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