Naperville Country Club Green Department

Drastic Changes Underway On The Entrance Drive

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 00:56:00 +0000

The major changes to the entrance drive landscape are underway. The first step is to remove the existing plant material, then regrading and prep for the new plant material. The trees have been removed and the stumps will be soon to follow.

It is a drastic change having the old trees removed. The Clubhouse is now visible from Chicago Ave. New trees will be planted along each side of the drive. The new trees will show a bright bloom in the spring and fantastic color in the fall. The new trees will provide a great look all season long. The details of the new landscape with provide a great look day or night as well, as light will highlight each tree on both sides of the drive.

This initial change is very dramatic and shocking at first sight. This is part of the process to a new beautiful first impression for all members and guests.

We will keep you updated at each step of the process.

Progress on the New Bunkers

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 21:02:00 +0000

The first changes to the course since the renovation are underway. The "winter" weather has been fantastic and it has allowed us to make great progress. The four new bunkers have taken shape and drainage and finish work is the next step. We will continue to work on these as the weather allows, which appears to be a few more days.

Hole 11

The bunker on hole 11 was the first one shaped. As the bunkers we dug on holes 10 and 11, the soil was moved to hole 2 to create the mound needed for the new bunker there.

Hole 10

The two new bunkers on the right side of hole 10 will provide a dramatic new look. Soil removed from these bunkers was also moved to the new mounding on hole 2.

Hole 2

The new bunker on hole 2 will be on the right side of the approach. The mounding from the bunker that is currently there was extended to create the mounding for the new bunker.

The rough work has been completed. The next step is cutting the edges and installing drainage. This will be accomplished as the weather allows through the winters. We have been fortunate to accomplish this much work in December and will take advantage of any additional weather we receive.

CDGA Turf Scouting Report, July 3rd

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 16:33:00 +0000

For many of us as we head into the Fourth of July, a feeling of good fortune should abound. Temperatures have saved us from almost complete disaster after all the precipitation we have received. Many people will have noticed in the news that June was the wettest June on record in Illinois since records began in 1895. If you didn’t get washed away or notice that carts were not in use as much then you were not at the golf course! Fortunately, temperatures for many of us were not in the extreme heat situation and so while soils are somewhat saturated – potential for large scale root and patch diseases has been limited.
Masked chafers have arrived and presumably the adults are in the process of producing offspring as we speak. The offspring of course will become those lovely grubs that the skunks and raccoons love to dine on while turning the golf course into a plowed field. The drying conditions that are predicted over the holiday weekend may prove to be vital as we have high temperatures in the forecast for early next week. An opportunity exists next week to also see some of the great senior golfers as the Encompass Championship rolls into town - the start of the tournament season here in the area. Venting should have occurred this week as many of us drew breath after all the rainfall and the arrival of drier weather conditions. Etiolation has certainly arrived and managers now have to judge best practices as far as how hard they can push surfaces. The drying conditions and cooler temperatures over the holiday weekend will only serve to put us in a better situation going into some forecasted heat next week. Enjoy the holiday weekend and get ready for a busy month!

Click here to view the July 3, 2015 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

Beginning To Dry

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 14:06:00 +0000

We were spared by the weather patterns last night. We received no new rain and very little wind. The excess moisture that has persisted for several days is beginning to recede into the soil, and firmer playing surfaces are beginning to present themselves once again. A good chance of rain exists tomorrow night, but then dry weather is in the forecast until next week.

The staff has done an excellent job of keeping the bunkers in good shape through all of the rain. Our next task will be to get caught up on rough, which we should be able to do later today and tomorrow.

Our other tasks this week will be prepping for the Fireworks Extravaganza on Sunday. Hopefully the current weather forecast holds for those events this weekend.

From the USGA: You Can't Be Wispy When You Are All Wet

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 17:29:00 +0000

By Bob Vavrek, agronomist, Central Region

The entire hillside was seeded to fine fescue. Notice the wispy, sparse turf in the dry soil that surrounds dense, weedy grasses in a wet spot caused by a single drain tile that exits an adjacent housing development.

Many areas of the Central Region have been inundated with heavy rainfall during the past few weeks. The acute effects of severe flooding with respect to fatalities and property damage are usually well documented in the nightly news. The immediate impact of flooding that occurs on a golf course is obvious because erosion and silt deposits are seen just as soon as the water recedes. However, some of the side-effects of heavy rainfall that caused the floods are not so obvious.

