tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53833860938796191622024-02-20T22:57:23.851-08:00Kenosha Country Club Grounds UpdatesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-83488647965471196542012-04-06T07:25:00.001-07:002012-04-06T07:29:06.933-07:00Back to reality, unfortunatelyWell, we all knew that the weather we had in March, even near the lake, was too good to be true. This morning (Apr 6) was our first significant frost event of 2012 and it looks like we have the opportunity for a few more in the next 7-10 days. We had been on regular mowing schedules but it appears that may be changing soon as well. <br /><br />The good news is that the sun is shining and there is only a gently breeze right now. The bad news is that it seems like this month is going to continue along this same pattern of sub average temperatures. Look for the grounds crew to continue clearing the out of play areas like behind the pool, along 10, 4, and back to 5 and 15 to improve upon the work we did last season.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-91305815276385384712012-03-07T14:01:00.002-08:002012-03-07T14:06:09.397-08:00A little update, and a little humorWhile deciding to leave the covers on for another day due to excessive wind I was anxious to take a look and what was happening under the cover. First of all the good news, from what I could see, all is well under there. Now for the funny image taken by a sales rep who was going to help out with the covers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxiPH6hUU0yswFy6MbQEOpgoMJ_06_FHYiD90iWkWuGO5-ZMNBeEiMSbebGBonTGBom6pQfIApU0frrLaTC8Kx8nxzwCPcQh2F5yWDS6amfvEdvBgraxHBBCZhZFpT_27yM4UtMCAgvA/s1600/IMG-20120307-00032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxiPH6hUU0yswFy6MbQEOpgoMJ_06_FHYiD90iWkWuGO5-ZMNBeEiMSbebGBonTGBom6pQfIApU0frrLaTC8Kx8nxzwCPcQh2F5yWDS6amfvEdvBgraxHBBCZhZFpT_27yM4UtMCAgvA/s400/IMG-20120307-00032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717279782906750546" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-5416612486982215532012-01-24T13:33:00.000-08:002012-01-24T13:49:17.719-08:00How the winter is treating us thus farI thought I'd take a minute to quickly let anyone who is interested know how the course is fairing so far this winter. With the lack of snow and extreme cold through most of the winter to this point, the grass has had plenty of opportunity to take in the sunlight and that is a good thing, great when considering it is usually covered in snow for the past 8 weeks. <br /><br />With recent snow, rain, freeze, thaw cycles we have gotten some ice build-up in the valleys of the greens. On Monday (Jan 23) Nate and I spent most of the day pushing water and snow through the low portions of the greens and opening up the fronts for drainage from the melting ice and snow. With sunlight today and temperatures above freezing predicted for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the remaining ice should melt off nicely and roll off the greens or be absorbed into the soil depending on the thaw.<br /><br />Pictures always speak louder than words so here are a few shots from around the course yesterday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eWqw9on1cat0WvEKmufwb46jYgtCYStRz9b3rMqDBUj5pA7FLPNq-o6D4yk5u-jCRg2jmOT0BbwQRIamz6NNI272cTT2jdNSDEofpO9yj3qaoMqMZo3Q_aKtCMnPrqbpRCBj-TMwIoM/s1600/%25233+green.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eWqw9on1cat0WvEKmufwb46jYgtCYStRz9b3rMqDBUj5pA7FLPNq-o6D4yk5u-jCRg2jmOT0BbwQRIamz6NNI272cTT2jdNSDEofpO9yj3qaoMqMZo3Q_aKtCMnPrqbpRCBj-TMwIoM/s400/%25233+green.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701317298193192146" /></a> This is a picture of #3 green. You will also notice all of the footprints that are solid ice, we have put ropes around this green to prevent this exact problem. If you come out to walk the course or go sledding please stay off of the green.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2Rviq6hQBsrBsY6Rj3QjLT04DcqmI-AV_1eq6maWnGTXZ0i59hYPMcy9SE_f7uF7hZUWpAs1TEzB4D-W5T7xub0tyFvHSryrduUCj_1c6zP6QBEpM1xMCu8E0Q5DvvZVK_vTEBuR2LE/s1600/%252314+green.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2Rviq6hQBsrBsY6Rj3QjLT04DcqmI-AV_1eq6maWnGTXZ0i59hYPMcy9SE_f7uF7hZUWpAs1TEzB4D-W5T7xub0tyFvHSryrduUCj_1c6zP6QBEpM1xMCu8E0Q5DvvZVK_vTEBuR2LE/s400/%252314+green.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701318132225311074" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />#14 green<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Just a few shots, I have a feeling that things will look greatly different later in the week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-37339917921056874642011-08-24T07:01:00.000-07:002011-08-24T08:48:17.075-07:00US AmateurI realize that I have been absent from this blog for most of the season but I thought this was worth mentioning. Yesterday after work my Assistant Nate and I went up to Blue Mound Golf and Country Club to watch the second round of stroke play for the US Amateur (two days of stroke play are used as a qualifier for the match play that will ultimately determine the winner). The stroke play was split between Erin Hills (the title host of the tournament) and Blue Mound Golf and CC in Wauwatosa, WI.
