Golf Course Update

The first half of October has provided truly phenomenal weather for both golf play and turfgrass management.  Summer’s abundance of rainfall hydrated the soils to an ideal level.  Although rainfall so far in October has been sparse, the ample soil moisture combined with cool nights and mild days has allowed for a textbook-perfect grass growing environment.  The warmer than average temperatures have continued into the fall with a record temperature high of 87 degrees Monday October 17^th.  The trees have begun to show fall colors much later than last year and many trees are still green.  As of recent, normal routine maintenance has taken much longer due to the fact that surfaces must be cleared of debris before mowing.  Also, some greens require debris removal six or seven times throughout the day for playability.  Mowing before blowing will cause damage to mowers and playing surfaces.  Generally, golf course maintenance is performed before golf play, however with this added step and shorter day length it becomes extremely challenging. 

The rough has thickened up considerably over the last month; aerification and over seeding in September followed by fertilizing in early October resulted in substantial germination of newer varieties of grass plants that are now maturing and integrating with existing plants.  The driving range tee was double-aerified and triple seeded in October.  The tee is filling in very well as the seedlings mature.  We greatly appreciate the sacrifice of the use of this tee as this tee will go into the winter months in excellent health with thick turf cover and in great shape for next spring.  The driving range grass tee top will remain closed for the rest of the 2016 year and open in the spring of 2017.  This time frame will allow the tee to fully recover before the seeding and growing season ends.  The green, tees and fairways continue to do well during the month of October and we are starting to see signs of root development and strength.

We have a few projects staring in the month of October and the beginning of November.  First on the docket is a cart path project.  Starting as early as October 24^th, the cart paths will be receiving some much needed attention.  All cart paths will be resurfaced on the golf course and some will be widened on an as need basis.  This will be a five day project, weather permitting.  Some cart paths will be closed for a day or two as the curing process takes place, we will post signs and communicate through the pro shop on a day to day basis to alert members of cart path closings.  Starting in November we will begin a tee restoration project on hole #4 and #6.  Over the years these tees, along with others, have become uneven and the majority of the teeing space has become unusable or unplayable.  Along with the tee surface itself, #4 and #6 tee have also lost their original shape and alignment.  We will strip the sod off the tee, reshape, level, square, surface drain, realign and sod the tee box.  This project will improve the aesthetics, teeing space, drainage and the overall playability of these holes.  While we are under construction we ask all golfers to utilize the temporary teeing space located to the right of #4 tee and the Ladies/Senior tee on hole #6.  Weather permitting, the tees will be ready for the golf season next year.       

I would like to conclude by announcing that Mr. Curtis Keller, Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, had his last day at Illini Country Club on October 14th.  Curtis accepted the position of Golf Course Superintendent at Buffalo Ridge Springs Golf Course in Hollister, Missouri.  This move will provide Curtis with the opportunity of managing his own golf course and hosting an annual PGA Tour Champions event “Legends of Golf”.  Curtis’ ties to Illini Country Club will remain strong, however, and he greatly appreciates the relationships and experiences he gained here.  We will begin our search for a new Assistant Golf Course Superintendent January 1^st of next year. 

Golf Course Update

Fall is quickly approaching, and if you ask our stressed turf areas, it can’t come soon enough.  The extreme heat and humidity this season has created some of the most challenging conditions for managing turfgrass in recent years.  This year, Illinois experienced its wettest August, and second wettest summer on record in combination with above average temperatures.  The story has been much the same for most of the country this summer, many courses resulting in significant turf loss on greens, tees and fairways .  Thanks to the efforts of dedicated golf course maintenance staff members, the Illini Country Club grounds have withstood this year’s challenges as absolutely well as possible.  September is traditionally a very busy month for the Green Department, as we perform maintenance to encourage turf recovery from summer stress, and also make preparations for a strong finish to the season.

The first item of note is our fall aeration program.  Like most of our maintenance practices this season, we have needed to modify our plans for aeration based upon the weather.  We feel that after enduring this summer’s heat and humidity, the greens may not be in a position to withstand the physical demands of core-aeration without incurring possible damage.  Therefore, once the hot weather breaks, we plan to use less aggressive solid “needle-tines” on the greens, followed by lighter than normal topdressing sand applications.  In conjunction with the greens, the fairways will also receive solid-tine aeration as well as a verticut to reduce grain.  You may have noticed where we have been fine-tuning our verticut process on the beginning of #5 fairway.  The tees have already received their aeration and topdressing, and are recovering nicely.

