July 11, 2014 Scouting Report

July 11, 2014 Scouting Report A week of perfection almost was how we could describe this week. For those of you who had healthy turf starting the week - the end of the week should have been a great finish despite some rain. Blue skies and excellent temperatures really made for the best growing week we have had so far this year. Courses that were suffering from some of the heat and stress of the previous week began to clear up and return to excellent conditions in the Chicagoland area. Further south there were some stressful conditions early in the week but people are looking forward to next weeks summer version of the polar vortex as the early part of the week temperatures are predicted to drop back to highs in the 60's in Chicago while highs in Carbondale the highs are predicted to top out in the mid to upper 70's - glorious! The British Open is next up for many of us to look at and the talk of brown is better will continue, however it is always easier to do this on sand based soils in weather conditions that are not humid and in temperatures that don't reach the 90 degree mark... EVER. For us particularly in the northern part of the state it is something to always keep in mind when thinking about new grass surfaces and long term sustainability of them. One summer doesn't make a lifetime of putting surfaces unfortunately. Further to that, there is a course rotation for the British Open and so these courses can take ten years off before the next Open which is why they can push their greens to extremes unlike daily play courses - it's not like we can open for one week of the year! Enjoy the viewing but remember links golf only makes up 5% of the golf courses across the pond! Disease pressure has dissipated somewhat this week, though insect damage did start to show up as courses began to dry out. It seems that bluegrass billbug has made an appearance as a couple of locations failed the tug test. Further to that, adult Japanese beetles have shown up all over and the seedcorn beetle was also found towards the end of the week. Finally field day season has reached us, for the very latest in research results they are a great tool to help you make decisions for that early order program that is surely going to sitting on your desk soon. Click here to view the July 11, 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

What is that stuff?

The black areas that golfers are noticing on the greens are Silvery Thread Moss, Bryum argeneum.  Moss is generally attributed to low N fertility and over watering.  This moss growth began to emerge as a problem last year.  We are utilizing several different strategies to eradicate the moss.  Once the moss becomes established, it can be very difficult to control.  The products used to control moss can be tough on turf (especially greens).  Therefore, we must apply these chemicals at lower rates that result in a longer period to control the moss.   We should begin to see results in approximately a month.  The black color is actually good  (the areas were previously green).  The color change demonstrates that the strategies we have employed are beginning to kill the moss.  A combination of chemicals and cultural practices should eradicate this problem. 

July 4th, 2014 Scouting Report

July 4, 2014 Scouting Report There is nothing like a weekend of hot humid weather to finish off a frustrating month and trigger some diverse pest activity on the golf courses. This week we have seen anthracnose activity on bentgrass, some mild pythium damage, further dollar spot activity and some etiolation showing up on turfgrasses. To say it has been frustrating is probably an understatement, further to that however was the gully washer coming through on Monday night which brought relief and subsidence in problems arising. The first test of how surfaces may look for the rest of the summer if it gets hot and sticky was a little uncomfortable - lets hope the NOAA prediction of a cooler than normal summer is true! Following the intense storms on Monday night there was substantial flooding and soil profiles are of course extremely wet. The sooner we can get some drying out the better we will be as roots definitely did not like how hot it was last weekend. Green speeds suffered a little bit with the moisture which was unfortunate but surface conditions really have begun to round into shape with many courses starting to shine in the summer sun. It is the Fourth of July and I think many people will be happy to see that temperatures are forecast in the 70's and low 80's for the weekend ahead. The appearance of the etiolation on the turf has been frustrating and there has been a lot of conversation ongoing over the last few years. The management strategy will discuss some of the most recent output and whether or not our research project at Ridgemoor CC has shown any results as of yet. Finally the storm left its mark in many ways this week; luckily the winds did not flatten too many trees and so clean up of limbs and bunkers was the main focus. Let's hope July dries out and the average high is 80 degrees! Happy holiday weekend to everyone. Click here to view the July 4, 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

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!