A popular practice at an increasing number of golf facilities is to convert a portion of the maintained rough to tall grass areas. These low input naturalized areas still require annual maintenance, but the ultimate cost of managing a tall grass area will be less than the cost of maintaining a rough that is mowed at least once a week, fertilized, and treated for weeds and insect pests.
Your average golfer prefers a thin, wispy stand of turf in a natural area as well as an opportunity to find an errant shot and, depending on the lie, the opportunity to advance the ball towards the hole. Golfers have been grousing a bit more than usual about dense, unplayable tall grass lately on Course Consulting Service visits, and the weather is mostly to blame for their angst.

The fact is that once the turf is well established, most tall grass areas perform best when they are kept as dry as possible. Fine fescue natural areas are particularly susceptible to the encroachment of coarse, weedy grasses and broadleaf weeds under wet soil conditions. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to keep the recent heavy rainfall out of the tall grass.

On the other hand, an extra effort can be made to keep irrigation off the tall grass areas. Full-circle sprinklers that extend coverage into the natural areas can be switched to part-circle sprinklers, and you may find sprinklers deep in the roughs that can be eliminated. This often occurs in highly visible areas of the course where sprinklers that water tees are located between the tees and nearby tall grass areas. Tees are typically watered frequently throughout the season to accelerate divot recovery, so the tall grass areas near tees are often lush and weedy. Take the time to assess and adjust irrigation coverage during spring and you will reap the double benefit of water savings and the tall grass areas golfers crave.

Source: Bob Vavrek (rvavrek@usga.org)

Clean Up From Heavy Rains

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 12:05:00 +0000

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.

CDGA Turf Scouting Report, June 12th

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:05:00 +0000

A week that promised quite a lot became a week that rapidly fell apart and put rootzones into an awkward situation. The high temperatures created problems for turf and this combined with reported deluges of over 1" in under 30 minutes particularly on the southern side of the city that resulted in some very stressed turfgrass. The heavy damage to bunkers and undermining of cart paths will require some time for repair and of course some expense incurred. These intense storms while building up the monthly rainfall total do absolutely nothing but wreak havoc for turf managers as far as clean-up is concerned. Further to that the excess moisture and hot weather will have driven up the chances for patch disease and root problems developing. The saving grace is two-fold - night time temperatures stayed below the 70°F mark and there is a cool down forecast coming - which hopefully will also bring some drying out of the soil profile.

Regional research meetings took place this week and many of you will be glad or sad to know that the problems with seed head control were not just localized - some sentiment was that the timing seemed to be too early. Damage from winter in the Midwest was not considered anywhere in the realm of last year. Conditions in Iowa were equally extreme early in the week and in certain ways the Chicago area may have been lucky based on some of the rainfall other locations have seen this year to date e.g. Kansas City saw >16" of rain for May - monthly normal is 4". Growth potential models are a collaborative project which will receive attention amongst the group going forward. Finally, for those of you that have forgotten - rounds for research is still ongoing. The money raised really makes a difference going forward and if you want to investigate or bid on the donated rounds please take a look here: http://www.rounds4research.com/

Click here to view the June 12, 2015 Scouting Report

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

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

Hail Damage on Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 16:24:00 +0000

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.

A Little Storm Clean Up

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:43:00 +0000

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.

March 27th, Scouting Report from the CDGA

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 15:35:00 +0000

March 27, 2015 Scouting Report

The initial green shoots of the spring and the golf season are almost upon us. As I write this we are still shaking off winter however with snow still on the ground after a 5" event at the Midwest Golf House. Of bigger importance however, is the impact that winter has had in general on local courses. In comparison to last year the general sentiment is that we are at least 99% better on greens and even tees and fairways are in superior shape. The one caveat is that we haven't gotten clear of winter yet, so one sharp cold snap is still a possibility and it could undo a lot of good work that has occurred so far. In general courses around the state should have become largely snow clear prior to the most recent snow event and certainly some public courses in the Chicago area had opened to help drive revenue. Areas that are a traditional issue such as low spots and heavily shaded greens are not impeccable certainly but in general everyone is happy to date. The other missing issue is the smell - last year we all learned very quickly what the famous 'smell of death' was. The anaerobic conditions created by 2-3" layers of ice were not recreated this year due to a favorable January where by super bowl Sunday, the Sunshine Course was completely clear of snow and any potential ice. The 18 - 22" of snow that fell on that date actually was a huge help for the record cold month of February as it insulated the turf in many ways and prevented any damage. That being the case many have said it's the best that greens have looked coming out of winter in a long time.