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<br />Since I am a bit of a golf architecture geek, the opportunity to see a Seth Raynor designed course was an easy decision to drive an hour, and it didn't disappoint. I wish I could post pictures but all I had with me was my camera phone and with overcast conditions that camera didn't do justice to any of the pictures I took. After seeing that golf course my constant reaction to the golf course and greens complexes especially was WOW! Incredible movement across the putting surfaces, awesome bunkering, just amazing to see a great course that has been restored and maintained to near original design. This trip was a treat indeed.
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<br />ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-72838599776896317962011-05-02T14:24:00.000-07:002011-05-02T14:55:29.972-07:00Cultural Practices!Days like today are without a doubt some of my favorite days of the year. I was already smiling at 5:30 this morning when I saw a clear sky awaited us for the day, but there was more good news to come... this was a day of some of my favorite cultural practices on our greens. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbtwKXGLmolpH8XjfNv11AO4cwuvGjs1Gvp7TAAi0bpLiN_sTIu3DdcBs_o4bCurhpRNk9Mj7JpclraIuSfulY88yGcWssDfHj-eMbbBfjnDjM0SNeWicjrCGv1E-7aGzwCQRzlI2k-U/s1600/Greens+Brushed.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbtwKXGLmolpH8XjfNv11AO4cwuvGjs1Gvp7TAAi0bpLiN_sTIu3DdcBs_o4bCurhpRNk9Mj7JpclraIuSfulY88yGcWssDfHj-eMbbBfjnDjM0SNeWicjrCGv1E-7aGzwCQRzlI2k-U/s400/Greens+Brushed.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602236973903825394" /></a><br />We started the morning by brushing the greens to stand up the longer grass that is laying down below the reels on the mower. Right after they were brushed we mowed with our regular walk behind greens mowers to cut off all the grass that is now standing upright, this usually results in removing at least twice as much than if we had not brushed them. This is evident in the picture at the left where you can see the right half has yet to be mowed and the left side is much lighter in color after removing a LOT of extra growth. This is a practice that we will continue to use through the season to maintain smooth greens free of too much lateral growth.<br /><br />The next step in the process was to verticut (vertical mow) the greens, this again is to remove excess lateral growth. This is a process that has been used here at Kenosha CC for many years, however, this year over the winter we purchased new blades which make the practice much more effective. Last year with the old blades we were simply cutting a line in the green but not effectively removing any material, this year we needed a cart to follow the machine to continually empty the clippings from the baskets. After the verticut mower went across the green we mowed it again with a riding greens mower to remove any standing debris and blew the rest of the remaining clippings into the rough. <br /><br />At this point we are about half way done with the process... next was to topdress liberally with sand. There are a few reasons for this, one is to smooth the surface from both the verticutters as well as any ball marks or other imperfections. After we spread the sand we drag it in with a brush pulled by a utility cart. Finally we spread fertilizer to encourage new growth and an overall healthy plant and water the greens for 10 minutes to help the sand settle as well as wash the fertilizer into the turf canopy for uptake by the roots.<br /><br />It was a long and busy day but in the end very successful. Great day to be a Golf Course Superintendent!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-27819823375250170282011-04-20T07:39:00.001-07:002011-04-20T07:43:14.742-07:00How about this weather!?!?I know by now that I shouldn't be surprised by the weather patterns that we experience here in the Upper Midwest but low and behold it happened on Monday, April 18. Below is the photo proof.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ktJ4wxDbbn3iPIGLSLLq838w0sVzzYI8j8zU8zkVVioAYAmPJ4HfYRqLoQrPTjwgBFMrvdHnnS1g2L6k6_lOSOKYgRIrWvexBDNPWbD9luYEAIG0m8bynByy2r9N6L2_PVUe63KYGA8/s1600/Looking+onto+course+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ktJ4wxDbbn3iPIGLSLLq838w0sVzzYI8j8zU8zkVVioAYAmPJ4HfYRqLoQrPTjwgBFMrvdHnnS1g2L6k6_lOSOKYgRIrWvexBDNPWbD9luYEAIG0m8bynByy2r9N6L2_PVUe63KYGA8/s400/Looking+onto+course+%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597675991725710370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNioIAFgkmfhA17yRscogzCXAGKlBa0-U0lFxN5p2lfPKuLT-HeursgAy5cz9lDAVQuYl-LPXdY2Dw9NaVkqk3iCw-ClYlwVs8wmqsud78C_AA6sYpduPpmj20tua2Ygn5NJtJLFAHGA/s1600/Looking+onto+course+%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNioIAFgkmfhA17yRscogzCXAGKlBa0-U0lFxN5p2lfPKuLT-HeursgAy5cz9lDAVQuYl-LPXdY2Dw9NaVkqk3iCw-ClYlwVs8wmqsud78C_AA6sYpduPpmj20tua2Ygn5NJtJLFAHGA/s400/Looking+onto+course+%25281%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597675747821388418" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-88088487735623400052011-04-05T10:36:00.000-07:002011-04-05T10:59:13.979-07:00Farmlinks ExperienceAt the end of March I was offered the opportunity to attend an educational opportunity called The Farmlinks Experience (www.farmlinks.org). It is hosted at a property owned and operated by the Pursell family and is located in Sylacauga, Alabama. This property is a functioning golf course open to limited public play but more importantly is used as a research and education facility for Golf Course Superintendents from across the country and around the world. <br /><br /><br />Our trip began on Wednesday March 23 and we arrived on property at about noon. We were taken to our humble cabin seen in the photo below situated behind the 17th green.