Oct. 29, 2010 Scouting Report
Rain Came: Second Hard Frost, Heavy jacket weather, Rust research, Tim says Triclopyr, and Nick impresses us with QR
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
Windchill. Well, it was going to happen sooner or later. This year it was Thursday, Oct. 28. On that day, yesterday, a substantial overcoat was required if outdoors. I was. Daytime highs only warmed into the 40s and how about those pesky winds. I used three coats - I believe in layers. The point is, our autumn temperatures just dropped to a more normal state. Until this week, we had avoided the usual cloudy, cold, and wet October (Ahh, the memories of 2009). This year, rainfall seemed to [.....]
A few weeks ago we completed some drainage near the 8th tee (Drainage Installed at 8 Tee), and this week we completed the other part of that project. If you recalled, water from rain and irrigation would collect in these areas causing a wet spot just off of the cart path. The drains were installed to move the water away from the area.
Like the other drainage that was installed, this area was covered with rocks as well. [.....]
The course weathered the windy conditions over the past few days very well. This picture shows the biggest branch that fell this week.
This is the kind of mess that was left after the windy weather. It has been very time consuming to clean up, but we have almost made it through the course.
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Despite the high winds today, we started a small project near 3 green. The growth of brush to the left of the green has become an issue regarding rulings and lost balls. The decision was made to begin to clear out the growth and possible plant new grass. The brush was cleared today. How to ultimately finish the area likely won't be decided upon until the spring. Here are some pictures of the before (first two pictures) and after the clearing.
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Oct. 22, 2010 Scouting Report
Rain in the Forecast: October remains Dry as a Bone, My name is Derek, Bye bye Rust et al., Tim's says Toccoa tall fescue, and Nick talks Go Daddy?
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
Weathermen. Ok, I have to admit it. I have a deep appreciation and admiration for weathermen. As I child in Kansas, my first weatherman was my Grandmother. I remember reading her handwritten letters-excellent penmanship. Her first paragraph always summed the Iowa weather with attention to rainfall. You see my Grandparents were farmers. Today I read similar prose, only the year is 2010 and not 1976. The mail isn't USPS it's email. The president's first name isn't Jimmy it's [.....]
I want to post a short update on the completed greens aeration and show what we are attempting to accomplish with this practice. The picture on the left shows the aeration holes in the soil profile. The cores we pulled removed the organic matter, the dark layer near the surface, and sand was used to fill those holes. As aeration is continually used, more of the organic matter will be removed which will allow for more rapid water infiltration and air exchange.
You can click on this [.....]
This week began cutting down the Environmentally Sensitive Areas as part of their yearly maintenance. Earlier this year in the spring time we burned the dead material off, due to weather issues that prevented us from doing it last fall. This practice allows for the recycling of the organic matter that accumulates in these areas. Letting the stalks of the plants fall over, and not removing them, will shade the ground in the spring and prevent regeneration of the plants. Over time this would decrease the diversity and [.....]
Oct. 15, 2010 Scouting Report
Bone Dry: October has record highs, Rust continues, Drought on our minds, Tim's new word is Pythium, and Nick says bit.ly.
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
A dry Fall. Labor Day, and we felt the change immediately. Temperatures cooled and humidity dropped. For superintendents it was a welcome sign and rapid turf recovery ensued. During September the dry down was a welcome change from the periodic floods that had devastated some courses this summer. I remember it like yesterday: July 23rd our high temperature was 96 degrees (hottest day of the year recorded on Sunshine Course) and unknowingly, within 24 hours some Chicago suburb golf courses would see 6 to [.....]
Tee aeration has been started. A little more that half of the tees have been done through the day on Thursday. The work on the tees will continue on Friday in hopes to finish before the weekend. [.....]
Aeration of the greens and approaches was completed on Wednesday. Today we added another light layer of sand in an attempt to fill in a few more holes. We are in the process of verticutting the approaches now. Here are a few more pictures of the process.
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Aeration of greens and approaches in underway for the week. The front nine was closed today while those greens and approaches were completed.
The cores were pulled and cleaned...
...then sand topdressing was applied. Not all of the holes have been completely filled. We will be revisiting the greens later this week with the balance of sand needed to fill the rest of the holes.
We were able to complete the approaches as well.
We hope to accomplish the same tomorrow while the back 9 is closed. [.....]
Oct. 8, 2010 Scouting Report
Oct. 8, 2010 Scouting Report - Wondrous Weather: First frost, Dry Fall, Few issues, Dollar spot, Rust, Tim's Putting green varieties, and Nick says SERP
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
In a week we can see additional signs of a change at hand - Fall season. Besides the obvious change of deciduous tree leaf color (currently thornless honeylocusts are a nice clear yellow), our turf is also losing its green. The last time I wrote of colorful turf was Easter. A changing golf green caught my attention. Its surface contained an older creeping bentgrass variety, possibly 'Washington' c. 1930, which was glowing reddish-purple in patches following a frost. This week it all [.....]
October 8th USGA Green Section Record [.....]
On Friday we aerated the chipping green to check that our equipment settings were correct.
The box that is attached to the aerator pulls the plugs to the edge of the green. When the aerator is picked up to turn, the box picks up as well and drops the plugs in a pile for easy clean up.
After the green was aerated and the plugs were cleaned up, the topdresser applied a layer of sand that was bushed in to fill the holes. This will be the same [.....]
This week we worked at installing a drain near the back tee box on 8. For a while now you may have noticed that water stands in this area and a spot just off of the cart path stays wet. The problem at this spot arises from the way the cart path sits. This area is the low spot in the cart path coming from 7 tee and a short stretch the other direction along 8 tee. Water from the irrigation cycles would run down the cart path [.....]
Yesterday and today brought the first frost delays of the year. Both were light frosts, but they did delay golf. Please refer to our blog post last year (Frost) for specifics on frost and its impact of turf and golf.
It looks like the evening temperatures will get warmer through the week, but it is that time of year for frosts to become the norm. [.....]
The putting green is still closed and recovering. Although the recovery is slow, it is recovering. We have sodded the largest spots that have been slow to recover. Seed had germinated in these areas but the cooler temperatures that we are having in the evenings now were going to make it very difficult for the seed to mature. We sodded these spots at the end of last week.
We stripped sod for the putting green from the chipping green, then purchased sod from [.....]
Oct. 1, 2010 Scouting Report
Oct. 1, 2010 Scouting Report - September Inspired: 2010 Review, Dry conditions, Rough rougher than usual, Rust peaks, Dollar spot peaks, Tim's Urediniospores, and Nick says Draw!
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
I am constantly reminded of the dedication that ties us together in a business that relies entirely on the great outdoors. You see, during the "growing season" a day is never just eight hours long. In golf, we have good seasons and then those pesky not-so-good seasons (2010 here). After a difficult growing season we often reflect. As I do, my 2010 golf season was inspirational? The memories of carrying a heavy-laden backpack with textbooks during one's college education (well-used [.....]
October 1st USGA Green Section Record [.....]