Aerification Dates

 

Next week, September 3rd and 4th, will be the beginning of our fall aerification process on the golf course greens.  To continue the trend of improving drainage and firming up of the greens, we have contracted a company to implement a Drill and Fill process instead of our traditional core aerification.  The Drill and Fill is a 2-step process of excavating slow draining organic matter and older less desirable sand layers from the greens and replacing the removed material with quick draining topdressing sand.  First, a ¾ inch drill bit penetrates 8 inches (twice the depth of a traditional core aerification) into the green and bores out all of the old material it encounters.  Secondly, the 8 inch holes are filled with sand that is funneled into the holes from sand bins on the top of the machine.  This process will relieve compaction, increase oxygen levels in the soil profile, encourage deeper root development and improve drainage.  Once all of the greens have been completed we will continue the aerification process on fairways and tees throughout the month of September.

The healing process usually takes approximately fourteen to twenty one days depending upon the weather.  We will be applying fertilizer and maintaining higher moisture levels to expedite surface recovery.  Members will experience softer, slower, bumpier greens containing many sand-filled holes during this time.  Once the surfaces have sufficiently healed, we will return to our normal watering practices and the greens will dramatically improve in firmness and drainage.  We understand cultivation temporarily disrupts the ball roll and is an inconvenience for the golfers but keep in mind that the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary disruptions. 

Below is a video of the Drill and Fill process.

Mid August

Irrigation head hitting a tree just off the fairway on hole #12

 

Flags mark the isolated hot spots for the employees to water

Mid August is the time of year when the bentgrass on the greens, tees and fairways are at their weakest stage.  Roots are shallow and weak due to undesirably warm soil temperatures, cart traffic and mechanical wear from mowing. Therefore, the plants frequently suffer from moisture stress as the poorly functioning roots cannot keep up with the moisture demands of the plants during low humidity, breezy and sunny afternoons.  August 2013 has so far brought an unusual number of refreshingly cool days that feel more like late September or October.  Mild days, and especially the cool nights, have allowed for minimal disease pressure and heat stress in all areas of the golf course. However, the extremely low humidity and brisk afternoon breezes accompanying the cool stretch at a time of year when the roots are at their weakest point has caused some drought stress and the necessity for some irrigation on most nights.  We are far from being out of the woods, the long term weather forecasts are increasing temperatures and humidity levels.  For that reason we are closely monitoring moisture levels and scouting for potential diseases.

Irrigating the golf course is one of the biggest challenges we face every year.  Our goal is to evenly replace the moisture lost from the previous day and prevent isolated dry spots while maintaining desirable playing conditions for the golfers.  If localized dry spots remain dry for an extended period of time the soil becomes hydrophobic and water and nutrients become unavailable for the plant to absorb causing the grass to thin and eventually die.  We battle many factors that cause uneven moisture levels throughout the golf course especially in the fairways.  The majority of our fairways are tree lined creating shaded areas, for example on #3 the entire left side of the fairway is in the shade most of the day while the right side is in the full sun making the demand for moisture twice as much on the right than the left.  Trees that have been planted too close to the fairways also pose a problem when irrigation heads hit the canopy of the tree and fall straight down creating wet conditions underneath trees.  Thatch can also play a big role in soft fairways.  Although we have been on an aggressive aerification and verti-cutting program, we still have excessive thatch levels which act as a sponge on top of the soil when water becomes trapped in the thatch layer.  Automatic irrigation systems are never perfect and the positioning of our irrigation system in the middle of the fairways makes irrigation even more challenging.  Naturally, the turf around the irrigation heads receives more water than out towards the edges of the fairway, making the centers of the fairway softer than the edges.   Most recently we have tried to supplement the majority of the automatic irrigation with hand watering.  However, hand watering requires us to access irrigation heads which releases a significant amount of water each time creating undesirable wet areas around the head.

We will continue to recognize and improve on these issues every year by adding drainage as needed, thin and prune problem trees, aerification and verti-cutting practices, and improve and update our irrigation systems.  Please know we are aware of the issues and managing them the best we can.  We appreciate your patience as we work through them.


 

 

Tree Management Program

 White Pine Trees

 Bald Cypress Trees 

 
To provide screening we have planted trees along the maintenance building fence and back left of the men's tee on hole #11.  While everyone loves trees on the golf course including myself, they must be managed and planted to avoid compromising turf quality and design integrity.  The following are some of the principles which offer some good guidelines for us to follow.