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60cP4OGUwiZnv360I8rbKnDn18y6utuXBZPXW-zXQdfxVyTapu4euoIybU6VxKG57XRTLT-Rr-ZYDXsXHeFcVaxVZkPEKCxEVrtwccScsglRX50B_oZQSe0iXO8LBmGUBmuU8eXa1-Ag/s1600/%252317+and+cabin.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60cP4OGUwiZnv360I8rbKnDn18y6utuXBZPXW-zXQdfxVyTapu4euoIybU6VxKG57XRTLT-Rr-ZYDXsXHeFcVaxVZkPEKCxEVrtwccScsglRX50B_oZQSe0iXO8LBmGUBmuU8eXa1-Ag/s400/%252317+and+cabin.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592157745949139842" /></a>Wednesday we had class for about 3 hours before having some leisure time to enjoy fishing or golfing. <br /><br />Thursday was a full morning of education including both classroom time as well as a course tour with Agronomist Mark Langner who told us all about how the property was build as well as the how's and why's they use certain products. After education on Thursday we were given time to play golf and experience a course that is fantastically designed into the existing landscape by the firm of Hurdzan and Fry.<br /><br />This is really an amazing experience and I was fortunate to be invited. It's a great opportunity to spend some time with other superintendents, asking them their thoughts and ideas and how's/why's of their programs. We had time to relax and recharge but also spent upwards of 10 hours in the classroom over 3 days as well as an on the course tour. Lots of good education, meet and reunite with colleagues from around Chicago and come back with new ideas.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-26555248515241132232011-03-07T09:56:00.000-08:002011-03-07T10:04:14.554-08:00AerificationThe USGA recently published a great article that outlines the importance of greens aeration that serves to explain just why this is still a necessary part of a good greens maintenance program. Each year we try to get more and more out of our putting greens while reducing the inputs that can temporarily disrupt play such as aeration. This article explains why we can't cut back on this necessary program.<br /><br />http://turf.lib.msu.edu/gsr/article/bevard-putting-3-4-11.pdf<br /><br />ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-46170178036547967802011-02-21T10:31:00.000-08:002011-02-21T12:03:10.567-08:00Snow Melt, February 2011This could be considered an addendum to my post from a few weeks ago (Snow and Ice Management from January 31) and I will treat it as such. Through the week of February 14-18 we experienced a considerable warm-up and melting of almost all of the snow that had accumulated this year. The downside to what we experienced is that as the snow melts it obviously leaves behind water that at times has trouble leaving putting surfaces. To aid in the water getting off of the surface we have been attempting to move the snow out of the lower portion of the greens where the ice tends to form. Below is an example of that from our 8th green.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegfrHFOd3yYsSecALvfeWh_7MuRT_QPPSlB6EsTuHL2rpv_8uDqms_u5V8HWTHoNhHdy34H6G7YERvx2Z1T9_vG1RuNr01E3hF46iVgKLFwJvQNxOPtJ_AePA-cpc7tF2X262YyJ1eto/s1600/%25238+green+toward+tee.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegfrHFOd3yYsSecALvfeWh_7MuRT_QPPSlB6EsTuHL2rpv_8uDqms_u5V8HWTHoNhHdy34H6G7YERvx2Z1T9_vG1RuNr01E3hF46iVgKLFwJvQNxOPtJ_AePA-cpc7tF2X262YyJ1eto/s400/%25238+green+toward+tee.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576216405227695058" /></a> As you can see from this picture, as I pushed the snow to the higher part of the green it drains to the low then off the front of the green. The low areas are where we experienced damage last year and those are the areas that we want to prevent ice build-up.<br /><br />As the snow melts, it drains down the front of the green and at times hits a bit of a problem at the front of the green where there is a slight rise in the grade of the green running into the approach. In the fall of 2011 we spend a lot of time stripping sod from the edge of the green into the approaches to gain this surface drainage back that had been lost from years of topdressing. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8XYXoRWhR3QnDH1kzDWUA2nG1EIjM09w5DdkL5MUXdbLxVoTiTvo2S7gb78SqjOFFCNgBB4RRaVQhen7Yx6ZSQtYBG2cX6kFB_4Rq1cEZ8DALqAFt7_g6ZmZ5-YDeDVhoPdMSefFtwE/s1600/Trench+%25231+green.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8XYXoRWhR3QnDH1kzDWUA2nG1EIjM09w5DdkL5MUXdbLxVoTiTvo2S7gb78SqjOFFCNgBB4RRaVQhen7Yx6ZSQtYBG2cX6kFB_4Rq1cEZ8DALqAFt7_g6ZmZ5-YDeDVhoPdMSefFtwE/s400/Trench+%25231+green.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576231542989020290" /></a>In many of those areas the green is draining very well and in others a small amount of sod work will need to happen going as much as 6" to 1' onto the green to get the grade sloping down the entire way onto the approach. In areas where the grade isn't steep enough I have taken a shovel and cut a trench in order to get the water to move more quickly off of the surface. In the image above the trench was cut on Thursday when there was a large puddle sitting on the green, the picture was taken on Friday and as you can see all of the water has drained off. I realize that these are unsightly and will be for a few weeks into the golf season, I think it is a small price to pay if we are able to keep the putting surface alive as a result.