Naperville Country Club Green Department

Winter Education Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:42:00 +0000

With most golf courses under snow (during a normal winter), and the day-to-day tending of the turf and soil completed, winter is an opportunity to take advantage of several education events. We have participated in a few, hosted one and are preparing for another. December was the ITF (Illinois Turf Foundation) Winter Education, which we both made presentations. January was a Wee-One fundraiser and a day of education. February we hosted the Chicagoland Forum for the Chicagoland Association of Golf Course Superintendents (the picture on right shows the ballroom setup for the event). The Chicagoland Forum has been an annual event at the Club for close to 20 years. Yesterday was the Assistants Winter Workshop and the Golf House in Lemont. The week of February 27th is the GCSAA Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas, which Tim and Steven will both be attending.

Tim in the hot seat at the ITF Winter Education with L-R Chuck Anfield, Heritage Bluffs; John Gurke, Aurora Country Club; Jim Canning, White Eagle; Scott Pavalko, Cog Hill Country Club.

Steven giving his presentation at the ITF Winter Education.

These education events are usually one or two days. The speakers are fellow superintendents, researches, professors, consultants and any other authority on a range of topics covering the management of the golf course. The Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas offers many educational opportunities over 5 days, but also a trade show for vendors and manufacturers to presents their products. We will be out of the office during the week of February 27th, but we will keep updated on what we are doing and seeing.

Winter Equipment Repairs

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:23:00 +0000

The other big project for the winter months involves maintenance on the equipment. With the equipment not being used on a daily basis, it gives our mechanic, Greg, time to perform a more thorough inspection of all the moving parts. Greg also spends time sharpening all of the cutting units on all equipment. Our equipment fleet is new within the last 4 years, so much of the maintenance is still preventative.

Having equipment that is sharp for cutting the grass is very important for maintaining the highest quality turf. Through the winter Greg spends most of his time in our grinding room making sure all of the cutting units are ready to go for the spring. This picture shows one of our two grinders used for sharpening reels. At this point in the winter, all of the green, tee and fairway mowers have been sharpened and are ready to go for the spring.

Refinishing Course Products

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:33:00 +0000

The main objective of our crew members through the winter months is cleaning repairing and refinishing the course products. This included all benches, ball washers, trash cans and tee markers on the tees; the wooden bag stands around the clubhouse, cooler boxes, flag sticks, and cups, etc.

The process involves cleaning the surface, sanding, repairing anything that may be broken and putting on a finish. We paint the ball washers and trash cans to match. We use an oil to refinish the wood products-benches, flag sticks, and some trash cans. We are behind this year with these jobs as a result of the projects that were done in the clubhouse. While our crew is working on the course products, the mechanic is doing the same thing with our equipment. More on this later in the week...

Clubhouse Projects Finished

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:09:00 +0000

With the clubhouse being closed in January, we take that time to complete a thorough cleaning and any projects that need to be done. This year was particularly busy in January. Several projects were completed on schedule and the clubhouse is now ready for regular member service. Come out this weekend for Dining on Friday and Saturday night, brunch Sunday, or the Super Bowl Party Sunday night and see the completed projects.

New carpet was installed in the front hallway, the Grill on the Green, and by the fireplace. 10 of the 12 HVAC units on the roof were replaced. The ceiling in the Pump Room was replaced. The ceilings by the fireplace and in the front hallway were replaced. And, the hardwood floor by the door into Club 21 was replaced.

Here is a list of posts that highlight the projects in progress:

Ceilings In The Clubhouse

New Ceiling Going Up In The Clubhouse

Lots Happening At The Clubhouse

And some videos were made of the work also:

January Golf

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:59:00 +0000

If the weather is going to continue being unusually warm, I will continue writing about it. I did notice a few golfers on the course today enjoying the warm weather. The course is soft from the continued melting snow, but for January, the conditions for golf are not horrible. If you want to come and play the rest of the week, we do ask that you stay off the greens.