Spring can be volatile of course in the region and the hope is for a little rain, a little sun and plenty of warmer days. One issue that has raised some eyebrows has been the disease pressure that occurred this winter. Evidence of both pink and gray snow mold can be seen on tees and in roughs throughout the area. Courses from a budget standpoint locally do not warrant control applications in the rough, so damage there can be expected. In areas where shade plays a role and where snow melt made sites excessively wet, potential for pink snow mold or Microdochium nivale to break through control measures increases. Generally warming temperatures and soils will see grass grow out of the somewhat superficial damage, but it certainly makes for some interesting pictures.

Education this year had a broad focus - with looking at future technology being one area of interest, while bacterial etiolation was still hot on the conference list. As cabin fever hit however the snow finally began to melt and so a majority of superintendents are glad to be back outside and at the grind of massaging grass to provide a smooth putting surface - it's great to be back. It's a big year for Chicago golf with the United States Amateur, The Encompass Championship and The BMW Championship all paying a visit to the city - its going to be busy!

Click here to view the March 27, 2015 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

Greens Back in Play on Friday

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:10:00 +0000

With the preferable weather forecasted for Friday and Saturday, we will have the greens in play for those who would like to take advantage of it. The greens will be slow and a little bumpy while we work to get them back in shape. Carts will not be available and no other amenities will be on the course. The practice areas will also be closed. We will not have anything other than the greens mowed. It will be March golf, but come on out and dust off the golf swing for the coming year. After Saturday, the temperatures do not appear to be favorable for golf, so get out and enjoy it while you can.

It appears the grass on the course is getting some color back. After we get the first mowing in on the playing surfaces, the grass will start to perk up. We are still cleaning the course and that will continue through the rest of the week. Hope to see you out this week!

Seeing Green!

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 19:37:00 +0000

I said we would be back to seeing grass at the end of the week. Well, we made it!

Monday, 3/9

Friday, 3/13

Most of the snow left on the course resides in the valleys and will likely realize its inevitable melt this weekend. The course is beginning to dry from the abundance of moisture left from the snow. There is still a frost layer on the soil, but it is shrinking daily as well. The amount of ice on the pond is a good gauge for the frost in the soil. When the ice on the pond is gone, the frost in the soil will not be far behind.

The grass on the course looks good to start the season. The spots in the bottom picture are snow mold symptoms. There are several areas, in the rough only, that display these symptoms. They are cosmetic symptoms that the grass will grow out of when the weather allows for growth.

Our plan is to start cleaning the course on Monday. This is the first step in getting the course ready for golf again. We do not have a date for opening greens yet. The course still have some snow, and a frost layer in the greens. Then it will need a few days to dry, and we will need a few more to get the greens ready. We will have all the updates here, on ForeTees and on Twitter. It won't be much longer!

Getting Closer

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 22:08:00 +0000

If you have been craving some golf during the tail end of the winter season, next weeks forecast likely caught your eye. Some great weather is in the forecast for the next 10 days. This stretch should melt the snow we have, and begin drying the moisture that is left over. Historically, we are golfing 3 weeks from now! Who knows what else mother nature may throw at us between now and then, but the next few days look promising.

The snow is still quite deep on many parts of the course. These pictures are from this morning. Once this snow does melt, the course will be very wet. Some time will be needed to dry the moisture that will be left. Then, we will be ready to get on the course for the necessary preparations needed to get golfers back out.

We will see you soon!

Turf Scouting Report, June 27th

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 14:22:00 +0000

A week of contrasts is the best way to describe this most recent week. Storms early in the week brought much flooding and damage to many courses, while towards the end of the week, conditions cooled off and turned rather comfortable. The lake has been creating its own problems as cold water in the center has led to a clash of temperatures and fronts around the city and mornings were extremely foggy and putting it nicely, cool. Further to that turfgrass canopies were staying very wet for extended periods which really was not what was needed.

