It's official, We're in a Drought

Last blog I mentioned we're in a Drought, well it's official.  The"Drought " word has been tossed around by the local NWS office and many media outlets.  Like last time I can assure you that's it there..

Hand watering is the plan for putting surfaces.  Fairways and tees will be solid tine aerated to allow water to penetrate the root zones.

The number for this month .88", that's the total for rainfall for the month of June recorded at the Sanctuary Golf Course.  This is through my weather station at the Maintenance Dept.  If you would like to access this information please copy and paste the link:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=60451

I've been asked how many times a week we cut the course, so here is what we do:

Mow Greens, 6 days a week, skipping Tuesday kids league
Mow Tees, 3 days a week
Mow Fairways and Approaches, 2-3 days a week, depends on growth
Mow Rough, as needed, usually once a week
Mow intermediate rough and banks, 2-3 days a week
Raking of 72 bunkers, 5-6 days a week.

As always please repair your ball marks, and rake your bunker.

Thanks.

Drought of 2012

Well, it's been rumored that the drought of 2012 is here.  I can assure you that it is.  The golf course has had about 1" of rain in the last 30 days, of which .76" came in a shower at the end of May.  This on top of warmer than usual temps and lower than normal rainfall.

The course is fairing OK, stressed turf, stressed staff, summer stresses that usually don't occur until July.

You'll find staff hand watering putting surfaces as needed.  The irrigation system and I are on a love/ hate relationship right now. I hate operating it nightly, however have to love that it actually is working.

We've been experiencing desert type evaporation and transpiration of water at .25" + per day.  With an irrigation system that is designed only for limited makeup of daily losses, it makes for extended station run times.  Most times in the fairways and teeing complexes have doubled. 

I add a wetting agent to the irrigation system, a product called Dispatch, which is injected through the pump station.  So far this season I've used a complete 55 gallon drum, and just ordered a 2nd.  I usually use this product at times of need, well this is a time of need. This cost is offset by the fact I've had to spray for less disease since the lower humidity's and lower than normal evening temps.

Thanks Mother Nature.

Thanks for playing and enjoying the course!

Been a while..

Well, the I 80 Amateur has come and gone, congrats to Kyle English for becoming the repeat Champ!

Saturday June 2, the course had a first, 2 double Eagles or albatrosses on the 12th hole.  During the goal post outing, Jeff Edus made Double Eagle on 12, then in the Tornado's golf outing this afternoon Dan Kollath makes Double Eagle on 12! Congrats to Jeff Edus and Dan Kollath on their Double Eagles on the 12th hole today!

The course is holding up well considering receiving 4.29" rain in May , most of which fell in the first half of the month.  Irrigation is occuring as needed in the evening and overnight hours. 

Bunkers are receiving much needed added sand on the back nine.  Holes 9 and 10 will be having work done tot he greenside bunkers with a total replacement of sand in the front bunkers.  # 14 green back right is complete.

Flowers have made their annual appearance at the clubhouse.

Junior day will be starting tomorrow, so plan on a long day. 

Thanks, and always fix your ball marks.

The near miss...

Many of you know the Sanctuary Golf course is built in a floodplain...over the last week we have had 3"+ of rain.  This rain in one day would normally put us over the top for a flooding event.  But, we missed the big rains of May 6th and 7th and escaped with only an 1.65".....10 minutes due south of the course, not so lucky on those days,4.5" plus the weeks worth of rainfall. That would have closed us for about 5 days.

The course is holding up well considering we went from the need to irrigate dry to an excess of free moisture.

I'm expecting my nemesis, dollar spot to show up and run it's havoc. We've gotten by April with suppressed Poa seedheads, a little Microdochium patch on the putting surfaces, which is new to me.

The deck is near completion.  A few minor items and painting to complete.

The bunkers will have additional sand installed on the back nine in the near future.

All putting surfaces have received bayonet tine aeration in the last 2 weeks and was completed today.  The next aeration will be the first deep tine aeration of the greens, I'm anticipating using .375" diameter tines 8" deep. This will occur in the evening of May 21st.  The process should take about 4 hours with 2 machines.  The greens will be rolled then cut the following morning.

The teeing surfaces have received a solid tine aeration last week and should be about recovered.  The fairways will be receiving the same treatment either before or after the I-80 Am, which is May 19-20.

Thanks for reading, and as always please fix your ballmarks, and stay out of the fescues grasses.

Alot of little things...

Here is a picture of our grass range which was cut ...8 times after the covers were taken off.  Not too much usage on the range.