We have fielded a few questions about how this mild winter will impact the golf course. As of now, there is no abnormal turf conditions to expect. As always, this can change quickly, but the weather forecast through the next 10 days shows 30s and 40s. At this rate, we will be mowing greens by the end of February.

Lots Happening At The Clubhouse

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:37:00 +0000

There are many projects happening at the clubhouse this week in an effort to be ready for regular business soon. All these pictures were taken today.

The remaining HVAC units are going on top of the clubhouse.

Painting has started on the new ceiling in the Pump Room.

New carpet is going down in the fireplace room.

New carpet is down in the Grill on the Green.

New hardwood is going down in Club 21 by the doors, but I did not get a picture.

Our guys are taking a break from refinishing course supplies to polish the floors in the kitchen.

I will have some video up soon of the projects being done.

Fantastic Winter Conditions

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:41:00 +0000

We received at least 8 inches of snow yesterday. The hills are ready for sledding, a cross country ski track is groomed and the ice is ready for skating.

Ice Rink Update

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:11:00 +0000

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.

Video Of The ESA Burn

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +0000

I have uploaded a short video of the ESA burn that was completed last week. This will give you an idea of the process used on all of the areas on the course.

Some Snow, Ice Rink Update and Clubhouse Projects

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:03:00 +0000

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.

ESA Burn Completed

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:37:00 +0000

The recent warm and dry weather did give us the opportunity to revisit the ESA(Environmentally Sensitive Area) burn that was unsuccessful in early December(ESA Burn - Fail). During the first attempt, there existed too much moisture for an effective burn to be completed. Leaves and vegetation at the edges of the ESAs would light, but the fire would not carry towards the middle of the areas. The smoke in the pictures from the post in December shows the amount of moisture that was still in these areas.

Wednesday's dry conditions with a light breeze was sufficient for getting this project completed before the spring. Our lack of snow and abundance of warm sunny weather sufficiently dried the remaining plant material to burn with little effort. The light breeze was able to move the flames through the canopy to ensure a thorough burn of the surface.

The burn is done to remove the dead stalks and plant material to provide an open surface for the seedlings in the spring. We try to do this every 16-18 months.

New Ceilings Going Up In The Clubhouse

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:05:00 +0000

The new ceiling tiles are being put in place in the fireplace room and the hallway. The cutouts for the lights were made first so we would be able to get lights back on in the room, then the full tiles were put in place. The pieces that need to be trimmed will be done this week.

A few other projects are being done while the ceiling tiles were down. The track the ceiling tile sits in was painted, and a few lights were moved around. Also, some changes are being made to the music system, which won't be noticeable, but should make it easier to use. We hope to be done with this as soon as possible. A contractor will be in to renovate the ceiling in the Pump room, then new carpets will be put down in the fireplace room, Grill on the Green, and hallways.

Ceilings In The Clubhouse

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

We will be working on a few projects in the clubhouse over the coming weeks. Changing out ceiling tile like we did last year is the first project being tackled. This will be done in the room with the fireplace, and in the front hallway. The ceiling in the Pump room will be done by a contractor later this month. After the ceilings are completed new carpets will be installed by the fireplace, in the Grill on the Green and the from hallway.

The Ballroom is being used as a cache for all of the furniture from the rooms that are having work done to them.

Here is a quick video of Torres, Emilio and Mario taking down the ceiling by the fireplace.

2011: Another Year

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:44:00 +0000

I suspect the majority of superintendents in the Chicagoland area are happy to watch 2011 in the rear-view mirror. This past season is not one that we want to revisit too often, so I will do it with just this one post. Here is a video of clips and pictures that will take you through what we did this past season, and some of the information that is on the blog about it. The video is long, but it was a long season. The subtitles refer to a blog post and the date it was posted for more information. The posts are also listed in the order they appear in the video at the bottom of the post.