<br /><br />ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-50459178369043567582011-01-31T09:58:00.000-08:002011-01-31T11:11:57.662-08:00Snow and Ice ManagementIn an effort to prevent the damages that we experienced in 2009-2010, my Assistant Nate and I have been spending quite a bit of time on the course monitoring the greens specifically and taking preventative and corrective measures to minimize the possibility of damage like what we experienced last year. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIDarhmdv7OXShXK9j1UpB_LQye8j-QnIuYQ2U0bg6YUNFWOuumY6NK_qQE_VvfZZTpOoFK3C-Oyi_sFeqim3XPnD4x0kMQLVvbYFgmIfl_-xjln332UH3XhkvZ4hK5OeTWrQFS-_0q8/s1600/%252312+cover%252C+landscape.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIDarhmdv7OXShXK9j1UpB_LQye8j-QnIuYQ2U0bg6YUNFWOuumY6NK_qQE_VvfZZTpOoFK3C-Oyi_sFeqim3XPnD4x0kMQLVvbYFgmIfl_-xjln332UH3XhkvZ4hK5OeTWrQFS-_0q8/s400/%252312+cover%252C+landscape.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568415065527487618" /></a><br />Starting on November 19, with the help of two assistants from the Merit Club we were able to get non-permeable covers installed on greens 10 and 12. These covers began in Minnesota where numerous people install hockey rinks in their yards and the cover was used to prevent the death of the yard under 4" of ice. From there they grew into successful covers for greens throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin where large ice accumulation can occur. <br /><br />The photo at the left shows the final stakes being put in place to hold the cover in place for the winter. This is a big process which requires a lot of manpower to get accomplished not only due to the size and weight of the covers but also the foam matting that goes underneath the cover. Before the cover goes down, we first have to unroll 9 foot wide rolls of packing foam across the entire green before the main cover goes down. This is to allow some cushioning and allow for gas exchange underneath the cover. On top of the foam layer, we ran a flat vent tube with holes every 3 feet that we can attach to a blower and circulate air under the cover.<br /><br /><br />Up until the end of December, the year had been going along almost exactly and we would prefer with cold temperatures and frozen ground underneath a blanket of snow. December 29, 30, and 31 brought us a new challenge however when the temperatures warmed enough to melt nearly all of the snow that had fallen to that point in the year. On December 31, Nate and I spent the day going from green to green to squeegee water off that had been left behind from the melting snow. The day was going well until we reached number 5 green and found snow cover with approximately 1" of water right at the surface of the green... we knew this would freeze by the next morning if we didn't remove it now. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27ahBYO2hZbyA9-vvXXIASdStpKki5VJxtfwHfnNfvNVFmjooLF8Tgq74BcvXm1scrq4hP6SyB4oP7B67dOmw_bmIag4O8MevGh4HCOMmA1n6LmG8eyntLWQQReZ2ntqe-yrKMEQS8yQ/s1600/12-31-2010+%25235+green.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27ahBYO2hZbyA9-vvXXIASdStpKki5VJxtfwHfnNfvNVFmjooLF8Tgq74BcvXm1scrq4hP6SyB4oP7B67dOmw_bmIag4O8MevGh4HCOMmA1n6LmG8eyntLWQQReZ2ntqe-yrKMEQS8yQ/s400/12-31-2010+%25235+green.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568424734411420914" /></a><br />The picture at left shows the water logged center section of the green which we were able to push off with the squeegee, the rest of the snow we had to push off with shovels in order to assure that further melting didn't cause ice problems.<br /><br />After we cleared nearly all of #5 green of snow and water it was beginning to rain so we hurried to #4 which is suspected may be in similar condition with snow and water covering the surface, unfortunately I was right. Below are photos of # 4 green from December 31 and then from January 5 and you can see the benefit that clearing the snow and water had, on the right side of the green there is no ice accumulation, unfortunately as you can see there is a bit on the left side from the rain that fell later in the evening on December 31.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOU8kqcuVeasMXucareMnWUkayDglrssAgwqwxs7DBsYoiuqyLCyb8ndCJVk1nvBoxxG6MVaEPoN7KVPNi5S7529IbTMSiwLJW0h8cfMJL5GVP6N6vWdCkNeJLhnc4G4e5uh6nVN90Ik/s1600/12-31-2010+%25234+green.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOU8kqcuVeasMXucareMnWUkayDglrssAgwqwxs7DBsYoiuqyLCyb8ndCJVk1nvBoxxG6MVaEPoN7KVPNi5S7529IbTMSiwLJW0h8cfMJL5GVP6N6vWdCkNeJLhnc4G4e5uh6nVN90Ik/s400/12-31-2010+%25234+green.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568428862789810914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCir-2WY4B4xf3xYpRs3vDfLbztgMz5JsMmTQZIhrLUdNDFawVFuyKjpk_ZJuF-SO702-7KgdKnVeSr7eTfvL8DOdHsGk_D4SOF9QbetMEcMUqdMZPkzJBc_13oHUHWYsyO8nD4H7OZg/s1600/1-5-2011+%25234+green.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCir-2WY4B4xf3xYpRs3vDfLbztgMz5JsMmTQZIhrLUdNDFawVFuyKjpk_ZJuF-SO702-7KgdKnVeSr7eTfvL8DOdHsGk_D4SOF9QbetMEcMUqdMZPkzJBc_13oHUHWYsyO8nD4H7OZg/s400/1-5-2011+%25234+green.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568429075007180994" /></a><br /><br />At this point on the last day of January, we appear to be well ahead of the position we were in a year ago. There is a small amount of ice on #4 and 5 greens which we have attempted to melt and remove and ultimately we resorted to puncturing the layer of ice so the Carbon Dioxide can escape. Now we hope that the snow that is on the way doesn't melt and refreeze anytime before March and we should have a much better start to the 2011 season.