Early fall is when we also begin tackling on-course projects in addition to routine maintenance.  We have begun slit-seeding new grass seed into rough areas weakened by summer stress, and also backfilling and seeding the cavities remaining where the stumps of removed trees have been ground down.  We are also on the cusp of “leaf-drop season”, when we will be spending several hours each day clearing leaves from greens, tees, fairways, and bunkers before mowing and maintaining these areas.

Finally, just a quick reminder that although the calendar says it is fall, the thermometer is still reading summer.  Bentgrass areas (greens, tees, and fairways) still require a lot of meticulous care to help recover from the brutal summer season and to meet member expectations as well as our own standards of maintenance.  We are continuing to employ several tactics to help protect these valuable playing surfaces, including a rigorous water management program and limiting cart traffic on these areas.  Regarding cart usage, a general rule of thumb is to not continually follow worn paths.  Try to spread out your cart traffic even if it means going a little out of your way.  NEVER drive within about 50 yards of greens (unless you’re on a designated cart path).  These areas are especially susceptible to damage by the wheels of golf carts.  NEVER drive onto or close to tee boxes, either, unless on the cart path, keeping all four wheels of the cart on the path where provided.  Observe all cart signs while on the course.  During wet or extreme heat conditions we may ask golfers to keep carts in the rough and on cart paths or exercise the 90 degree rule, which means entering and exiting the fairway at a 90 degree angle limited the travel time on the bentgrass.  Cart restrictions will be posted daily on the Golf section of the club’s website, as well as posted on golf carts, and communicated through the Golf Shop staff.

Prepared by, Curtis Keller

Golf Course Update

Extreme heat, humidity and rainfall continues to dominate the weather scene through July and into early August.  Springfield recorded its 2^nd wettest July on record with 9.51”, 5.57” more than average.  A severe thunderstorm on the night of July 24^th brought 65 MPH straight-line wind gusts, just 10 MPH shy of actual hurricane strength, along with a torrential 3.5 inches of rain in about 45 minutes.  In terms of wind damage to trees, this was the most extreme weather event the golf course has experienced since the fall of 2010, when we lost the massive Burr Oak tree left of #10 fairway.  Tree damage is still a work in progress, there are a few stumps to grind and limbs to remove from several trees.  While there was flash flooding and considerable washouts in the new bunkers, there was thankfully no grass loss due to washed silt and sand like we had on holes #1, #9, #10 and #18 during the flash flooding event in July, 2010.  The course thankfully had just enough time for the excess water to drain before an intense heat wave began.  

The greens are in fair health; the investments of drainage, drill and fill, and labor involved with aggressive aerification continue to make the greens more predictable to manage and more resilient through some of the most challenging climate.  The lack of oxygen due to water saturated soils and extreme heat indexes has quickly led to short, dysfunctional root systems resulting thinning bentgrass.  The greens have benefited greatly from conservative management during stressful periods.  We have been able to play offense and speed the greens up by double cutting and rolling on only a few occasions for tournament days this summer when ideal weather allowed for minimal stress on the greens.  Yet the majority of the year we have been forced to play defense on days when hot, wet and sunny afternoons lead to wilt stress which is in turn exacerbated by double cutting and rolling.  As soon as the weather turns for the better and root mass and density improves, we will resume normal mowing, rolling and grooming schedules.    

The tees and fairways have remained in good shape through the summer.  The high humidity has reduced our water management to lighter overnight watering and more handwatering for less water-soaked tees and fairways in the mornings.  This approach has demanded more frequent yet short, light afternoon waterings and handwater for less wilt and resultant thinning.  The biggest agronomic problem we are facing on fairways, and so far this summer, is the scattered areas of isolated dry spots.  Even with record setting rainfall and high humidity, isolated dry spots can form and cause problems quickly.  Smaller in size due to the rainfall, isolated dry spots remain hydrophobic until completely saturated with water.  To eliminate wet areas from becoming even more saturated, we have implemented watering cans to water just the smaller isolated dry spots preventing other areas from getting wet.  This year crabgrass, goosegrass and other weeds have germinated throughout the golf course.  The nearly 10 inches of rain that fell in July, followed by the intense humidity and highs in the upper 90s, combined for a breakdown in the soil of our crabgrass preemergent products.  We will be selecting the safe solution of manually removing the weed grasses, as opposed to using herbicides that would likely damage the desirable grass at this time of year.

