The first 20 of the 100 days....

You're looking at me with this puzzled look on your face,  it's the first 20 days into the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day...

Turf has finally gotten it's big boy pants on.  We have grass that finally wants to be a golf course,  the deep rough is biting back.  Pace of play is up, and the course looks good.  Il Open qualifier low score of 69... not bad for a muni.  CDGA StateAm Qualifier today, I'm expecting 70 to be low.

Soil temps have moderated to have consistent growing patterns for once.  Disease pressure is here, however it's not rearing it's ugly head yet.  Only the 1 flood event this season...so far.

The main focus for the Grounds staff is maintenance of the course.  So no projects of major proportions on the course.  No plans for any either.

Upcoming items :
Greens needle tining
Tree removals on 5 and 9, Emerald Ash Borer....play issues...
Deck trim at clubhouse
Solid tining of tees and possible fairways
Topdressing of greens and approaches and 14 fairway

Completed items:
Planted 4 memorial trees, 16 Tee, 12 Tee
Replaced bridge decking
Applied disease controls to all playing surfaces
Applied fertility to Fairways and Tees

And as always fix your ball marks and replace your divots.

Still Pluggin Along.

Couple weeks have passed since the Great Flood of 2013.  Bunker sand replacement is starting on the flooded bunkers on 14 fairway.  Most of the debris is picked and gone, if not mulched when the rough finally got mowed.

Bridge on 6 still needs a permanent repair.  Paths on 14/15 need a final grading again.  The retrieval of gravel in the rough on 14 is about half complete.

Repairs are still ongoing on the irritation irrigation system. Turns out that a section of the communication wire will need to be replaced. So 5 modems, a central com board, and 2 transformers later, plans are in the works for a possible moving of my problem child satellite.

On a more positive note, putting surfaces will get their first deep needle tine aeration this Sunday night after 6 pm.

Thanks.  And always fix your ballmarks.

Finally...

The whole course is open today...18 holes carts on paths.

There is still work going on on gravel reclaimation, bridge work, and irrigation controls. 

The paths on 17 and 18 had a half inch of just the slimiest silt we've had to deal with.  We managed to wash the paths off.

The damages on 14/15 have been repaired, 2 semi loads of gravel...2 loads of bunker sand...

I would like to thank all my staff for the tremendous work they got done in the short amount of time they did it in.

A Little Drier....

Well the front nine opened to walkers, surprizingly good shape.

The damage is still being assessed on the back.  A few for the eyes to see.

T

The 14 fwy/ 15 green areas.

The bridge washout on 6 tee.

14 Tee had water on top of it.

 14 Fwy with the bunker sand washed out, debris tossed about.

Cart path on 15, violent rise of water tends to lead to violent results.

14 Fwy, that sand is now gone or sitting in the fairway.

12 Tee near the out flow, water rose about 9ft.

18 Fairway, water covered the red and white tee boxes, this was Saturday, 48 hours after start of flooding.

Looking across 17 and 18 freeways.

This was one of the most violent floods we've had in a long time.  Even with full staff we're looking at a cleanup that will last for at least 2 weeks.

As for long term damage, that will have to be assessed.  The plans call for an extended aeration of all the flooded fairways and tees.  Irrigation controllers have to be looked at on Monday and decide their fate.  As for sand in the bunkers, heavy contamination, probably looking at a replacement sooner than later.  Topdressing the heavily used traffic areas on 17 and 18 fairways will commence when the course dries out.

As for play, carts on the path until further notice.

The Sanctuary has a new name...

As of this morning the Sanctuary Golf Course is operating under a new name, The Sanctuary Golf, Rod and Yacht Club.

This is hole 5...

This is hole 6...little tougher today.

Water comes in play a little more on #10 today.

Here is view from our wonderful holes 17 and 18.  The top of the 150 yd marker on 17 is 6" exposed.

And finally the par 3 15th... across the creek.

We will be closed to at least Monday.  Thanks for your understanding.  As for storm totals, we are at 3.50" and still climbing.

This will probably be the #3 flood event in my 17+ seasons here.

The "F" Word....

Things have progressed here at The Sanctuary pretty good this winter.  No diseases what so ever.  Nice amount of snow,  a near miss on crown re hydration, and now the "F" word.

NO, it's not the "Free" word it's the other one that hasn't been used for a while...Flood.  With the soils frozen, and .85" of rain with 6"+ snow on the course we flooded.  This event has come and now receding.  We are coming off one of the worst droughts (-12.25") in my 25+ years of golf course management and we flood. 

Well one thing this rain event helps with, the pond on the 3rd hole is nearing full pool, first time in 2 years.That pond is the water table in that area of the course. 

So with that all happening, the equipment is still being worked on, the course accessories are being painted and restored, budget forecasting is still being done, and  other inside work is still being accomplished.