<br /><br />ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-21168498736646132722010-12-21T12:17:00.001-08:002010-12-21T12:33:33.814-08:00Snow, not ice... this is a good thing!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAlUa1umHH6Tduo2-7X8eeA5uO1JZaGp3NoKG3qmxRoeQqFoDmLE8iUYlhslqche0-UmPtGnNVrGJkk5Zw3s_Py4LIIdtSFRxyy1J16MCB-ihYhzbSigm0ksqXuP1pBTcnO51Spjnn7w/s1600/snow+on+%25234+green.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAlUa1umHH6Tduo2-7X8eeA5uO1JZaGp3NoKG3qmxRoeQqFoDmLE8iUYlhslqche0-UmPtGnNVrGJkk5Zw3s_Py4LIIdtSFRxyy1J16MCB-ihYhzbSigm0ksqXuP1pBTcnO51Spjnn7w/s400/snow+on+%25234+green.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553236299956091858" /></a><br />I receive questions nearly every week asking how the current weather is affecting the greens. In determining the health of the greens, it is important to understand the different forces that can impact the grass negatively and understand what the ideal situation is. For us, the best thing that can happen is to experience a period of time with below 32 degrees to allow the ground to fully freeze then follow that up with a blanket of snow for insulation. In this scenario the snow acts as a blanket against the extreme cold that we experience here in the upper Midwest.<br /><br />One of the difficulties in determining the health of the plant is that we are dealing with a living breathing organism and it is difficult for me to say exactly what is happening. I can only answer based upon what scientific data shows along with my instincts and experience. What I can tell you right now is that we are not currently experiencing any ice cover on the greens here at Kenosha Country Club, there was a small amount on the front right portion of #9 green but that has since been removed. Most of the greens have at least 70% snow cover and many are entirely blanketed which is a beneficial, natural insulation.<br /><br />The snow that we are currently experiencing (December 21, 2010) has covered the golf course and we will have to wait a few days to determine if it is all good or if some has formed into ice.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-19410430207401968222010-11-30T08:19:00.000-08:002010-11-30T09:02:19.299-08:00Damage Caused by Storms October 26, 2010As most of you probably know and experienced, on October 26 and 27 we had two days of very high winds and thankfully got away pretty luckily with little damage to the golf course and none to any of the buildings. This was the storm system that eventually produced a tornado that ripped a large section of roof off of the Case plant in Sturtevant, WI. Here at Kenosha CC we had many small branches down and a few larger ones but the biggest damage was a willow tree that fell on our 10th tee box. A picture is work at thousand words so I'll let them do the talking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHpgnHZzBVpOBdvmMQb1gAV0OtQTvOHfkvvJLacuzQNqhM7fEUeVqqaEqnRlpoRIsDcxj-K0xz4HdiwdsLaaDPaNIm6PN8FNCX_GaLY1i7RE26IjQmbSxJzBDXt1OX62BSulE4Z9mMPY/s1600/Close-up+of+uprooted+portion.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHpgnHZzBVpOBdvmMQb1gAV0OtQTvOHfkvvJLacuzQNqhM7fEUeVqqaEqnRlpoRIsDcxj-K0xz4HdiwdsLaaDPaNIm6PN8FNCX_GaLY1i7RE26IjQmbSxJzBDXt1OX62BSulE4Z9mMPY/s400/Close-up+of+uprooted+portion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545388013263873570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25pzJXOALndTR2fGxP5xqxzi2W4vFx5moaMotI3qkUktkuqa3ipX3QDfWh7yF4AyTg99ZHVr2O373ctkZ1G4PkjnM8UXEsAd7raUmrXJwhci07zwGXzYcd-sHlo28xxRNETjLdNsHoJ8/s1600/From+behind+18+green%252C+better.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25pzJXOALndTR2fGxP5xqxzi2W4vFx5moaMotI3qkUktkuqa3ipX3QDfWh7yF4AyTg99ZHVr2O373ctkZ1G4PkjnM8UXEsAd7raUmrXJwhci07zwGXzYcd-sHlo28xxRNETjLdNsHoJ8/s400/From+behind+18+green%252C+better.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545387710004628370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZLMLY0KaeyfbLmF3vd_fu9T24kVkTM-i_p3OfrTsN0IibcG1HGYqyXhfswPnYFpdvFfjG61wRCSo8nHezk0PjlLYCKHxHiYabgdQhFOVI2kPZ9r_QODE-Ckc4bIbagzyZ_8RxeVoFD4/s1600/Nate+in+front+of+tree%252C+close-up.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZLMLY0KaeyfbLmF3vd_fu9T24kVkTM-i_p3OfrTsN0IibcG1HGYqyXhfswPnYFpdvFfjG61wRCSo8nHezk0PjlLYCKHxHiYabgdQhFOVI2kPZ9r_QODE-Ckc4bIbagzyZ_8RxeVoFD4/s400/Nate+in+front+of+tree%252C+close-up.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545386782817448402" /></a><br /><br />For a point of reference, in the final picture that is Nate our Assistant Superintendent and he is 6' tall.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-78850900178345073662010-11-09T06:31:00.001-08:002010-11-09T07:15:31.727-08:00Roots say: "AAAHHHHHH We can BREATH!