• Do not allow trees to block morning sunlight penetration and/or prevailing air movement across greens, tees and/or fairways.  Morning sunlight is vital to turf health and positive airflow will cool and dry the turf.
• Do not allow trees to overhang greens, tees, fairways and/or bunkers.  Overhanging growth is a clear indicator that tree roots are into the underlying profile and micro-environment under the canopy is compromised.
• Do not allow two or more trees to grow into each other.  Selective thinning will improve turf health, playability and the health of those trees that are allowed to remain.
• Do not allow trees to compromise/camouflage permanent design features like mounding, bunkers, and overall terrain contours.
• Do not allow trees inside cart paths when paths are properly located.
   

More Rain

Push Mowing Wet Areas In The Rough 

 

Pumping Out Fairways Holding Water

 

After another 1.00" rain storm yesterday, the golf course is starting to show signs of stress.  The lack of sunshine and cooler temperatures have made it difficult for the plants to recover.  Most of the recent stress is caused by mowing when conditions have been soft and wet.  Mowers tend to scalp during these conditions, cutting the plants at the stem instead of the leaf.  Due to these conditions we have had to adjust our maintenance programs.  We have skipped daily mowings and rollings on the greens, raised mowing heights and used lighter walk behind mowers and push mowers in the wettest areas.  Once playing surfaces firm up we will resume normal maintenance practices.    



Other Things Going On At The Golf Course

 Installing the new water cooler enclosures onto the golf course.  During the winter months we fabricated our old plastic water cooler enclosures and replaced them with a much more appealing  treated redwood.  The new water coolers are located at the driving range tee, #8 green and behind #14 tee.

 

Troubleshooting and fixing drainage issues on #18 approach.  After excavating the wet area, a network of old drain tile was found damaged.

 

Fixing irrigation wires damaged by tree roots.  We had about six irrigation heads not responding to automatic commands sent out from our computer and handheld radios. 



Ball Mark Repair Tools

Experts Explain: Ball Mark Repair Tools

Posted: 3/11/2013

By USGA Green Section

What is the best tool for repairing ball marks? (California)

Ball marks vary in shape and severity so there is no one best tool. In fact, virtually any pointed tool will work as long as the proper method of repair is performed. This has even been the focus of several research projects in recent years where multiple repair tools were evaluated. Each study concluded that no particular repair tool was significantly better than any other when used correctly.

With the understanding that it is the method, not the tool that is most critical to restoring a smooth surface and allowing turf to heal quickly, let’s address the keys to success for this important area of golfer etiquette. Begin by inserting the repair tool into the soil behind the rear of the ball mark at about a 45-degree angle. Gently pull the top of the tool toward the center. Continue working around the ball mark, gently stretching the surrounding turf toward the center until the indentation is filled in. Less is generally more when it comes to ball mark repair, so this should be done just three or four times; anything more generally adds injury to the already damaged turf. Use your putter or foot to tamp down the repaired area to make it smooth and level with the rest of the green. Avoid prying actions that tear live roots and bring soil to the putting surface. Doing so causes significant damage and greatly slows recovery.

Aerification Week

We will begin our aerification process this week.  With rain in the forecast for most of the week it will be difficult to predict the completion of the project.  Our goal will be to complete greens and tees by the end of the week.  Depending on the weather we may need to close the holes where aerification is being performed to expedite the process.  Once greens and tees are complete, we will begin solid tining the fairways, which will complete the aerification process.  The healing process usually takes approximately fourteen days depending upon the weather.  We will be applying fertilizer and watering heavily to germinate bentgrass seed and expedite surface recovery.  Members will experience softer, slower, bumpier greens containing many sand-filled holes during this time.  Once the bentgrass seedlings have become established and the surface has sufficiently healed we will return to our normal watering practices that the members enjoy.  We understand cultivation is burdensome to golfers but please bear with us and keep in mind that the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary nuisance.

New addition To The Green Department

 

2nd Assistant Jacob Wessels

 



After receiving many resumes for the Second Assistant Golf Course Superintendent's position, holding phone and on-site interviews, I am happy to report that we have hired Jacob Wessels for the position. Jacob Wessels graduated with a degree in Plant and Soil Science from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Jacob has worked in the golf course industry for 7 years, including internships at The Highlands of Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, WI. and Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT. He also worked at Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort, IL where he was an Assistant for two years. We are excited to have Jacob Wessels apart of the Green Department team here at Illini Country Club.  

