Fairway Firmness

The playing conditions of the golf courses located on the North Shore of Chicago vary greatly at times from the conditions you may find on courses in the Southern and Western parts of Chicagoland.  Areas away from the lake are generally drier, warmer and have more wind.  There is a lake affect that influences the temperatures and climate for those courses located in close proximity to Lake Michigan.  Generally, the temperatures are cooler and moister and exposed to less winds.  Therefore, you will not see the hard and very dry course conditions that you might find elsewhere.

In an effort to keep our fairways as dry as possible while ensuring their health, we are increasing a number of agronomic practices and programs.  In the past, the directive and intent was to have more of a pad under the surface of the fairways so that golfers could "sweep" the ball more.  However, this results in a more padded turf offering less roll.  For this season, we will be:

1. Topdressing the fairways & green's approaches more frequently with sand to reduce the padded layer that may result in more roll in the coming years.  This process does not happen overnite. 

2. Brushing the fairways more so the turf will stand up straighter and not lay over as much. 

3.  Verticle mow the fairways to promote a more upright growth pattern.

4.  Watering by hand as much as possible so that we apply water to exactly those areas on the fairways where the turf is drying out significantly or wilting. 

5. Mowing at a lower cutting height.  This will result in a tighter lie but potentially more roll. 

6.  Cross cutting the fairways at a 90 degree angle assists in reducing grain and aides in producing an upright growth of the turf.

7. Aerifying fairways more to remove the "thatch and pad" that we have intentionally allowed to form. 

7.

The quest for firmness will result in some discoloration of the turf as the plant is deprived of adeqate moisture.

Each of the above factors contributes to firmer fairways in a particular way.  The fairway conditions will not change drastically in a single season.  It will take several years or more to make the transition and even then, weather will play a significant role in our fairway condition.  I can implement a number of agronomic changes but the weather and the existing soil conditons are the main influences.  The heavy clay soils that we have on the property exhibit the properties of going from being totally saturated and wet to hard and dray in a matter of days.  When they do become very dry, resulting in turf wilt.  This is why you will see the staff hand watering certain areas. 

The photo below exhibits the significat impact that weather has on course playing conditions. 
We had 7 inches of rain in the month of April.  It rained 10 days out of the month with cool temperatures.

During cooler and wet periods, it takes weeks for the course to dry.

Spring Aerification

Following the US Open Qualifier on Monday of this week, the greens on all three nines were aerified and topdressed.  We used smaller aerification tines so the holes would heal quicker.  We also topdressed the holes with sand to the very top of the holes to expedite turf coverage.  With a bit of warm weather and sunshine, the holes should heal quickly.

April 2012 to April 2013.  How different the weather has affected the golf course.
The recent storms have impacted the golf course to a significant degree.  It has rained 8 of the last 11 days.  Yesterday it rained over 5 inches at the club.  We have had 7 inches of rain for the month. This is double the normal April rainfall amount.  Below are a few photos of the damage and the impact of the storms.

No two years are ever the same in managing the playing conditions of a golf course.  Weather conditions are the most impacting influence on the golf course here at NCC.  We have no control over the weather.  We do adjust to the varying and extreme conditions to protect the turf and prepare it for as high a quality as possible for the membership.

Last March and April we already had 80 degree days, very dry and windy.  The staff was having to hand water areas on the turf to prevent wilting.

                               Temperatures in March of 2012

Wilting turf in March

Staff watering dry spots in fairways in April of 2012

Staff syringing greens in the hot temperatures of April 2012

                                Cart path flooding and erosion

#4 white fairway is flooded

Trees have fallen

                                          Widespread flooding

 Red #8 fairway is flooded from the canal

Bunkers slopes have washed

The staff is removing standing water from the fairways

                                                                            

Spring Course Opening

We will open the course for play on Saturday April 6th.  Please recognize that there are likely to be numerous frost delays for the next few weeks.  You can follow course updates on my twitter (@TommyDWitt) and the www.rainedout.com text update option.  We are not at full staff until the middle of April so it will take a few weeks to get the course and accessories into shape.  When the course opens, other than the greens being mowed, you find it in a semi-winter state.  The fairways are too soft to be mowed.  We have begun preparing the bunkers but it will take several weeks to remove the debris and contaminated sand and re-distribute the sand.  The short game area will open as soon as the soil temperatures are available to promote turf growth so that the small and heavily used area can recuperate.
I just want to give you a chance to get out and play a few holes if you like.
 Below are some of the beginning spring course preparation tasks.