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLw7ova8CYXZvem1s4ZmujHykiPBxvdBkz-oEzSPe92SxJ5GnRG-vz3j4_w_xcV3Hcmo6_4DMNo6NLIsdoLeFGWGaaK9AWVOuQhBhPh_e06Mt_IKJVrpdwAMj7rkLrUuxH_1ga7_FP5o/s1600/Deep+tine+001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLw7ova8CYXZvem1s4ZmujHykiPBxvdBkz-oEzSPe92SxJ5GnRG-vz3j4_w_xcV3Hcmo6_4DMNo6NLIsdoLeFGWGaaK9AWVOuQhBhPh_e06Mt_IKJVrpdwAMj7rkLrUuxH_1ga7_FP5o/s400/Deep+tine+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537560965403066338" /></a> A handful of times throughout the year I have utilized comparisons between the human body and the grass plant to better explain the goals that we have as turf managers. The crown of the plant is the brain and the roots are the vital organs. The blades of grass serve similar function to peoples skin, it utilizes sunlight to absorb nutrients, protects the plant, and can also be cut and allow pathogens and infections into the plant. This being the case, we can have a putting green that looks good but in fact isn't nearly as healthy as it appears, just as a 25 year old person can look great but isn't nearly as healthy as they appear because that person doesn't exercise, smokes, drinks too much, and has a poor diet. My goal as a turf manager is to get the plant as healthy and that means growing the roots, the past two days we have taken the biggest step to getting truly healthy roots.... Deep Tine Aeration.<br /><br />The machine we are using this time is a Toro ProCore SR54-S, it is mounted on the back of a tractor and it punches a hole into the ground 1/2" in diameter and goes 8" into the soil profile. What this is going to do for us is to create a channel down into the profile that will allow for water and oxygen exchange and give those roots a place to grow unobstructed. Longer roots means that we will have a stronger plant, a stronger plant means it will be better suited to handle the stress of the summer. This process will be happening again in the spring when the roots are most actively growing and really give us an advantage going into the summer that these greens haven't seen in 5 or 6 years. Our greens have now started their cardio workout in preparation for running the marathon that is a golf season in the Midwest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-11096748911808779422010-09-21T08:43:00.001-07:002010-09-21T08:56:50.464-07:00Recovery from weather damaged areas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUY_IUMf-n5hIewLxDH4CukTYCzDjMiGXaky-3DqVrHe2JwBHsR9mGjahqswxrfuuZTeNcu20qVUzjifwp-VUAhenSesb5GilsjGJkMQo9AqnRtRsv5haRTiop32j8afJouiXd1GNeE8/s1600/%2310+eye+level+no+flash+(zoom).JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUY_IUMf-n5hIewLxDH4CukTYCzDjMiGXaky-3DqVrHe2JwBHsR9mGjahqswxrfuuZTeNcu20qVUzjifwp-VUAhenSesb5GilsjGJkMQo9AqnRtRsv5haRTiop32j8afJouiXd1GNeE8/s400/%2310+eye+level+no+flash+(zoom).JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519395761645937682" /></a><br />As many of you already know 2010 has been a year of constant recovery for those of us on the golf course. Here at Kenosha CC we started in March and April trying to recover numerous greens that had sustained anywhere from 50% to 80% weather damage from a harsh winter. We worked diligently getting new seed into those greens and without ever closing a green to play we were able to have pretty good recovery, until the middle part of July when sustained heat and humidity once again set us backward. <br /><br />It is due to the weather in the 3rd week of July that our 10th green suffered the worst damage and why we ultimately decided to remove both 10 and 12 from play temporarily and give new seed the best opportunity to survive going into the winter. Our process included creating slits in the greens with a Mataway seeder, applying seed with a fertilizer carrier, spiking the seed into holes, topdressing with sand, rolling the greens with a small drum roller, and finally keeping the seedbed damp. The final step was made more difficult from an 8" mainline leak going over the #16 bridge and during this time we kept the seed damp with an old sprayer with a hose fitted to it.<br /><br />Now we are 8 days removed from the seeding date and the recovery is going very well as seen in the photos below.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-69119284600559761682010-07-28T06:31:00.000-07:002010-07-28T06:46:33.575-07:00First year fun!I found some time this morning to finally update the blog for the first time in a few months. Without a doubt this year has been an interesting one, for starters I came out to the course in March to find 5 greens that were at least half dead which wasn't the start that I was looking for. My 6th day on the job we began trying to rid the greens of ice including manual removal as well as snow blowing the greens and applying gypsum to melt the ice down. Both worked but were too little too late, the damage had been done as seen below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQHiaa1xLL2PWV0ZB-3vS0uZpNYUs02JhQMMPLiewKCP6uYPsP8VRALMdJTjlCrakdHHZ8TD2HuGuIGiqABBGCQ3ZWP5MGQM85VYz5KXbQAAcrmvMWQbW6lmQL-imh2fGp2Up_fYJEKQ/s1600/fivegreen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQHiaa1xLL2PWV0ZB-3vS0uZpNYUs02JhQMMPLiewKCP6uYPsP8VRALMdJTjlCrakdHHZ8TD2HuGuIGiqABBGCQ3ZWP5MGQM85VYz5KXbQAAcrmvMWQbW6lmQL-imh2fGp2Up_fYJEKQ/s320/fivegreen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498950048942663778" /></a><br /><br />A wet June meant not much for root growth, ours currently are anywhere from 1/2" stretching all the way down to 2" which didn't help us much as July has been HOT! Oh and our assistant left us the first of the month.<br /><br />Now we are closing in on surviving July and the central for the irrigation system is down and the local distributor doesn't have parts in stock to get us running but that doesn't matter because the electronic butterfly valve that regulates flow out of the pumphouse is stuck closed for some reason so even if the central was working we couldn't push water anyway. <br /><br />How do we deal with it? Trash pump hooked up to the line we use to winterize the system in the fall. We are working on setting that up right now and in a short time we will be hand watering the greens with the pressure from the trash pump.