Drainage Project

(2010) Two Areas Of Standing Water Above The Old Bunker

Stripping The Sod

 

 

Adding Catch Basins

 

Finished Product

 

 

 

 As you all know, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball this week.  Accumulating seventeen inches of snow overnight is unreal and, of course, set us back a little bit in the Greens Department.  Despite the snow, we were able to complete a major drainage project that needed to be done.  The project was done on the right hand side of the approach on hole four.  There were two separate low spots, one in the approach and another a few feet into the rough.  This has caused problems in the past due to standing water and poor drainage.  The combination of those two factors can be very detrimental to the turf.  Standing water on a very hot day is like a pot boiling on a hot stove.  Eventually, the turf will die if the water is not cleared away.  This drainage project was constructed in order for this problem to be solved.  We started by finding each low point in the approach/rough and marking them.  There is an existing drain closer to the greenside bunker that we tied everything in to.  We started by digging out a trench line and measuring our depth with a transit.  We placed two catch basins in each low spot.  These catch basins are there to collect the water draining from the soil surface.  They were connected with 4 inch drain tiles leading down to the existing drain.  Once again, standing water and poor drainage is a disaster waiting to happen.  This project was done to improve that problem and help keep the championship playing conditions we all enjoy at Illini Country Club.

Prepared by: Second Assistant Jacob Wessels

 

Temperature Comparison March 2012 vs March 2013

 

Temperatures have been running well below normal for all of central Illinois so far this month. Average temperatures have been 3 to 5 degrees below normal. This is in stark contrast to last March, which saw all-time record warmth for the month with readings averaging around 14 degrees above normal for the month.  We have delayed the rolling and mowing on greens, tees and fairways due to the abnormal temperatures.  Once air and soil temperatures increase we will resume our normal spring practices.  During this down time we have been able to accomplish some much needed detail work around the golf course such as; adding cobble stone to worn cart path edges, flower bed weeding, edging and mulching, and prepping tree scar areas. 

The Pins are in!

First cup cut for 2013

 

The golf course is officially open for the 2013 golf season.    The golf course will be open this week for walking golf play only.   We will reevaluate golf cart restriction when weather and firmer conditions permit.  This week we will focus our efforts on clearing greens, tees, fairways and roughs of any debris such as limbs and sweet gum balls.  As the week progresses we will switch our efforts from golf course clean up to golf course detail.  First on the list will be bunker raking followed by rolling greens and possibly the first mowings of the year.

#10 Bridge work

New concrete supports

 

 

Laying new planks

Rail construction

 

Final product

 

 

The Green Department crew have been hard at work with the new construction of number ten cart bridge.  We have taken a much needed break from the monotony of limb and debris clean up and welcomed a new project.  Number ten bridge has gone through a full restoration with new concrete supports, ramps, wing walls and rip rap rock for erosion control.  We have replaced the old planks and railings with new hardware and pressure treated lumber.  Landscape and sod will be added as soon as weather permits.  Number one and number eighteen bridges are scheduled for restoration next year, which will complete the restoration bridge projects.  

Bunker Maintenance

 Before bunker edging
 

Jason Herbert locating bunker edges

 

 After bunker edging

 

Fox damage

 

 

During the warmer days of winter the Green Department staff have stayed busy with golf course work such as limbing trees, cleaning up leaves and debris and troubleshooting irrigation problems.  We have also been monitoring sand depths, drain lines and bunker edges.  Bunkers can quickly lose their original design and aesthetic look, even after only a few years.  The Kentucky Bluegrass bunker edges have the ability to grow horizontal through stoloniferous growth, as the sand provides an ideal growth medium.  To reclaim the original bunker edge we must find the soil edges with probing tools and shovels, dig out the sand and re-attach the sod to the soil edge.

Several factors play a role in sand distribution, sand can be lost or displaced with daily raking, wind, sand contamination and bunker shots where the sand is blasted out of the bunker and into the grass.  We will be adding sand to these locations throughout the winter and early spring months so the bunkers have a consistent depth.  Local fox have also played a factor in bunker maintenance.  The fox seem to prefer bunker banks for their den locations, the bunker banks provide protection from the harsh winter elements and an ideal place for them to raise a family.  As they dig out the den the sand becomes contaminated with soil and drainage gravel and in some cases drain lines become damaged.  In the fox damaged bunkers we will decontaminate the sand and repair lines as needed.