They have arrived! Yes, the grubs have finally turned up and I have found some excellent examples this week of efforts by our furry friends that love to dig and eat those juicy white grubs - it's a pity that the efforts lead to surfaces that remind me of Mars. Mapping the problem locations out this year is crucial to next year's planning and making sure that you are managing water properly

Rainfall managed to hit most of us in the last week including central Illinois who were still hitting temperatures above the 90 degree level. Temperatures seem to have moderated and hopefully soil temperatures will follow. Wrapping up club events and looking towards the winter education may be on most people's minds - make sure you get involved in the conferences and seminars - there is no better way to stay current on product safety and efficacy.

Click here to view the September 20, 2013 Scouting Report

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

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The greens have recovered from the scheduled aeration that took place last Tuesday.  8 days after aeration they are back to putting well.  We did not push them back to normal due to the forecasted heat.  The putting green has not been as rapid in its recovery.  The heat and traffic that the putting green has been subject to has delayed its recovery.  When the weather accommodates it, we will be able to fertilize the green and it will recovery shortly.

You will also see some white dots around the edge of the green.  This is the last part of the aeration process.  We will leave the outside pass on the greens for a few days, then use the dots to keep the collar a consistent width on all the greens.  The grass will grow out of the dot in a few days as well.  Refer to this post (Soils and Water: Greens) to review the benefits of aeration.  8 days to recover during high heat is a small cost to the benefits of this practice.

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Finish strong' may be the quote of the moment. Many of you have had a great summer and really gotten through unscathed or relatively compared to the last three years. Golf may have declined a little after the holiday and you are either in the middle of aeration or getting close to it. I think however it is time to consider that finishing strong and making sure that none of the aggressive dollar spot that can pit quickly here in the fall in Chicago takes hold. Along similar lines ensuring that you have all materials for snow mold protection in the barn or at least plans to put them there may be also a good idea - summer has been too nice so winter might have the returning bite!

In saying that, the turn towards fall and cooler temperatures will have many of you exhaling and looking forward to other activities such as education seminars, networking events and getting the work week to somewhere under 60 hours! It is also a time of year to look back on how you went through the year and what adjustments you think you will need to make note of going into next year. Drainage maybe one area that many people will look at while irrigation systems may be another!

Click here to view the September 6, 2013 Scouting Report

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

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