June 27, 2014 Scouting Report

June 27, 2014 Scouting Report A week of contrasts is the best way to describe this most recent week. Storms early in the week brought much flooding and damage to many courses, while towards the end of the week, conditions cooled off and turned rather comfortable. The lake has been creating its own problems as cold water in the center has led to a clash of temperatures and fronts around the city and mornings were extremely foggy and putting it nicely, cool. Further to that turfgrass canopies were staying very wet for extended periods which really was not what was needed. The excess moisture and some of the extremely high humidity that we saw this week lead to further diversity on the disease front. I do not envy anyone trying to grow grass in tropical situations - there must be insane disease pressure - early this week we did get a taste of it, but summer is here so it's to be expected. Many courses are on the precipice of final recovery from what has been a long winter. I will say however spare a thought for managers in Minnesota who experienced something similar last year and dealt with the remnants into the early part of August - so be grateful for little mercies! Our forecast is for the first three day spell in the 90's back to back to back, so depending on humidity, timing of control applications and how hot it actually will get, it could be a tough start to the week. Fortunately conditions look like cooling off so some relief is on the way. More importantly we can hope to see some bright skies which will help places which have been in fog and heavy cloud all week doing bentgrass no favors. Click here to view the June 27, 2014 Scouting Report As always if you have a question or query please do not hesitate to ask and you can call or email. Ed Nangle PhD Director of Turfgrass Programs Chicago District Golf Association Office: (630) 685-2307 Cell: (630) 423-1925 www.cdgaturf.org Follow us on Twitter @TurfResearch

Week in Review!

What a week!  We've received over 4.25" of rain this past week, and we are finally beginning to dry out.  Below are some pictures of the storm damage from last week.

Also, as a reminder please be sure to always spray "off" on a cart path or hard surface!  Looks like the culprit is about a size 11!

One of those "aha" moments!

This is one of those “aha!” moments!  Today we are needle tining the greens to allow for gas exchange, better water infiltration, and reduce compaction.  This practice prevents the accumulation of toxic gases that can lead to a decline in turf quality during peak summer months.   We are able to complete this practice in one day with minimal disruption to golfers. 

Alvino needle tining #7 green

Results after aerifying

Eliodoro then rolls the green to smooth out the surface.

The results after the green is aerified and rolled.  There is minimal disruption to the turf.  

Course Projects!

Last week the crew at Kemper Lakes constructed the retaining wall behind the clubhouse.  We were able to complete this project in house.

 

First, a 6-8” deep limestone base is constructed.  The limestone is then compacted and laser leveled. 

 

Once the base was completed, we began construction of the wall.

After construction, drainage and pea gravel are added to prevent water from sitting behind the wall.  This process also minimizes the risk of potential frost heaves during the winter months that can push the wall out of the place.

And…the finished product!