We will begin our fall aerification process on greens, tees and fairways starting Tuesday, September 6^th. 

Golf Course Update

Well, here they are…the dog days.  The past month has been all about the weather.  Prior to the previous Golf Course Update, we had received under 0.25” of rain in 30 days, with temperatures consistently hanging +/- 90°F.  In the weeks since then, we have received 2.90” of rain, plus high humidity in addition to the hot temperatures.  This has created a very difficult environment in which to manage turfgrass.  High heat and humidity levels mean heavy disease pressure.  We have been very vigilant in scouting for potential disease outbreaks while maintaining our preventative fungicide applications.  One aesthetically positive side effect of the recent rainfall is that the non-irrigated areas of the property (including outer rough, clubhouse lawns, landscape areas, roadsides, etc.) are greening up and springing back after beginning to go dormant from heat and drought stress.  The flip side of that, of course, is that the rough will be growing quickly.  This presents a challenge for us keep the rough neatly mowed and playable, while also allowing time for the ground to firm up enough that we do not do damage with the mowers.  We will have all three rough mowers out, as well as detail push mowers and string trimmers, to move through this labor intense process as quickly as possible. 

The timely rain events allowed us to take brief breaks from having to run the irrigation system.  However, due to the high air temperatures, those breaks are typically short lived, and it doesn’t take long before we need to provide supplemental irrigation in order to provide optimal playing conditions.  We closely manage our watering practices to be as efficient as possible.  We have been utilizing our “micro-sprinkler” sets and hand-watering selective areas on greens, tees, and fairways in an effort to even-out moisture levels and to not overwater already wet turf and soil during the rainy and humid periods.  That being said, we have been relying heavily on the automatic irrigation system for nighttime irrigation…and it has been showing its age.  In the past month, we have repaired three irrigation line breaks, replaced several sprinkler components, cleared countless clogged sprinklers due to debris in the lines, cleared a clog in the creek intake pump (twice), replaced seals and bearings in one of the main pump motors, and completely replaced the pressure maintenance (jockey) pump with a new one…whew!

Lastly, you may notice that some tree trimming has been performed around the golf course.  Tree trimming is done for several reasons including: allowing sunlight and airflow to reach the turf, opening views and ball flight paths for increased playability, removing dead/hazard limbs, and removing limbs that interfere with sprinkler water streams/patterns.  This last motive is a very detailed and time consuming process, yet is very important when it comes to course conditions.  When a sprinkler water stream hits a tree limb, the majority of that water is deflected straight down onto the ground below the limb.  Once this occurs for even only a few minutes, the area becomes saturated, and a wet spot develops.  Because the area is in the shade, it takes a very long time to dry out.  By selectively removing these specific tree limbs, it creates a clear path for the water stream to travel within.  The sprinkler, the tree, the turf, and the golfer all benefit from this process.

Looking at the extended forecast, we are in store for more than a week’s worth of sunny skies and temperatures near 100 degrees…dog days indeed.  See you on the course!

Prepared by,  Curtis Keller

Golf Course Update

June has felt more like July or August with record breaking high temperatures and more than twenty days over ninety degrees.  Rainfall has been tough to come by as well.  The average precipitation for the month of June is 4.50”, which we are currently under by 3.10”.  The abundance of bright, sunny days and lack of rainy, cloudy weather has allowed for less grass disease pressure than what we usually face during June.  Yet it has greatly increased the irrigation demands from the grass on all areas of the golf course.  The combination of meager natural rainfall, low humidity breezy days in conjunction with hot temperatures have created some of the most extreme evapotranspiration (ET) I have witnessed in my career.  

The greens, tees and fairways have remained healthy so far this June.  Similar to our efforts on the greens, on days when highs in the 90s are predicted we have to irrigate fairways extensively during the overnight and early morning hours to prevent wilt stress and resultant thinning of the bentgrass during the intense afternoon heat.  Even with an early morning irrigation cycle on the fairways we still often have to run brief, 3 to 5 minute irrigation cycles during the heat of the afternoon to cool off wilting fairways.  We have found over the last 2 years that this afternoon cooling of the bentgrass greatly helps retain the density of the turf during the warmer months.  The tees are also in good health.  The worst areas on the course from a turfgrass health standpoint are the weak Poa annua patches that have discolored and thinned in the collars and approaches.  As the Poa annua weakens the creeping bentgrass will begin “creeping” over the Poa annua and fill in nicely.    

