Naperville Country Club Green Department: weather

Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts

1.8" in each of the last 2 days has transitioned our focus from maintenance to clean up. Our 4 day total has reached 4.22" of rain since Friday morning. It will take a few days to dry down the course to allow us to fine tune our maintenance practices again. It looks like we could have a couple of days with no rain, but it is back in the forecast for this weekend. We will start the day with NO CARTS, and will re-evaluate at noon to see if there is a possibility for carts in the afternoon.

This bunker represents a typical clean effort after a heavy rain. Any debris or soil that get washed into the bottom of the bunker from the heavy rain is removed, the the sand is pushed back up to the edges. Our bunkers drain very well, so significant washouts are typically not a problem, but this little bit of clean up still requires a good effort from the crew.

Other than the storm cleanup and some lingering standing water, it has started out to be a nice day.

The flowers are displaying the unfortunate consequence of dealing with a variety of weather conditions. The hail from Monday night has left the flowers tattered and torn, but they will survive.

We are will be planting the flowers around our flag pole today. However, the first step is to remedy a soil problem that has developed through the years. Every winter when snow is removed, the circle drive receives a large pile of snow. Usually, the snow has salt mixed in with it from the previous time the circle drive was salted. Over time, this has resulted in excessive amounts of salts in the soil, which has led to a decline in the flowers through the season. This year we are starting by removing the soil that is in the circle drive and replacing it with fresh soil. After some warm weather and rain, which are both in the forecast, the flowers should get a good jump start for the year.

We were fortunate to miss the bulk of the storms on Sunday, but did get a quick shot of rain, wind and hail yesterday afternoon. This picture from yesterday afternoon shows the sun shining with the storms moving through. 0.46 inches of rain yesterday afternoon and 0.67 through the day on Sunday was a nice set of rains to replenish the soil. We were ready for some rain, as things were beginning to get a bit dry.

The hail we received with the storm yesterday was impressive. It looked like a covering of snow for a few moments before the hail melted.

The hail was about marble size or a little larger.

The winter weather extremes are still the talk of Chicago area courses (especially with another blanket of snow today!), and likely will be for several more weeks while courses tend to the recovery process. In this week's CDGA Turf Scouting Report posted yesterday, we learned the NOAA has declared this the coldest winter on record for Chicago. I do not see anybody lining up to dispute that yet! Several resources from several organizations have been produced over the past month regarding winter damage and the accompanying recovery process. This is a result of the widespread winter damage across the upper midwest. Courses from the east coast to Detroit to Chicago to Milwaukee are experiencing varying levels of winter damage. Reports of reseeding greens and fairways are not hard to come by.

Here is a short list of recent publications on winter damage:

CDGA Winter Issues letter
Cool-Season Turf Winter Kill Potential
Winter-Weary Golfers need to be Patient
Recovery Will Be Part of the Preparation for the Season
MSU Ice Damage and Winter Kill bulletin
USGA Webcast: Severe Winter Concerns
MI Ice and Recovery Seminar Summary
Winter kill 2014: What to do now

We have not been immune to winter's wrath. Evidence of the extreme weather is in our fairways. Most obvious to me is the areas that have been damaged are areas that receive a longer duration of shade through the day. This results in a weaker plant that will be less tolerant of weather extremes. These areas also have higher populations of annual bluegrass (poa), which is less tolerant of weather extremes than bentgrass.

This picture clearly shows the the greatest area of damaged turf resides in the portion of the fairway that receives the most shade. These trees are lining the south side of the fairway.

These areas of the fairways that exhibit the greatest level of damage have been over seeded in an attempt to expedite recovery. Expect these areas to be roped off for some time until a decent stand of grass can be established. These areas include spots in 2, 4, 5, 8 and 12 fairway.

The greens and tees on the course have come through the winter very well. The benefits of the recent renovation are evident in these areas. The greens and tees have predominately bentgrass which is showing its winter hardiness. The 7th green is thinner to start the year. It is no coincidence that this green had the longest duration of ice cover through the winter resulting in stresses, even on the bentgrass. We will gauge the necessary recover efforts for this green as grass begins to grow.

