Naperville Country Club Green Department

Here is a short edit of the storm clouds that moved through earlier today. We only received a little more than a 0.10 of an inch of rain.

It is time for another special weather statement. I think the first "Special Weather Statement" came a few weeks later last year. Here is a weather report for the next 8 days for the golf course. First glance finds all 90s with lows barely dipping below 70. Here is a post that discusses the ideal temperatures for cool season grasses, and what happens when the weather presents temperatures outside those ideals: Turfgrass Temperature Stress, Part 1. We have been warmer than normal this year, but another environmental anomaly has been on our side, the dry weather. We could use some rain, but the lack of humidity has helped with diminishing disease pressure. Fungal pathogens that cause disease symptoms in turf need the presence of moisture to become a problem. We have been lacking this presence of moisture, so disease issues have been non-existent for us up to this point of the year. Here is part 2 of the first link that discusses this point: Turfgrass Temperature Stress, Part 2.

Here is a graph from the past 24 hours (9am Thursday morning to 8am Friday morning). If you stepped outside after the quick burst of rain yesterday, you could feel the humidity in the air. Those weather conditions are ideal for the decline of turf health and the onset of pathogen activity. This graph shows the spike in the humidity (red line) after the rain (green bar) moved through. Thankfully, the humidity has dipped down again. As long as we can avoid the bursts of rain, and the humidity can stay low, we feel we will be able to fight the onset of disease activity.

This still leaves us with the problem of the high temperatures. We can manage the high temperatures much more easily with lower humidities. But, we do expect some yellowing to occur of the leaf blades. The normal green color that we have enjoyed this year will likely fade of the next ten days until cooler soil temperatures return.

June Sees A Little Rain: Dollar Spot, 1st Japanese Beetles, Anthracnose BSR, Peter's Billbug versus Kentucky Bluegrass and Tim is still saying Waitea

Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -

It was hard to keep a ballcap on a few days this week, whether near the striped turf of a baseball diamond (Cubs/Sox) or near the striped turf of a fairway (us). Hot wind meant turf ET climbed to outrageous levels, but our saving grace was rain which had made a dent on a dry landscape (0.5" last weekend for most of Chi). June's third week had brought some change. First, June 21 was hailed 'officially' as summer. Whatever. Second, high humidity returned. Drip, drip and that's not rain. Third, it was super-hot and Chicago scored more highs of 90-something. By Wednesday we had counted thirteen 90° days...and it wasn't even summer yet. Fourth, the good men I know as golf course superintendents began to look oven-baked? To lighten things I use small talk. "What's with the hair?" "You got dark all the sudden!" "Look, deep roots!" "Are you thirsty?"

So, how's your summer going? If you are a kid pool-side, you smile. If you are a golfer now experiencing ball roll speeds of your life, you smile. If you happen to be a superintendent you're taking it all in (pats on the back). But, an occasional observant club member has begun to notice something. The Super's smile lost some of it's (broad) character. June just became July, it's Hot!

Click here to view the June 22, 2012 Scouting Report.

Have a good weekend and we are about to catch another break (cool-down). Whew!

Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program
630-685-2307
dsettle@cdga.org
Weather Blog

Timothy A. Sibicky, MS
Manager of Turfgrass Research
630-685-2310
tsibicky@cdga.org
Research Blog

The Fireworks Extravaganza is this Sunday. Due to the celebration, the driving range tee and chipping area will be closed on Saturday, after the morning crowd has teed off, to begin preparation. The driving range tee and chipping area will not be available on Sunday morning.

This is not how divots should be taken.

"This should be required viewing for all members." That is the comment that was left on this post "Practice Tee and Divot Patterns" Our efforts to change the divot patterns on the practice tee this year have thus far been futile. The scattered divot pattern still prevails, and the the resulting wear. Something as simple as changing how a golfer takes divots on the practice tee will save wear. We addressed this in a few posts earlier this year, and one last year. Rather than retype all of the content, I will provide links to posts that have already been made:

Practice Tee and Divot Patterns

Practice Like a Pro

A new article from the USGA: Practice Like a Pro: Two simple adjustments to the way you practice will result in less wear and faster recovery of range tees.

The persistent warm and dry weather this year is beginning to show in the usual areas of cart traffic wear. The constant traffic on these areas and the resulting soil compaction leads to a shallower root system and a weaker plant. We have ropes placed to control cart traffic in these areas, but the golfer can help us by dispersing traffic patterns as they move around the course.

These two pictures show the traffic patterns of the carts on the course. It is evident in the top picture how concentrated the traffic is between the bunkers on 9 fairway. The weak turf in this area is a function of the cart traffic. The picture on the left shows the usual traffic pattern down the middle of the 8th fairway. Next time you are on the 8th fairway, look at the turf in the middle of the fairway and compare it to the turf on the left half of the fairway. As much as I want to believe the weaker turf in the middle is a result of relentless play from the middle of the fairway, my observations lead me to believe that cart traffic may be the offender. The turf on the left half is in much better condition due to the lack of traffic. Helping the turf in the middle is as simple as make a conscious effort to drive on the left half rather than the middle.