The excess moisture and some of the extremely high humidity that we saw this week lead to further diversity on the disease front. I do not envy anyone trying to grow grass in tropical situations - there must be insane disease pressure - early this week we did get a taste of it, but summer is here so it's to be expected. Many courses are on the precipice of final recovery from what has been a long winter. I will say however spare a thought for managers in Minnesota who experienced something similar last year and dealt with the remnants into the early part of August - so be grateful for little mercies!

Our forecast is for the first three day spell in the 90's back to back to back, so depending on humidity, timing of control applications and how hot it actually will get, it could be a tough start to the week. Fortunately conditions look like cooling off so some relief is on the way. More importantly we can hope to see some bright skies which will help places which have been in fog and heavy cloud all week doing bentgrass no favors.

Click here to view the June 27, 2014 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

Progress on 1 Tee Project

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 15:11:00 +0000

Changes around 1 tee have been underway since last fall. Several projects have been done to provide a fresh look to this area. We are nearing the finishing stages and hope to have it wrapped up before the Fireworks Extravaganza on June 29th.

The project began last fall when 3 spruce trees were removed to highlight a maturing Bur Oak. Clearing of the overgrown shrubs behind the tee continued last week. The remaining shrubs that still stand behind the tee will be replaced with this project. We have a few steps to complete before we can remove those plantings and introduce new.

The curb was cut today to accommodate the new routing of the path, which will be out of the circle drive rather than around the back of the tee. The former cart path behind the tee will be cut narrower and used as a walking path. The additional area from narrowing the path will be used for the new plantings.

Work is also being done today to trim up the pines left of 1 tee. This work also involves defining grassing lines and spreading fresh pine needles under the trees.

Divots and Divot Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 08 May 2014 14:27:00 +0000

Divots, unfortunately, are an unavoidable result of members and their guests enjoying the Club. Divots will be present at all times, and repairing those divots is a constant effort of the membership, the staff and ..... the golf course! Yes, the golf course plays the most important role in the recovery of divots. Once a divot is taken we ask members to replace the divot if it is still in tact. The Grounds staff then fills any divots that are not able to be replaced. Once the divot has been replace or filled, the area has been prepped for a full recovery. It is up the the course at that point to heal the grass. This picture, and these 4 divots, were take on October 3, 2013.

Immediately after these divots were take, they were repaired using 3 different methods. One was left unrepaired. I will refer to the divots from left to right as 1-4. Far left is 1, far right is 4.
-Divot 1 is repaired with soil only.
-Divot 2 is not repaired.
-Divot 3 is replaced.
-Divot 4 is repaired with seed and soil.
Some notes after they have been repaired. The replaced divot (3) is barely noticeable. Divots 1 and 4, though they have been repaired still look like divots. This is why we ask golfers to always replace their divot if possible. It will heal quicker, and looks better after it has been replaced. Now that all (except 2) have been repaired, we have to rely on the course to heal itself.

Here is a follow up picture of these divots taken today. 7 months after they were repaired! Though divots 1 and 4 have been repaired, they are still visible, because the last piece of the puzzle - the course healing itself - has not had an opportunity to happen. Any divots that were on the course at the beginning of October or have been taken since the beginning of October have not had the opportunity for the course to heal them. The weather has been too cold. Unfortunately, the best time for divots to heal is also the best time for golf on the course. This is why there will always be divots on the course to heal.

We will be adding divot bottles in the fairways starting this weekend for members to fill divots if they are not able to replace it. Now that the warmer temperatures are beginning to arrive, and the course will be able to do its part in the recovery process, all three sources of recovery will be in place for the golf season.

And remember, FIND IT! FIX IT! IT RECOVERS QUICKER!

CDGA Turf Scouting Report, May 2nd

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Thu, 08 May 2014 12:46:00 +0000

Hurry up and wait is about the only way to describe the current situation for many courses. Frustration has set in with the climate as the cold, wet, cloudy weather is good for nothing except spending time worrying about it at the bar. Many superintendents who responded to the recent survey sent out by CDGA and MAGCS indicated the most consistent reason as to why they did not have damage was purely down to the fact that they have a strong creeping bentgrass stand on their putting surfaces. I think they might even feel a little bit guilty - if not, they certainly are extremely grateful!