The spring will still be progressing slowly. We will not be ramping up our manicuring efforts until the grass begin growing at a reasonable rate. Though the grass is certainly greening up, not much is growing yet. 40s for highs and 20s for lows does not help any. But, it looks like we will be back into the 60s by weeks end!

The prolonged harsh winter weather has prompted the flow of information regarding implications to playing surfaces this coming spring. Here is and update from the CDGA:

Winter Turfgrass Update

As we hopefully manage to drag our selves out of winter over the next month we will start to see an uncovering of what the snow and ice has left for many of us. Concern has been rising amongst many of you for many reasons as the thaw begins. The depth of snow has varied of course and this is mainly impacted by wind and surfaces in exposed locations such as hillsides, open sites and southern facing areas may be more prone to the thinner layer of snow. The depth of snow has not been of huge concern however - the length of time it has stuck around however is maybe more problematic. The predominant turfgrasses in the region have different tolerances to the time of cover as well as temperature. The other issues are freezing and ice which, have two different effects will become more apparent as we go through the early to mid spring.

Click here to view the Winter Turfgrass Update

As always if you have a question or query please do not hesitate to ask and you can call or email.

Ed Nangle PhD
Director of Turfgrass Programs
Chicago District Golf Association
www.cdgaturf.org
Follow us on Twitter @TurfResearch

Regardless of which weather forecast you monitor, it will be hot over the next 7 days. Some show temps being hotter than others, but they all show no rain-which is the most important part for us. Being able to control how much moisture is in the soil and on the surface is terribly important through these stretches. Most of the forecasts are showing lower humidities which is good. With this stretch comes the usual warnings of the potential for the adjustment of maintenance practices that will favor turf health while the surfaces experience temperatures that are beyond its normal adaptability.

The end of the 10 day forecast shows the potential for temperatures to be back in the mid 50s by middle of next week. I have read some forecasters who are predicting upper 40s after Labor Day with potential for frost by mid September!

The weather forecasters have their special weather statements out for the week, so it is time to have ours. The most difficult stretch of weather so far this year is upon us, and we are doing what we can to keep the grass as healthy as possible. During these weather stretches, if you feel uncomfortable in the hot and humid weather, the grass feels the same way. We try to keep the grass as healthy as possible to make it through this type of weather. So far so good, but 2 more days is a long time in this heat.

Working to manage moisture in this type of heat is critical to turf health. I have heard some comments after we had 0.30 inch of rain Monday like "I bet this really helped the course." Actually, any excess rain during hot stretch is very detrimental to our efforts to keep a healthy playing surface. The first picture shows a few patches of disease, this particular one arrises during hot and wet periods. The picture on the left shows our efforts to remove moisture by dragging dew in the mornings.

The playing surfaces are healthy and in good condition which is our number 1 effort for getting through these type of stretches. If you see some things different on the course this week, it may only be temporary while we work through the heat.

We have had a few rounds of severe weather already this year. More is predicted for this afternoon and evening. We hope the little damage we have received to this point in the year will continue through. With these rounds of weather, it is time to remind you of our lightning detection system and what the signals mean.

Sirens are located on the top of the clubhouse, and near the green on hole 13. When the sirens sound one long blast, all golfers are required to leave to the course and take shelter in the Halfway House or the Clubhouse. It is not an alert that means watch for bad weather. It means lightning has been detected nearby and it is dangerous to be outside.

Three short blasts from the siren means "all clear". Just because it has stopped raining and it appears the storm has passed does not mean the lightning danger has passed as well. Golfers are required to wait for the "all clear" signal before they can return to the course.

It has been a rainy couple of weeks on the golf course. 4.7 inches of rain since last Tuesday morning, and we are watching rain build on the radar for tonight. Tornado watches are already out for areas west of Chicago. Our schedule has been rearrange the last 10 days, but somehow we have managed to get things mowed. Timing has been delayed, and grass has been tall, but it is still getting cut.