Irrigating the golf course is one of the biggest challenges we face during the summer months.  Our goal is to evenly replace the moisture lost from the previous day and prevent isolated dry spots while maintaining desirable playing condition 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.  Generally, dry areas start forming on the south facing edges of the fairways.  This is where irrigation coverage is poor and tree roots out compete grass plants for moisture.  

We have a single row irrigation system, meaning our irrigation heads are located in the center of the fairways and throw water outward in a 90’ radius.  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.  In order to dry down the areas around the irrigation head, the irrigation head must be turned off.  Turning off the irrigation head eliminates water coverage in the entire 90’ radius.  While the centers of the fairways have more than adequate amounts of moisture the edges become under watered and localized dry spots start forming quickly.  In our best efforts we try to offset the poor coverage with supplemental hand watering, micro sprinklers, and utilize wetting agents.       

      

Golf Course Update

The spring golfing season is well underway, and the Golf Course Maintenance Department has been busy working to provide excellent 2016 playing conditions.  Mother Nature has presented a challenge, as throughout the first half of May we have experienced frequent light rain showers and cooler than average temperatures.  Due to this cool and cloudy weather, many varieties of bentgrass on the greens have been reluctant to “wake up” from dormancy, and have struggled to achieve their full growth potential this spring.  Low nighttime temperatures and a general lack of abundant daytime sunlight have slowed aeration recovery, and aesthetically, the greens have taken on an overall lackluster appearance.  Fortunately, warmer weather is in the forecast, and that, in addition to some strategic fertilizer applications should help the greens snap to attention.

In addition to getting into a standard mowing routine, the maintenance staff has been busy wrapping up several projects on the course.  The sodded areas of the drainage project on holes 3, 4, and 5 are rooting in nicely and have received their first mows since being installed.  We have removed the rope and stakes surrounding the sod, as these areas are now open for regular use.  However, the seeded area in front of number five fairway will remain roped off as Ground-Under-Repair while the seedlings continue to mature and fill in.  A handful of irrigation repairs have also been completed including lateral line breaks on holes 17 and 9, and wire repairs on number six green and tee.  Throughout the property, landscape beds are receiving attention as well.  Fresh mulch and new summer annuals are being installed to provide a beautiful splash of spring color.

Finally, remember that spring weather in central Illinois can be unpredictable and potentially dangerous.  Recently, a white oak tree to the left of number five was struck by lightning.  This is a good reminder that standing under a tree is NOT a safe place to seek shelter during a lightning storm.  Fortunately, the storm occurred overnight when no one was on the course.  Below is the Golf Course Maintenance Department’s Emergency Action Plan for tornados/severe weather, and it is applicable to golfers on the course as well:

• If you see a funnel cloud nearby, immediately take shelter in the nearest of these two locations:  Chatham Road tunnel OR garage underneath pool house.
• Alert others of the situation
• If lightning is in the area, listen for lightning sirens (located at Maintenance Building and Golf Shop).
• If lightning sirens sound, seek nearest shelter (either Maintenance Building or Clubhouse), and remain inside until the "all-clear" is given.

Prepared by, Curtis Keller

Golf Course Update

The first half of April brought consistently cool, damp, murky weather with little grass growth.  Frost delays and rain events have slowed down the progress of our April project list considerably.  Fortunately, since April 15^th we have been in a warm weather pattern that is optimal for grass growth and aeration healing. 

The greens were aerated using 3/8” hollow tines with 1.25” by 1.50” spacing during the week of April 4^th.  The recent warming trend should expedite the healing process.  Greens will be mowed and rolled dry for the first couple of weeks following aeration, or until sand has been fully incorporated into the canopy.  The aeration process will continue on tees and fairways when weather permits.        

The tees, fairways, and rough are all performing well and we should get into a more routine process of mowing once our April projects are completed.  We have completed our pre-emergent application and begun our post-emergent applications.  The annual bumper crop of clover, dandelions, and other broadleaf weeds is showing up and we will be spraying these aggressively with post-emergent herbicides during late April into May.    Unfortunately, with the perfect weather comes lush, thick and heavy rough grass conditions.  Every year we battle the rough through the spring months.  In addition to our maintenance standards, typically during these times we will shorten the mowing intervals and add a blower to the process to scatter grass clumps. 

The drainage project on numbers 3, 4, and 5 has received a final grading, sodding and seeding is starting to take place. 

In addition to completing general course-wide “spring cleanup”, six dead trees have been removed; including two honey locusts on #12, two oak trees near the pond on #8, a pine tree behind #2 green, and a redbud tree near the old halfway house.  

