We have been accomplishing much of the preparations needed to get the course in playing condition. The greens will be open for play on Thursday this week. We mowed the greens today and will cut the cups on the greens first thing tomorrow. There is still lots to do, but some things are beginning to take shape.
The first time cleaning the bunkers is always a time consuming. The process involves raking the grass face, then picking up all debris from the face of the bunker and out of the bunker itself. Then we check the sand depth and move sand around if it is necessary to provide a consistent depth. We use metal rakes to loosen the sand after settling through the winter. This process will take more than one day to finish.
The irrigation system was charged today. We do not foresee needing it for a few weeks, but it is nice to get it going and make any repairs that are usually need to start the year. This will be a good opportunity to continue our irrigation auditing that we started last year. More on that in a later post.
A few of the tees were mowed today. The rest will be done tomorrow. We also plan to mow the fairways and approaches tomorrow as well.
We do not have a date set yet to open the driving range. We do want the temperatures to be warmer to allow for better divot recovery.
When summer did arrive it arrived with a bang. In 2009 the Chicago area posted only 6 days where the high temperature broke the 90 degree mark. In 2010 that number was quadrupled with 26 days breaking the 90 degree mark. This is consistent with Chicago’s trend of really hot summers occurring about once every 12 – 14 years. The summers of 1983, 1995 and 2010 are etched in the minds of local superintendents as difficult years to keep turf alive. To compound things, in 2010 the heat was combined with excessive rain that caused flooding and water logged soils. Hot, humid, and wet is a deadly combination for cool season turf grasses. Root zone oxygen is displaced as soil pore space fills with water. Water logged soils retain heat at a rate 10 times greater than that of oxygenated soils. Saturated soils that heat up during the day retain heat overnight, never cooling down. When air temperatures climb above 85 degrees the plants ability to undergo photosynthesis begins to diminish. As a result the plant rapidly uses up all of its stored carbohydrate reserves, (reserves that were deficient to start with due to the prolonged winter) and is left to starve to death as its shallow root system boils in a primordial stew.
So how do we build on this for 2011. Sound agronomic practices are the key to surviving periods of stress. Aerification, thatch management, proper fertility, proper irrigation, good drainage, proper air exchange within the root zone, good air movement over the turf, proper exposure to sun, good mowing techniques, proper stress management, adequate topdressing, the use of proper grass varieties, and plant protectant programs are all part of developing a successful turfgrass management program. Each winter we evaluate and refine our program.