Germination has been slow and while covers will help to warm soils they do very little as far as making an immediate putting surface. Moisture has arrived in a somewhat more consistent manner although there were instances of heavy hail occurring this week in the western suburbs of Chicago. Staying the course and remembering it is somewhat out of your control in regards to climate will help to reign in the frustration somewhat. Take solace in knowing that many people are in the same situation, trying to get back to optimal conditions as soon as reasonably possible and that once soil temperatures get to >55°F consistently we will all feel some relief.

Many superintendents understand now what they have and I think the fear of loss has now been overcome with determination to beat the damage with the hope that there is some form of spring prior to the return of summer - roots have begun to make an appearance downward but it doesn't seem like they are sprinting as of yet. Courses have aerified and some are looking close to recovered while others just need some heat. Time is all that is required - which unfortunately is not there in abundance. If the forecast holds for next week with temperatures possibly reaching the 70's and if we are lucky a warm rain then help can be considered to be on the way!

Click here to view the May 2, 2014 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

Cart Path Project Progressing

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 06 May 2014 15:38:00 +0000

The major capital project of the off season has been the addition of the cart path on hole 9. The gravel base has been in and we have been waiting on the availability of asphalt to take the next step. Well this week may be it. The contractor will be out tomorrow to do a finish grade and rolling to prep the surface for asphalt. Our hope is that asphalt will follow on Thursday.

This corner of cart path on hole 13 will be receiving a touch up with the installation of asphalt at the same time. This area of red gravel is prone to washouts during heavy rains. Capping this short area, up to the front tee on 13, will make it easier to manage. A curb is planned for this area as well to manage traffic onto the fairway. Naturally, new sod will be installed to make a fresh edge.

CDGA Turf Scouting Report, April 18

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 14:41:00 +0000

Recovery is underway in many sites it seems and covers can be seen dotted all around the city as soil temperatures took another plunge this week. The forecast currently though seems like 70's are a possibility for many of us and even the guys on the north shore should benefit from that in the near to medium term. As I have visited more locations the glorious inconsistency of who did what and how it worked out has been disarmingly frustrating. There are some incredible stories of doing nothing and looking impeccable in a tree lined tight site to doing nothing and 30-50% damage in an open sunny site. Turf managers who broke ice 24 hours after it formed still had some 'perfume' while others who didn't even let ice form have four greens covered. Some of you would take only four greens covered, but from the perspective of play it's still causing some questions, especially as we are into summer golf and scoring.

It is Easter weekend so I hope everyone has an enjoyable period prior to what will be a very active period based on the current weather forecast!

Click here to view the April 18, 2014 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

North-Central Regional Update from the USGA Green Section

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 14:32:00 +0000

Turf Will Need Time To Heal This Season

By Keith Happ, director, North-Central Region
April 16, 2014


Reestablishing plant health above and below ground will be challenging this spring. Recovery can occur and turf performance can be sustained if adequate time is provided to new grass plants.

During the winter months a great deal of planning and preparation takes place. The agronomic planning sessions center on growing healthy grass that can present sustainable, consistent playing conditions during the summer months. For many, particularly those in the Northern tier of the North-Central Region, winter damage has severely impacted putting green turf’s emergence from dormancy this spring. We are now starting to get a feel for the extent of the damage experienced. Wind desiccation damage, crown hydration and anoxia have occurred. The emergence of new bud leaves is a sign that the grass will recover as long as adequate time is provided to reestablish surface density and root mass in the soil profile.
Golf is played on the surface of a dense stand of grass; however, it is the root mass in the soil that provides the foundation that allows grass to tolerate traffic and environmental stress during the summer months.

Please take the time to watch our webcast that was presented April 17 of this year. It focuses on recovery strategies to help regenerate grass on greens and other areas of the course for golf this season. (Watch the webcast)

A New Look For 1 Tee

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:40:00 +0000

Big changes will continue to be happening around the 1st tee in the coming weeks. Last fall three spruce trees were removed to highlight a maturing Bur Oak. This spring the aging and overgrown junipers and arborvitae behind the tee will be removed to make way for new plantings.

The plantings behind 1 tee have become overgrown and unsightly. The objective of this project is to maintain the screening between the tee and the circle drive, but improve the aesthetic of the area due to it proximity to the front of the clubhouse.