This picture illustrates how we are able to move the traffic patterns with the ropes. Even with the ropes up, we would still like golfer to try and disperse traffic from the usual pattern.

Areas where carts leave the cart path are notorious for traffic wear. If you see an area like this, and there is no rope, try to drive a little farther on the cart path before you make your way to the fairway. This will help these areas until we are able to change the ropes in that spot.

The west parking lot will be closed Tuesday morning to allow the painters to finish the lines. It should be open by 11:00am. After that, the process of sealing and painting the parking lots will be finished.

Dry Roughs Now Get Scary: Take-all, Waitea, No Dollar Spot, No Brown Patch, No Pythium Blight, Peter's Bent Fairway Drought, Tim says Bent Green Stress

Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -

It's dry. Weathermen are pulling out all the stops to impress us with a June (again). It turns out June 2012 is bone dry in Chicago and only 1988 (June 1-15) was drier. I can say little Sunshine Course's grass has never seen such dry (established c. 2001). Nevertheless, our turf health remains stellar, wherever irrigated, and the same is true at area courses. To now our temperatures have been good for cool-season turf. Hot at times, but we've enjoyed timely breaks with low humidity (Tue, Wed this week). Air temp lows of 40s greatly moderated our 2 inch soil temps. It means soils are back to 60s again after 74 degrees on June 11 in Lemont (warmest soil temp yet).

It means our best ever crop of cool-season turf roots will remain healthy...for now. Just like turf, dry conditions have meant good health and few diseases for woody ornamentals. Look at the roses, they peaked last weekend as did a few others in the landscape. Like the sweet scent of American linden trees in full bloom. Back to turf and lessons therein. Like a disease called Waitea still active on Poa annua when dry? Like take-all still affecting bentgrass fairways for decades? One thing I know for sure, it's going to get hot this summer. The extended 5 day high temperature forecast is something like 90s, 90s, 80s, 90s, 90s. On average that's an A if you're enrolled in class. If you're a golf course superintendent, hang on as June is about to become July.

Click here to view the June 15, 2012 Scouting Report.

Have a good weekend and, as best is possible, stay cool!

Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program
630-685-2307
dsettle@cdga.org
Weather Blog

Timothy A. Sibicky, MS
Manager of Turfgrass Research
630-685-2310
tsibicky@cdga.org
Research Blog

The frequent blog updates have dried up the same as the weather. As I attempt to break my recent trend, we will see if the weather breaks its own trend. The course is playing great. All of our projects planned for the spring have been finished and we have moved into our maintenance mode for the summer.

Dry has been the story over the past several weeks. The only measurable rain we have had since May 8th was 0.75 inches on May 31st. The gaps in the irrigation system are showing now, but the primary playing surfaces are in great shape.

More blog posts are on the way this week.

Our afternoon temperatures have been rising as the week goes on, but our morning temperatures have been cool. This has created some beautiful scenes in the morning when the sunrise shines through the mist coming off of the ponds. Yesterday I noticed mist coming off of a tree trunk. I set up the camera, but with the sun behind the tree, the video is not as clear as standing there watching it. The video is better in HD.

Cool Rain as June Begins: Take-all patch of bentgrass, Fairy ring on fairways, Wet Restarts Dollar Spot and Microdochium, and Tim says that 'W' Word Waitea

Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -

In a week we were the driest in quite some time - like several years. Of course, my eyes were on the turf and less than normal rain continued to be the look. The brownest looking lawns had appeared very early - it was May! Memorial Day weekend did the trick when a combination of heat and wind dropped a hammer on the landscape and maybe even your head if you manage portions of the outdoor landscape for a living. It was a big thump, but sprinklers and hoses lessened it into a thud (our 1st of the season). You see, last Sunday saw temperature highs approach 100° in Chicago, very unusual during any summer month up this way.

But, the best part of our recent 7 day story is that it had a silver lining (two parts). Part I: Long-awaited rain did arrive and it's timing was beyond good as rain has been kinda rare in May -March and April for that matter. Still, Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass continue to enjoy their deep roots of a 2012 spring without overly saturated soils and flooding. What about Poa did you say? Well, she's been looking a little yellowish. Part II: Then yesterday, things suddenly looked up for whimps like Poa annua given our high temp hit 50-some degrees. Seriously? So, here's to June, the month that lets us say SUMMER. Although we remain confused, on the exact season, our rain gauges are full (momentarily) and our faces are smiling (end-of-week-cool-break-thing).

Click here to view the June 1, 2012 Scouting Report.

This weekend, keep smiling, with your jacket on.

Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program
630-685-2307
dsettle@cdga.org
Weather Blog

Timothy A. Sibicky, MS
Manager of Turfgrass Research
630-685-2310
tsibicky@cdga.org
Research Blog

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