The turf is still dormant and soft

Limbs and debris are collected and discarded

Sticks, leaves and debris are blown off the fairways and tees

Debris is removed from the bunkers

Bunker faces erode during the winter and must be restored

Sand is re-distributed within the bunker to proper depths

Sticks are blown off the greens

Greens are rolled to improve firmness

Melted snow combine with freezing and thawing

result in very soft spring surfaces

Notice the footprints in the bottom of the photo

The first green's mowing is done with mowers

set at a higher cut than in-season heights to

prevent scalping

All of the dry areas on the course are mowed to remove small debris

Approximately 60 re-furbished benches are placed on the course

264 rakes are placed in the bunkers

Mario is placing 216 refurbished tee markers onto the tees

All newly refurbished ball washers are placed on the course

How are the two new greens doing on the red nine?  VERY SOFT!!!!

They were planted last fall and have approximately 98% coverage.

They are extremely soft as you can see by the footprints in the photo below.

The softness is due to the freezing and thawing of the winter months

as well as the newness of the the green and the melting snow.

We will be rolling and watering the green's surfaces to firm them

The new greens will be rolled numerous times to firm the surfaces

Course Update

As you may recall, last spring we opened the golf course almost 3 weeks earlier than normal and daytime temperatures in March were in the 70s and 80s.  No such luck this season.  My how the weather makes a difference.

Each spring we target April 1st as our course opening date. This year we still have freezing daily temperatures and there is still some snow on the course.  These weather conditions result in a soft wet course.  Thus, we have not put the flagsticks back on the greens. I will keep you updated and we will open the regular greens for play as soon as we get some drying weather to firm the green's surfaces. Right now they are very soft.

 

I will be posting updates on this blogsite and my twitter account.  You can access and follow my course updates on twitter which you will find on the right side of this page. 

Communication & The Witt Family

The target date for opeing the golf course is April 1st each season.  The weather actually dictates when the course ac be opened for play.  We will see when the snow melts and the course begins to dry.  As always, we will open as soon as possible for your enjoyment.  The flagsticks will be placed on the greens as soon as the surfaces are firm enough to keep from footprinting. 

As the golfing season approaches, I wanted to let you know of three ways that our operation offers NCC members updates on the course conditioning. 
1.  The golf course condition line by calling 847 926 5545
2.  www.rainedout.com  -  By going to this site and signing up, you can receive timely course updates via  text or email.  For example, if there is a frost delay, I will post the information and it will come
              directly to you.
3.  Twitter @TommyDWitt - My friend at Skokie CC told me that he has about 150 of his members   that follow his course updates on his twitter account.  I will post course updates and  information
              on my twitter account.  This is just a way for our members to be more informed about timely
              projects and conditions on the golf course.

Thanks to those of you who frequently ask about my family.  They are vitally important to me. During my 10 years at NCC, many of you now know one or more of my family.  You don't see them often because my children are all college age or older.  Below is a quick update on "my group."

Many of you see my wife Lorrie around the club.  She does a magnificent job of managing our annual and perennial flowers.  She is a Certified Master Gardener.  Flowers and gardening are one of her passions.

My son Seth works at Sullivan's Steakhouse in Lincolnshire and is pursuing his Business Degree.
He plans to move to Charleston, SC or to Austin, Texas within the next year.