The rain, with a little bit of sun, has really greened the course. With the good comes the bad-the rough is growing and is very thick. It is in the tail end of the roughs most prolific growth cycle of the year, so I suspect the continuous searching for golf balls will come to and end. This has also been one of the wettest springs on record, which has helped to thicken the rough as well. A heavy dose of rain tonight may push us over that old record.

Through it all, the course has come through the spring well and is in good shape for the start of summer. Summer flowers will be showing up next week. More drainage work is planned, but has been put on hold due to the rain.

Let's hope the rain tonight and tomorrow is light so this weekends Member-Member will be dry.

Monday started the week as one of the driest days of the year, but the following days have been some of the wettest. Storms on Monday night into Tuesday morning left 2.05 inches of rain at the course. Water was across the 16th fairway and running behind the 14th green for the 2nd time this year. By the end of the day, the water was down and the course was in good shape. However, storms Tuesday night brought another 0.60 inches on Wednesday morning and 0.50 inches through the day Wednesday. This brought the total to 3.15 inches and has left the course very wet. Carts have not been allowed yesterday or today and the only hope for carts on Thursday is if we do not get anymore rain.

We were forced to repair bunkers on Tuesday morning as well as repair a few wash outs of the cart paths. Other than the rain, the course has exhibited little other storm damage aside from the tree on the right side of 9 fairway. A large limb fell on Monday night. It is unclear exactly why this limb failed with the lack of tree debris elsewhere, but there was evidence of some rot from moisture in the crotch of the branch. This limb has been cleaned.

These rains have also hindered our ability to get equipment on the course. We still have plans to get the rough cut down before the weekend and have the course back to its usual condition, but extra rain will have to avoid us.

A short video of the flooding on the course yesterday.

The storm system last night brought with it 4.0 inches of rain. More rain is coming today. I have never seen this much rain on the course before. The course will be closed until further notice.

One nice thing is the flooding is confined to a very small portion of the course. This makes clean-up easier. However, this will take several days to get the course back in shape after it dries enough to get back out. Here are some pictures:

The greens will be open for play tomorrow, Saturday, March 30th, after any possible frost delay. The course will still be in its winter condition. The bunkers will not be raked and will not have rakes in them. Also, no course accessories will be on the course, no halfway house and no carts will be available. With the forecasted temperatures, it still looks like it will be a few weeks before we will be able to do any maintenance on a regular schedule.

It seems like a long time coming, but on average, we are right on track. Here is a chart of the opening dates since 1989 (2007 is not included due to the renovation project). There is certainly no pattern or trend, but the average opening date is March 26th.

It is still amazing to look back and see the contrast to last year. This picture is from March 29th last year. All the grass was green and blooms were on the trees.

See you on the greens Saturday!

There has been no weather this winter that has caused any harm to the course, and up to this point, the course is in good shape. However, the wild weather swings over the past week and coming days will expose the course to its highest potential for damage this winter season. This picture was taken on the 25th when we had single digit temperatures (up from negative temperatures on 22nd). This past weekend it started raining on Sunday and we are nearing 2 inches of rain since then.

Even more unusual than 2 inches of rain in January was record high temperatures in the 60s yesterday. This has left the course very wet with some standing water and the ponds are overflowing in the usual areas. Temperatures in the teens are forecasted for tonight and negative temperatures for Thursday night. If we see negative temperatures on Thursday night, that will make a 125 degree round trip in 10 days with 2 inches of rain in the middle. Very unusual and leaves the potential for problems.

This picture shows overflow from the pond on 17 to the 16th fairway. This water, and other areas that are saturated, is what we would like to have more opportunity to drain before temperatures dip below freezing today. Potential damage from this scenario is freeze damage which was addressed in the post: Winter On The Course: Freeze Injury. Please check the linked post, it goes into more detail about freeze injury.

The only areas on the greens and tees that had standing water was the valley on 12 green, which was no surprise. This morning we did remove a strip of sod from the green to better drain the extra standing water before it began to freeze. We laid the sod to the side and will return it to the green later.

This picture shows the removed strip and the water removed from the surface.

These weather patterns have many courses scrambling to remove any water they can. We have done what we can, now we will have to wait and to see what may come of it.