**The original version with sound was blocked. This is the same video without sound.**

Ice Rink Is Nearing Completion - January 31
Ice Rink Problems - February 7
It Snowed - February 2
Tim Contributes To On Course Magazine - March 21
Tim Wins Leo Feser Award From GCSAA - September 23
The Report From Farm Links - March 28
Greens Are Opening Thursday, March 31st - March 30
Cart Path Is Finished On 8 - April 9
Work On The Pond At 11 Tee - April 12
Dramatic Changes At 3 Green - April 13
New Drain In 1 Fairway - May 3
New Drain Started On 15 Approach - May 11
Wildlife In 17 Pond - May 14
Preparing For The Invitational - June 7
Lots Of Rain Today - June 9
Invitational Preparation - June 11
More Arborvitaes Near 1 Green - June 20
Some Dry Weather Forecasted - June 29
Setting Up For Fireworks - June 28
Latest Storm In Pictures - July 13
Deep In Data - July 21
Special Weather Statement - July 18
Courses Cleaning Up Today - July 25
Flood Injury And Pythium Blight - August 10
Disease In The Rough - August 3
Started Some Seeding - August 30
Rumble In The Maintenance Facility - September 14
The Lightning Strike - September 14
Dollar Spot - September 15
Starting Some Tree Removal - September 21
Drain In 14 Fairway - October 6
Drainage Project In 11 Fairway - November 2
Back To Work On 11 Fairway - November 15
ESA Burn - FAIL - December 6

Warm Weather?

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:24:00 +0000

The unseasonably warm weather we have been experiencing is showing on the course. The color of the grass is holding its green later into the year. The soil temperatures, rain and sun have created some growth of the grass also. On a walk today, the fairways have noticeably grown since our last mowing of the year. It is not hard to find patches in the fairways like this patch in the picture. Of all this talk about unseasonably warm weather, last year at this time we had 50 degree weather and almost an inch of rain. However, we had already received about 8 inches of snow by this time.

This picture shows how green the grass is in the fairways.

Water Leak At The Clubhouse

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:12:00 +0000

The water was off to the clubhouse for a short time yesterday and into today. A leak in the pipe between the well and clubhouse had developed. We noticed something was wrong and had been troubleshooting the problem for several days. The pipe was dug up yesterday when the leak was revealed in a fitting coming out of the well. It has been fixed and the water in the clubhouse is back to normal.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:39:00 +0000

The frost on the ground this morning looks like all the white Christmas we can hope for. Temperatures in the 40 look like a regular thing over the next week. No news on the ice rink for a few more weeks. We are working on a "year in review" post that I hope to have up by the end of the year. Here are a few pictures of the course this morning. All of us at the Green Department wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Winter Equipment Maintenance

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Our annual equipment maintenance has been underway for a few weeks now. We started with a thorough cleaning after the equipment is done with its work on the golf course. Once that is completed we bring it inside for greasing, cleaning and changing of filters and fluids, then sharpening the blades. All of the equipment has been cleaned and we are moving on to the detailed maintenance for each piece of equipment. Here, Mario is removing the blades from one of the Sidewinders that we use to mow around the fairway and between the tee and fairway.

Here are a few of our reel cutting units that have been removed and are ready for Greg to rebuild and sharpen for next year.

ITF Winter Education

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:31:00 +0000

Today we are at the Midwest Golf House in Lemont for the first of 2 days of education. Tim will be part of a panel this morning and Steven will be speaking with a group about using social media to communicate with golfers.

Watching The Watchers

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:52:00 +0000

We have Google Analytics set up for the blog which allows us to watch the traffic that come through the blog. Here is a list of the 5 most popular post that are on the blog.

1. VERTICUTTING - From May 16th, 2010

2. INVITATIONAL PREPARATION - From June 11th, 2011

3. RUMBLE IN THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY - From September 14, 2011

4. CICAGA KILLER WASPS - From July 29th, 2010

5. DISEASE IN THE ROUGH - From August 3rd, 2011

Ice Rink Progress

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:27:00 +0000

The ice rink has been assembled, filled, and is beginning to freeze for the year. We can not speculate yet on when the rink will be ready for use. We just have to play the waiting game at this point.