The greens are putting nice, the fairways have been mowed 4 times in the last couple of weeks.  All playing surfaces including the bunkers are receiving work...all with 5 staff members!

Here is #13, looks great and the ankle deep rough was cut this week, only 25 days earlier than last season.  It has been fertilized with fert and crabgrass controls.

Here is the monster deck everyone has been dealing with, 990 sq ft of new leisure areas. 

And a view from #17 freeway.  And by the way, passed on 1st inspection by the Village....
I'd like to thanks all the volunteers that helped especially the Ranger staff for their inputs and labor.  Without them this would still be ongoing..

Thanks.

Finally....

Finally staff is back!!!!!

We have a huge list to accomplish this week:

Remove covers from range tee and mow
Clean up tees, mow and put out markers
Install ballwashers
Mow freeways
Mow intermediate cut of rough
Debris removal from rough
Topdress and over seed range tee
and.........address bunkers all 72 of them.
Irrigation system start up....an adventure all by itself.

But hey it's only March 19th and 78 degrees.

Seriously....

Today is March 15....We have mowed greens for the first time last Friday....Today was the second time... 

Here at the Sanctuary, another 165 golfers today.  People are jumping up and down for joy, I can honestly say right now I'm not.  Swamped with Ma Nature thinking it's mid April, cutting greens, changing cups, building the monster deck at the clubhouse, budget time...list goes on and on.

Thank you for returning employees.  Most of the staff from last season has decided to return.   Now on to the 72 bunkers that need desperate attention.

But to schedule an application of Primo/ Proxy for Poa seehead control a full 3 weeks ahead of last season?  Not to mention thoughts about pre-emergent weed and grass controls...in March?


I solemnly believe that insects and my nemesis Dollar Spot are gonna be a bear this season.  This on top of the recovering 14th freeway still.

Tree trimming didn't occur last winter, but it will commence once the course has gotten back into shape.

So please fix your ballmarks and replace your divots and enjoy your round.  Thanks.

A bit of news from your "freindly" neighborhood Golf Course Superintendent.

So it begins, the DECK behind the clubhouse...

So it begins, the deck at the clubhouse. With all our careful planning, some things just muck up our best laid plans.....this case the drain for the clubhouse gutters. Here Lupe is making a repair to the drain line.




Here Mike is working on one of the footing holes for the deck, which involves carving out the edges of the hole since a 12" tube doesn't fit into a 12" augered hole... The tubes are a little bigger than 12" diameter and the auger is worn slightly...

This picture is showing the layout of the holes behind the clubhouse. 12 in all, hitting drainage pipe 3 times, go figure...Now on to concrete on Monday.

Today was a first....

I've been in this so-called business called golf since 1984.....

Today, for the first time in my golf career, I changed a full depth cup on sand based greens in February, yes February in Chicago.

Last February, I was removing ice from 4 of my greens. The soil temp was a balmy 37.3 degrees. I did some poking around and did find a few frozen spots at the 10" level.

I'm waiting for someone this year to ask when I'm mowing and rolling....only at the Sanctuary.

Enjoy this so-called winter, and as always please fix your ball marks.

My Mechanics version of a look over...

I get asked what we do during the winter, and these 2 pictures are a small testament to the Equipment Manager, Mike Wesolowksi. This is the John Deere 7500 fairway mower, it is 3 seasons old.

This a typical winter for him and his equipment servicing. the mower is taken apart and cleaned, and the washing involves pressure washing and hand washing of the machine. All fluids and filters are changed, bearings and seals are inspected, radiator removed for cleaning and clipping removal.

The cutting units are completely disassembled , bed knives are replaced and ground, reel ground to a true cylinder, all bearings are replaced on the rollers and reel housings. The units are washed and reassembled.

This process is repeated for 2 greens mowers, 2 tee and approach mowers, the other fairway mower and the bank mower. This process is closely followed by the rest of the equipment. And to his testament, he also schedules the service time to accommodate the Park District equipment also.

Snow...finally..

Well, today is January 12, we finally are receiving measurable snow. I say this after having 450+ golfers since Christmas, yes Christmas.....

I do have some concerns about snow on top of unfrozen ground...I'll worry about that later.

And for you deer hunters, today is the last day for archery season in Illinois...so mark your clocks...5:13 pm its over. My luck this season, was shall we say.....not good.

And for you NASCAR fans, 44 days until the Daytona 500...

White Sox fans... Pitcher and catchers report in about 35 days...