And for a note of history , March 9th, 2012, mowed greens for the first time, changed full depth cups and put out course accessories.  This could be a season that the first mowing won't occur until probably April.  And I was planning on charging the irrigation system as soon as possible.....

"No, Be afraid, be very afraid."

There are 2 words that will get a quality, finely honed superintendent to cringe at this time of the year... Crown Hydration, in my case Crown Re-hydration.  

I'm quite sure this scenario has played out at many facilities in the Midwest this week...We went from frozen drought stressed turf to a thawed mess.  The temps went from the extreme of -2 to 61 degrees in a matter of a week and then back.  I was happy with the turf being dormant, a little drougthy, and frozen soils and sand based greens completely frozen solid.

This week the temps reached 60 with a low of 49 that night, then we had 1.50" of rain.  Wrong kind of moisture for January, I'd rather have seen snow.  Sand based greens went from 12" frozen to a thawed surfaces of 2", then the following day, thawed to 9"...puddles on the greens went away.  The next day the greens completely thawed all 12"+, which the temps hovered at 40 degrees most of the day and then plummeted to a balmy 20 degrees...

So back to the Crown Hydration, most superintendents understand that having the plant crown rehydrate in winter in not a good thing.  I'm pretty sure the Poa on the putting surfaces pulled moisture in...last drink of fresh water came in early December.
 
Many scenarios can happen, from having plants not succeed in having water pulled out of plants leaves, thus leaving the crown with moisture in it.  This would not be good...the plant becomes a Popsicle and probably dies or be severely injured....The plant could also move this water and be successful in moving the water down to the root mass, but with the sharp drop in temps in a short amount of time,  plant hardening off abilities come into play.  Did the plants adapt?  Did the plants move the water through the crown?  Will the plants harden off in the extreme cold after the temperature drop?

These are the questions most Supers are probably answering(warning) right now to who they report to. Which many don't have the answer to. I know I don't. 

I'm gonna try to update more once every 6 months....

I haven't realized it's been 6 months...

A lot has happened in 6 months:

• Survived the Drought of 2012, which basically started in 2011, and now it's 2013..... I get asked what can we as a course can do?  My response is wait, wait until we see what Mother Nature provides us, wait to warm up and thaw back out, wait for warmer temps....And hope the irrigation system has no breaks when starting back up.
• Aerated the facility, cored the greens, tees, and solid tined the freeways... Rough will selectively done in the spring, weather conducive to aeration.
• The fall fertility has been applied on all playing surfaces, which included a late season of Hi-Cal Limestone to the fairways.
• Covered the range tee, it is now closed until probably Easter.
• Started equipment repairs....
• Started accessories cleanup and repair...

The course is open, when there is no snow on the ground, and carts are available, on the paths only.  I feel it's in our best interest to leave them on the path and not risk any crown damage to the plants.

Weather for the season:
High Temp for the season, 100.5 F on July 7
Low Temp for the season, 1 F on January 31st
Total rainfall, 23.99", equals -12.28" from average
41 days above 90 degrees
10 months last year had a rainfall deficiency...go figure.  Still going...
Irrigation pump station hasn't surrendered yet....

Tree work has yet to begin...
The deck repairs to the bridge...yet to begin.  The lumber company sent the wrong size of material.

I hope to see you this up coming season, which will be my 18th here.  Lupe, my assistant has been here 14, and Mike the mechanic, 10.

As always, rake the bunkers, fix your ball marks and replace your divots.

Thanks.

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...

Thanks for the season

Its that time of the season, staff is on a vacation, course should be wintering quite nicely and the the heat and humidity of 2011 are behind us.

It was a difficult season, started off with actually removing ice of of 4 greens after the great snow in January. I've been here 16 seasons, that was a first.

Course opened in March, employees came back at the end of the month, had the course looking great.

May was the first test, with our I-80 Amateur test, rained both days, had well over an 1.5" of rain in 2 days......then the first of 2 flood events in May and June.

June was going okay, until the direct lightning strike to the irrigation system, then lost some turf on the 14th fwy, 14th green was good. It finally came down to soil chemistry, water, and juvenile turf that succumb to the heat and flooding.

July was the most difficult month all season, started out hot and then humid and it stayed for over 2 weeks...Had a rather tired staff and super.( My central air was out at my house)

August started out ok, attempted the 1st of 3 seedings on 14th fairway...did a whole lot of aeration, seeding, topdressing, and watering to revive this hole. Come to figure out the irrigation water was causing some problems.

September and following months was like planned clockwork...aeration, seeding, high school kids....

No major irrigation problems this season. Maybe after 16 seasons the pump station finally aknowledged I'm the higher authority here.

Finally I would like to thank all the people who golf at the Sanctuary Golf Course, it's staff and the volunteers who make this happen.

I'd like to personally thank the guys on the grounds staff, who worked through the brutal season we come to know as 2011.

I've been in this business called golf since 1984...this season ranks up there with the worst, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2010, and now 2011.

Thanks.