Our trials and tribulations of our first at-bat with the ice rink last year were well documented.

Ice Rink Is Nearing Completion

Ice Rink Problems

We were much farther through winter before we decided to put one in. Though it was constructed properly, our timing could have been better. A few days after it was constructed the blizzard came through, and the weight of the snow on the partially frozen ice forced water up from underneath creating a slushy mixture which them froze. We were unable to get the surface smooth again.

This year the ice is much farther along that is ever was last year. We still have pockets in the ice that are not frozen and will need more time for the surface to freeze solid. We will then work at putting a smooth coat on the surface to make it ready for skating. Keep checking back for more updates.

First Snow Of The Season

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

We spent this morning removing the first snow from the sidewalks this season. It was not a lot, and with the sun out today, will likely melt off quick. This year doesn't deviate from our usual schedule of 1st-2nd week of Dec. for seeing snow. In 2009 the first snow was Dec. 1st, and 2010 the first snow was Dec. 6th.

Our winter preparation checklist is complete for the year. We are now in the process of beginning our seasonal maintenance on the equipment, starting with a thorough cleaning.

The drainage project on 11 fairway is now complete. A heavy layer of topdressing was applied to the fairway when the project was completed. One objective for the heavy topdressing is to protect the turf through the winter (like was done for the greens). The sod that was laid will not have a chance to root this fall, so any extra protection will help. This fairway was very heavily traffic with our equipment during this project as well. This topdressing will aide the recovery of any weakened plants in the spring. This picture shows a turf blanket down the middle which will remain through the winter. The purpose of the blanket is the same as the heavy topdressing. The blanket just add more protection.

ESA Burn - FAIL

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

The first attempt at burning the ESAs on Friday was unsuccessful. The ESA areas are not far enough into their dormancy for them to burn effectively. The amount of smoke coming from the ESA in this picture shows there is too much moisture in them to burn the way we need them to.

We consult with a company called Pizzo and Associates for all of our management of these areas, and this company also performs the burn. We will continue to monitor these areas to decide when an appropriate time will be. After the rain this past weekend, it will most likely be spring before the ESAs will be ready.

Here is a link to past posts about ESA burn:

ESA Burn

ESA Burn Almost Complete

ESA Burn Completed

Greens Are Closed For The Season

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:57:00 +0000

This past weekend was the last weekend for the greens this season. We put the temporary cups in play today, and ask that you avoid traffic on the greens until the spring. During the cold weather, we do not want to subject the turf to any stress that it will not be able to recover from while dormant. Also, traffic on frozen or partially frozen greens can cause significant tissue and/or root damage.

Here is a link to a good article from the USGA Green Section about traffic on frost or frozen ground: Playing Par With Jack Frost

We are also applying a layer of topdressing to the closed greens today. This topdressing will be slightly heavier that the regular topdressing we apply through the golfing season. The purpose of this topdressing is to act as a blanket for the greens through the winter. The sand will provide a layer of protection from the wind when the greens are not covered with snow.

Update On 11 Fairway Drainage Project

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:42:00 +0000

11 fairway is slowing beginning to look like it did before we began throwing soil with the trencher 4 weeks ago. 3 days of rain delayed work the second week into the project, and rain with Thanksgiving last week delayed more progress. Our original projection of 2 weeks turned into 4 weeks.

Other than the weather delays, the project did go as planned. We did add 2 more drainage basins to the originally planned 2 for a total of 4 basins on the main line of the drain pipe. All laterals went in as planned. One irrigation line was broken during the work, and that occurred while trying to dig around the pipe by hand - a notable accomplishment considering irrigation lines were crossed more that 30 times!

We are currently finishing up sodding the laterals, and anticipate having this project completed and ready for winter by the end of the week. We are already beginning to see the benefits of the drainage tile. This fairway was showing none of the usual signs of receiving 1.25" of rain this past weekend.