My daughter Lauren moved to Austin, Texas 18 months ago following her graduation from the University of South Carolina.  Lauren is the Director of Publications and Communications for the Texas Psychological Association, a professional member association.  Austin is approximately 70 miles from my home town and is where Lauren was born before we left Texas.  She is enjoying getting reacquainted with her Texas heritage and enjoying the wonderful things Austin has to offer.

My son Tanner plays baseball and is a senior at Kansas State University.  He will graduate in May and will move to Austin, Texas if he is not taken in the MLB draft in June.  He plays short stop, outfield and pitches.

                                              

                                                    

 

                                                

                                       
                                       
                                                            

Coyote Precaution

Urban Coyote Attacks On The Rise, Alarming Residents

 

I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that coyote presence in urban areas in increasing.  Just this week, at her Bible study, Lorrie had a lady tell her about coyotes attacking her dog in her back yard.  The woman ran out,  saved her dog by kicking the coyote and then ran back inside.  The coyote then tried to break a window to get in the house to get the dog.  Another friend has told us of her small dog also being attacked in her back yard.  On numerous occasions we had to protect Polly, our goose dog here at NCC,  when a group of coyotes would approach the turf vehicle Polly was sitting in.  They would come within a few yards of the cart, my staff member and Polly.   Please watch your pets and don't let them outside alone unless are in a safe fenced area. 

 

 

 

Below are just a few recommendations concerning coyotes
  http://phys.org/news/2012-10-coyotes-problem-urban-areas.html
  http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=2689

Steps for keeping pets safe include:

     1.  Don't feed wild animals such as deer or raccoons.  This encourage coyote presence 
   2.  Keep cats indoors at all times.
   3.  Don't leave cats or dogs outside.
   4.  Don't let pets outside out at night unless accompanied by a person
   5.  Secure garbage so coyotes cannot access it
   6.  Keep dogs on a leash when walking them

Food

Deliberately feeding coyotes is a mistake. You may enjoy hand-feeding animals, but this is a surefire way to get them accustomed to people and will ultimately lead to their demise. Here are some other general rules about feeding:

• Avoid feeding pets outside. If you must, feed them only for a set time during the day (for no more than one hour) and remove the food bowl as soon as your pet has finished her meal.
• In dry conditions, water can be as alluring as food, so remove water bowls set outside for pets and make watering cans unavailable.
• If you compost, use enclosed bins and never compost meat or fish scraps.
• Good housekeeping, such as regularly raking areas around bird feeders, can also help discourage coyote activity near residences.
• Remove fallen fruit from the ground.
• Keep trash in high-quality containers with tight-fitting lids. Only place the cans curbside the morning of collection. If you leave them out overnight, they are more likely to be tipped and broken into.
• Bag especially attractive food wastes such as meat scraps or leftover pet food. If it is several days before garbage will be picked up, freeze temporarily or take to a dumpster or other secure storage container.

Shelter

Coyotes are secretive animals, and studies have shown they can live for a long time in close proximity to dense human settlements without ever being noticed. Such coyotes are “abiding by the rules” and should be left alone.
In the spring, when coyotes give birth and begin to raise young, they concentrate their activities around dens or burrows in which their young are sheltered. At these times, the parents may become highly defensive and territorial, and challenge any other coyote or dog that comes close to the pups. People walking their dogs in parks and wooded areas may run in to these coyotes and even be challenged by them to back off.
Rarely, fights occur, probably most often when a dog is off its leash and chases a coyote. It’s important to recognize such incidents for what they are: defense of space and young, not random attacks. If you encounter a coyote when walking your pet, do not run away; scare off the coyote with the techniques described in our coyote hazing guidelines.

Free-roaming pets

Free-roaming pets, especially cats and sometimes small dogs, may attract coyotes into certain neighborhoods. The best way to minimize risk to your pets is to not leave them outside unattended.
Other domestic animals kept outside, such as chickens and rabbits, may also be viewed as prey by coyotes. Protect poultry or other outdoor animals from coyotes (and other predators) with protective fencing (both structural and electric) and by ensuring that they are confined in sturdy cages or pens each evening.