The warm weather is going to continue this week as 3 days near 60 degrees are in the forecast. The course will be open and cart use has been extended to Sunday. We do still plan to stop carts and close the greens on Monday, November 26th. This could change if night time temperatures stay above freezing, but the extended forecast is not showing that will be the case.

2012 has been an extremely hot year, and this weeks temperatures are continuing that trend. Last week I attended the 60th Turf Clinic at Medinah Country Club. The Turf Clinic is the annual meeting for the Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents, and consists of a day of education. Naturally, many of the topics related to the excessive heat that a large portion of the country experienced this year. This graph shows the variation from the mean temperature of all years from 1895 through October of this year. The striking thing is not that 2012 is above the rest, but how far above the previous 5 hottest years. With this weeks temperatures, I would assume that line will remain the same distance above. Dr. Settle, who puts out the Turf Scouting Reports each week through the season presented this graph and the following graphs that show the periods of hot weather through the summer.

With the early spring warmth that came in March and this warm stretch now, it has been a long golfing season for the course. Put on top of that the hottest year on record along with one of the driest and it becomes a VERY long golfing season for the course. The course and the crew are ready for some snow.

It's not news anymore that spring, (or summer?) came early this year. 9 straight days of record temperatures has brought the grass to a stage that we would usually see in late April or early May. The weather has come 4 weeks ahead of schedule, which has left us behind - on a relative basis. The greens, tees and fairways have all been mowed multiple times, we have mowed some of the rough, and have already needed to make a spray as a result of the warmer temperatures. We have been forced to do this with our early spring crew, which is smaller than we will have 4 week from now. Last year greens were mowed for the first time on March 30th and tees, approaches and fairways were mowed the first time the following day. A more normal pattern of mowing is once a week on fairways and tees through April. We have been forced to use our labor to keep up with the mowing this year rather than our normal opening procedure. We are making our way through the bunkers now, and getting the spring flowers planted. Tee accessories, beverage stations and other course supplies will be out on the course soon. This is one of the earliest springs we have had in 25 years, so come out and enjoy the conditions.

Here is a chart I created to illustrate the difference in temperatures from this year to last year. The 2012 high/low temperatures are in red, and the 2011 high/low temperatures are in blue. The string of 80 degree days for highs is obvious, but what brought the course progress along faster is the low temperatures. This majority of the low temperatures this year, were higher than last year's high temperatures. This allowed the grass to break dormancy and begin growing much quicker. The 10 day forecast shows the unusually warm weather will continue with several days near 70. If we were going to have 9 straight days of record high temperatures, I'm glad it happened in March and not July or August. Let's hope mother nature gets all the warmer than normal weather out of the system before then.

We are not giving up on the ice rink yet. We put down the first grooming layer of the season today. This is nothing more than a light layer applied with a hose and nozzle. We are hoping to do this twice tomorrow. After that, we think it will be ready to skate on.

Here is a quick look at the 10-day forecast. The rink should be ready for this weekend, and we are hoping the rink does not melt too much with the sun and warmer temperatures.

The crew spent this morning cleaning the parking lots and sidewalks of the biggest snow of the season. We received about 5-6". There was wind with the storm that created some deeper drifts. This storm also brought with it the coldest temperatures of the season, with near 0 degree F expected for tonight.

The ice rink will not be ready again this weekend. It is still not frozen through. Once it is frozen through, we will need a day to groom the ice smooth to be ready to skate on. The freeze and thaw and snow, has created a bumpy surface. We are not able to walk across the ice yet. Rain and mid 40s is forecasted for Monday, which could delay us more.

The ceilings in the hallway and fireplace room have been completed. You can watch two short videos of the work on those ceilings on YouTube:

Removing fireplace room ceiling

Replacing fireplace room ceiling

The ceiling in the Pump room is in the process of being torn out.

New drywall will be put up and painted in place of the old tile ceiling.

Watch for updates next week on the ceiling in the Pump room. New heating units will be installed on the roof next week also. The units will be disconnected on Monday. A crane will be here Tuesday to remove the old ones from the roof and put the new ones on.

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