<br /><br />What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger, I really hope this makes me stronger!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-84792692494989263812010-04-22T07:41:00.000-07:002010-04-22T08:20:10.934-07:00Beginning the Recovery Processv<br /><br />This week some of you may have noticed that we have begun the recovery process to get newer and better grass to fill in where the winter had taken it's toll. The reason that I stress NEWER and BETTER grass is because as with most things, technology is helping develop grass varieties that can withstand stress better. They are more disease resistant, require less fertilizer, and can handle extremes in temperature better which leads to less winter damage. The greens here at Kenosha Country Club are mostly poa Annua or Annual Bluegrass, this is a very opportunistic plant that has an amazing ability to fill a void in weak or dead turf. Nobody did anything wrong that resulted in the course being comprised of mostly poa Annua, it is just what happens over time and until very recently there was no real way to get rid of it short of killing the green and starting from scratch. Now there are chemicals as well as fertility programs that will encourage the stronger bentgrass while discouraging the weaker poa Annua. A newer course like Strawberry Creek is able to take advantage of this and along with the newer chemical technology can virtually guarantee that the weaker grass (poa Annua) will never intrude into the pure bentgrass stand. The other way to accomplish this is like Westmoor CC did and shut down for a number of months to kill the greens and start over.<br /><br />Starting now with the practices that we are taking on, my goal is to increase the population of bentgrass to the point where our winter injury is minimized because there is a stronger plant there. We will be doing a number of things to accomplish this and the first step started a week ago with spike seeding and continues with slit seeding on Monday April 19.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZnpcNzglpXUz8bwgf6viaZujtnE-DERFtnB0g54j47A1NxoAfFGlE9XVokspSUt631mgBIiilzFqnN_dci0JZJ4sslYnmAe4Dijybb4XEePPKAW4bjUHwkGcln6tET_2NEMpBvdettE/s1600/spike+holes"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZnpcNzglpXUz8bwgf6viaZujtnE-DERFtnB0g54j47A1NxoAfFGlE9XVokspSUt631mgBIiilzFqnN_dci0JZJ4sslYnmAe4Dijybb4XEePPKAW4bjUHwkGcln6tET_2NEMpBvdettE/s320/spike+holes" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462980058651561650" /></a><br /><br />This image shows the small holes left by a small hand seeder, the process was to spike the area, spread some seed, then spike the area again to work the seed into as many holes as possible. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJT_bJz5bujCmypRB7OhWIbWX7FFs3oXa09iL-z_ewtqfn-EpNOaR2p6C_jIfXP7yD_NTiCz89F3CYJdX_7DfDCaG2Pe6OE2yF3g2vWohmFA7VSXpNsl4XaJnQWg38t7j7m6I9HU2acmc/s1600/verticutting+pic"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJT_bJz5bujCmypRB7OhWIbWX7FFs3oXa09iL-z_ewtqfn-EpNOaR2p6C_jIfXP7yD_NTiCz89F3CYJdX_7DfDCaG2Pe6OE2yF3g2vWohmFA7VSXpNsl4XaJnQWg38t7j7m6I9HU2acmc/s320/verticutting+pic" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462980602109567010" /></a><br /><br />This shows the vertical mowing or verticutting that was done on Monday. This is the best option for wide area seeding at this point in time because it allows the turf to remain smooth while creating channels for the seed to drop into.<br /><br />All of this is to start a seed bank that will be ready to go when the soil temperature gets up to the necessary 55 degrees. The trick is that just hitting the magic 55 number isn't the all, we need that to sustain over a period of a week or more for the seed to remain viable. Given this, we will continue to seed these areas as frequently as once a week until the greens are fully recovered and at that point we can get into our standard maintenance practices and work toward perfect putting surfaces. Until then rest assured that we will do all we can to maintain smooth surfaces until the greens have recovered.<br /><br />Keep your fingers crossed that the weather warms up, the faster that happens the sooner the golf course will be pristine.<br /><br />ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-46178398910541208062010-03-30T06:46:00.000-07:002010-03-30T07:45:32.453-07:00Into the looking glassAs the weather seemingly is taking a more permanent turn for the better, I am able to get a better look at the golf course and give a more accurate assesment of the condition coming out of the winter. I have been having some colleagues out over the past week to look at the course with me and gather ideas for how to best recover from some of the damage that the golf course has endured. Yesterday (Monday March 29) I had three visitors go around the course with me, Tom Befera, Paul Bastron who is the Superintendent at Glen Flora in Waukegan, and Scott Bartosh. It was very nice to finally meet Scott after some phone conversations and exchanges of email, and I appreciate the time he gave me to go over some of the historical points about the course. In talking with both he and Paul I found out that courses along the lake from far Northern Illinois up to about Mitchell Airport have all recieved some level of ice damage or crown hydration injury as it is called in our industry. I would like to assure everyone that no disruption to the putting surface will be done, in an effort to repair damaged areas, until the soil temperatures can sustain seed germination and the growth of a new plant. We will have smooth putting surfaces even if they don't look perfect.