April Aerification

There are few words that strike greater fear and provoke more misunderstanding in our industry than “aerification”.  Yet properly timed and executed aerification of putting greens yields many positive results for the management of organic matter in the primary root zone, culminating in optimum playing surfaces.  We are scheduled to aerify the front-9 greens on Monday April 4th, and the back-9 greens on Tuesday April 5th, thus allowing the front-9 to be open for golf play on Tuesday.  This year, there will likely be an added challenge of dealing with a frost delay.  We must wait for the frost to completely melt before beginning any work on the golf course turf.  See our previous post on frost, for more information regarding its effect on turfgrass.

In the simplest terms, aerification is the necessary process of punching holes in the greens to allow oxygen, water, and nutrients into the root-zone profile, along with reducing compaction and thatch, which allows for maximum root growth.  Topdressing greens with sand (filling in the holes and adding new sand into the root-zone mix) aids in the recovery and growth process, along with smoothing out the surface.  These agronomic practices will ensure long-term health of the greens and prepare them for the summer stress of our climate.

Once greens have been completed, we will begin aerifying tees and fairways.  We will not be closing the golf course during this process, but will schedule this work to have as minimal impact on golf play as possible.

Recovery Periods

Following the aforementioned invasive but critical agronomic practices, the golf course needs roughly two to three weeks to “grow-in” and return to the standard of conditioning that Illini Country Club’s members and guests require.  During this time, you may experience softer, slower, bumpier greens containing many sand-filled holes.  Once the surfaces have sufficiently healed, greens will dramatically improve in firmness and ball-speed.  We understand that is an inconvenience for golfers, but keep in mind that the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary disruptions.

Thank you for your support of our agronomic practices and programs.  Because of your support, and the excellent execution by our golf course maintenance team, Illini Country Club will continue to provide premium playing conditions to its members and guests.

Prepared by, Curtis Keller

Golf Course Update

February 2016 was the most abnormally warm month ever recorded, topping January 2016.  This warming trend allowed us to open the golf course on March 5^th,  marking it one of the earliest official openings to date.  Currently,  growing degree days are tracking well ahead of average years.  This is making it challenging for the Green Department crew to keep up with the quick spring like progressions.  Usually the transition from winter to spring is a slow gradual development, allowing us to fully prepare the golf course for play.  2016 has been the exception. Record breaking warm days and warm nights have soil temperatures on the rise creating a quick green up. 

During the last few weeks the Green Department has been scrambling to get the golf course brought up to playable conditions.  To expedite the golf course preparation process we have brought back some of the seasonal crew members earlier than normal.  All playing surfaces have been mowed at least once.  Greens have also been rolled for smoothness and consistency. The first few mows will be considerably higher than our normal, in season mowing heights.  The objective is to slowly cut off the old winterized leaf tissue at the tops of the plants.  This will prevent the grass from going into shock and possibly re-winterizing during the cooler nights and early mornings.  Once debris cleanup is completed, we will move to bunker rehabilitation.  Bunkers will be decontaminated, edged and sand depths will be evaluated.  Sand will be added and/or redistributed as needed throughout the bunker to maintain a consistent depth and fair playing conditions. 

Spring aeration will begin Monday, April 4^th.  Greens and sand based tees will be core aerated, while native soiled tees and fairways will be solid deep tined.  On Monday, April 4th, the front nine greens will be aerated followed by the back nine greens on Tuesday, April 5th.  On Tuesday, April 5th, the back nine will be closed for golf play.  However, the front nine will remain open.

Golf Course Conditions

The weather this winter has been extremely unpredictable with abnormal temperature swings, flooding events and very little snowfall.  As far as the golf course conditions, the grass on the greens, tees and fairways are coming through winter with a little more growth than usual; however, no signs of winter damage.  The forecast for the next three to four days will be a great start to the thawing and firming process the golf course must go through every late winter and early spring before opening.  The greens must be completely thawed and firm enough to support foot traffic without damaging the crown and root systems of the turf plants.  The Green Department is working hard to finish “shop work” and will begin golf course work Thursday or Friday.  The Green Department crew will focus its efforts on clearing debris in selected dryer/firmer areas and then move to the playing surfaces when conditions allow.  With a warming trend in the fifteen day forecast and with a little luck, the golf course will be open sooner than later.  In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the golf course greens on a daily basis and keep the membership updated on potential opening dates.