this area. Though both diseases can occur, gray snow mold is most [.....]
Today and yesterday's labor was directed towards completing a final mowing on all areas of the golf course. Temperatures have become cool enough and days short enough to cause the grass to slow it's growth for the winter months.
Alejandro mowing the 11th green on Thursday.
Torres mowing the 5th fairway on Thursday.
Greens, fairways, and approaches were mowed for the final time on Thursday. Tees and rough were mowed for the final time Today. There only remains a small [.....]
The winterization of our irrigation system is underway. We began the process on Tuesday afternoon, and should be finishing by Thursday afternoon. Winterization of the irrigation system involves removing the water from the lines and heads, as well as changing our pump station configuration.
Removing the water from the lines is easier than it sounds. This involves connecting a large air compressor to the piping system and allow the air to push the water out of the lines.
Air compressor used to fill [.....]