<br /><br />I am anxiously awaiting the warm up to 55 degrees in the soil so that I can finally start what I was hired to do which is maintain the golf course. While we are waiting for those soil temperatures to rise (currently 38), you will start to see some more employees working on the course and not just myself with a backpack blower on the greens and tees. Wednesday our long time crew foreman Rene will be coming back to work followed by almost the entire crew on Thursday so that the course will hopefully be cleaned up for the weekend. <br /><br />While clean-up is going on the rest of the week I will hopefully be joined by another Superintendent from a lakefront course, Tim Davis who is Superintendent at Shoreacres in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Tim has been the Superintendent at Shoreacres for 26 years and is well aware of the unique micro-climate that exists being right next to Lake Michigan like we are and I look forward to learning from him later this week.<br /><br />As I end this post I would like to wish anyone reading a Happy Easter Sunday, hopefully the weather sustains through the weekend so we can enjoy some time outdoors. As always, best regards and I will be updating again in two weeks.<br /><br />-ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-29109539396791461762010-03-16T06:10:00.000-07:002010-03-16T15:54:58.732-07:00Opening DayMark the record books, Kenosha Country Club is open for play on March 16, 2010. With a short amount of nice weather in the forecast I decided that it would be good for everyone to get out and play a little this week. After Friday it looks like the weather is going to turn back toward cooler temps for the next few weeks which will hamper progress a bit but this is some pretty good bonus golf that everyone gets. Over the rest of the week our concentration is going to be toward clean-up of all the sticks and debris left from some minor flooding back in December.<br /><br />I hope that everyone enjoys the following couple of days in the sun, it looks as though it's going to be short lived but should be putting smiles on peoples faces for the time being. <br /><br />I am going to try to spend some time around the clubhouse to get to know some faces and names but if I see you on the course be sure to wave me down, I look forward to meeting all of you.<br /><br />Until next time,<br /><br />-ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383386093879619162.post-40637870697090330342010-02-22T15:50:00.000-08:002010-02-22T16:34:12.432-08:00Winter Work for the Grounds DepartmentAs I type this, we have once again been covered with snow but thankfully not the 12" that was predicted but closer to 6". Thus far the winter has been pretty moderate with no extended periods of extreme lows and no real melt off either with the exception of the last week of January and the current 15 day forecast shows much of the same weather we have been having recently.<br /><br />Since I began here on January 18 quite a lot has been happening, I have of course been meeting with vendors to figure out which products best fit the needs of the course and working on writing my chemical and fertility programs to highlight bentgrass health with the hopes of increasing that population. I have been spending time getting to know and work with both Mike Kudrna, our Assistant Superintendent and Dann Steltenpohl who is the club's mechanic. Through this I am hoping to address the most serious equipment needs to get the golf course heading in the right direction and more specifically targeting the greens. <br /><br />A fair amount of time has also been spent on the golf course tending to the greens that have been under snow and ice all winter. Throughout the first week of February Mike and I spend most of our time removing the snow from the greens as best as possible with the equipment that we have. After the snow was cleared to within 1" of the putting surface or ice I applied gypsum which contains a large amount of calcium. This has a few benefits, first and foremost the calcium will aid in melting the ice regardless of sunlight. Many people apply something dark whether that is fertilizer or a safe tracker or dye in order for the sunlight to warm that product and melt the ice, at the time I looked at the forecast and there was no sunlight predicted in the next 15 days according to accuweather.com. The other benefit is that gypsum is a standard deficiency in many mid-west soils therefore it will provide benefit to the subsurface while not giving any flushes of growth in the spring the way a fertilizer like Milorganite would have. <br /><br />Aside from those items and the obvious snow removal from the parking lot I have had the opportunity to meet with the other employees of the club as well as a number of the members and I am starting to get very antsy and wanting spring to get here so we can get on the golf course and get the property ready for a great 2010 golf season.<br /><br />Until next time I hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics, especially the USA Hockey game last night! I look forward to seeing everyone around this spring and summer.<br /><br />-ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0