When this project is complete, the cart path will no longer run behind the tee. The curb will be cut to allow access to the 1st tee from the circle drive. A walkway will be maintained where the cart path currently is, and the planting bed will be made larger to accommodate new plantings. The new plantings will be similar to other that are in front of the clubhouse. These models give an idea of what the new planting may look like when the project is complete.

This project will begin as the cart path on 9 is finishing up. This will be a great change for the look at the front of the clubhouse.

Winter Recovery Progress

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 14:58:00 +0000

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!

CDGA Turf Scouting Report, April 11th

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:57:00 +0000

It's a record folks - NOAA has reported that this was the coldest winter on record by 0.4 of a degree for the Chicago area - the last previous record was set in 1903-1904.

I am guaranteeing that nobody was managing golf courses in the area at the time and I am also fairly sure that there are no notes on the recovery process - which means, one day at a time and no panicking. Seeding, watering, fertilizer and covers are the order of the day - of course if you have bentgrass greens then you may be just fine.

Further reports have come in of dead grass of course (Picture 1 and 2), but also further reports of timing of issues have come in. Recent conversations indicated that one course manager knew he had the 'smell of death' on February 16th when he broke ice. This is remarkable as this was right on the border for Poa annua as he had counted ice cover to be at 42 days. The smell was not a nice sweet hay smell that is preferred, but the bitterer version and now famous line 'smell of death'. The impact on his course has been particularly harsh.

Recovery times of course can only be estimated and are everyone's focus going forward - mild damage may see recovery very soon but from some of my visits I would expect that optimal conditions may take an extended period of time. A call to the USGA is recommended as well as signing up for their free recovery webinar here.

The other issue at hand is that our current temperatures have not been ideal - some warm conditions have come through but with lows predicted to return back in the high 20's / low 30's, that is from ideal for warming up soil temperatures and getting seed germination.

Click here to view the April 11, 2014 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

Carts and Practice Tee Available This Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:03:00 +0000

Carts, Practice Tee, Chipping Green and Halfway House will be added to the amenities available this weekend. Sunny weather and sunshine have begun to push color onto the grass on the green, tees and fairways, however the rough has a ways to go yet. Though the grass is green, we have not seen much growth yet. This weather has been two steps forward, but it looks like one step back next week with high temperatures in the 40s for most of the week.

Some nice weather is predicted for Saturday, but Sunday does not look so nice. Naturally, cart availability on Sunday will depend on soil conditions. Any rain Saturday afternoon or evening could force cart restrictions on Sunday.

CDGA Turf Scouting Report, April 4

noreply@blogger.com (NCC Greens) — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:05:00 +0000

Welcome back everyone - it has been a long winter and while the calendar has officially entered springtime - Im not so sure that we are actually there yet. Snowfall March 24th and lows in the teens March 25th meant that old man winter has not let go of us just yet as far as temperatures go. As far the winter itself went it has been far from quiet from what I observed. Education talks were very well attended whether it was at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See in Rockford or Nashville GC in Nashville IL to Medinah CC at the annual CDGA club leadership conference led by the venerable Mr S. Solow - guys are suffering from some severe forms of cabin fever.

From my perspective it has been intriguing picking up on methods and thoughts behind how to deal with the winter. I do feel however that there are extremes that we have dealt with this year that it may have not made one iota of difference. Instances of ice build up were reported in late December and unfortunately some courses never shook the ice cover until early March. That time period 80-84 days will have certainly wiped out a lot of Poa annua - pictures are below. The courses with bentgrass of course avoided the worry of this but at the same time the recovery to growth may take a little longer than many of us would like.

From the personnel standpoint, we have hired Ron Townsend as our Director of Turfgrass Research. Ron a fellow Buckeye (I know I'm infesting the place) worked with the pathology program at OSU and most recently was up in Exmoor with the esteemed Mr. K. Galisdorfer. Ron was a Toro/Nicklaus scholarship award winner at OSU as well as a winner of the Trans-Miss scholarship. Ron will allow us to return to a much more normal research service while also aiding with data and website handling. Ron will contribute to the scouting report regularly and he may also be seen at meetings acting as my translator.....

Click here to view the April 4, 2014 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