Northmoor Country Club Golf Course Operations

Holiday Season

2011-12-15T12:21:00.003-06:00

My family and I would like to wish each of you and your families and loved ones a safe, blessed and joyous holiday season. I hope you have the time and opportunity to share with your family and friends and those who are in need of our company at this special time of the year. Best wishes to all.

New Tee #2 Red

2011-12-06T09:26:00.000-06:00

Dr. Hurdzan agreed that a forward tee on #2 red would be a positive addition. Therefore, we have just completed the construction of a new tee on #2 red. The tee is located between the existing men's tee and the ladies tee. This will be a white tee location. I think those of you who play the white tees will find it very friendly and enjoyable.

The area before the new tee

Rootzone mix was hauled in for the top of the tee.

Rootzone mix is leveled for the top of the tee.

In-house staff lays sod around the new tee
Quite a cold day for laying sod

Sod for the top of the tee will be laid in the spring

Another project completed by a great NCC staff.

These guys are very talented and do a great job.

Why do you put sand on the fairways?

2011-10-19T08:27:00.002-05:00

Over the last 4 or 5 years we have implemented a topdressing program following aerificaiton on the fairways. In this process, sand is applied to the fairways for the main purpose of controlling thatch. I have included a description and photos of what excessive thatch is and how it can negatively affect turfgrass quality and playing conditions. An additional benefit to a regular fairway topdressing program is that it assists in creating a drier surface on the turf so that carts can get out on the fairways sooner following a rainfall.

Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter that occurs between the green matter and the soil surface. Excessive thatch (over 1/2 inch thick) creates a favorable environment for pests and disease, an unfavorable growing environment for grass roots, and can interfere with quality golfing conditions.

The primary component of thatch is turfgrass stems and roots. It accumulates as these plant parts buildup faster than they breakdown. Thatch problems are due to a combination of biological, cultural, and environmental factors. Cultural practices can have a big impact on thatch. As thatch levels accumulate to greater than 1/2 inch, turf problems may begin, and the thatch needs to be controlled. .

Below, once again you can see the thatch layer between the bottom of the turf and the gray colored soil. The area is dense and tangled and attracts insects and is a haven for disease occurrence. In dry periods this layer keeps water from getting deeper into the soil and to the roots where the plants can utilize the water. During wet periods the thatch acts like a sponge and hold water reducing the ability for the turf to drain.

The soil probe photo below shows another of undesirable and excessive thatch in a turf.

Fairway aerification is implemented to reduce thatch and have firmer and drier turf surfaces

Aerification plugs are "chopped-up"

The tufts of grass left from the aerificaiton & the chopping process are blown together for collection & removal

Sand topdressing is then applied to the turf.

A brush or steel drag mat is then used to drag the sand into the aerification which aides in providing channels for better surface drainage and oxygen exchange to the roots as well as reducing thatch levels.

How does thatch affect turf quality?
An excessive thatch layer (more than 1 inch) can restrict the movement of air, water, fertilizer and other materials to the roots. This air- and water-impervious layer causes the grass to restrict rooting to the thatch layer which in turn reduces drought resistance in the turf. Additionally, if the thatch dries out, it becomes very difficult to re-wet with out the use of wetting agents or mechanical manipulation.

What factors influence the seasonal opening and closing of the range tee?

2011-10-11T14:55:00.000-05:00

The NCC driving range is a busy place. It receives more activity than any private club driving range that I have ever seen. Thousands of ball are hit each day. In order for the surface to be ready for spring play, it is necessary to give it the attention it needs in the fall while the growing conditions are still favorable for recovery.

It wasn't long ago that the driving range tee was in poor condition on a year round basis (see photo below.)Despite enlarging the range grass tee by 2.5 times in size, we still rotate through the range tee 3 or 4 times a year. Many clubs do not even go through their full range tee once or even twice in a year. Unlimited ball access, active lesson schedules and just plain ole practice impact the range turf at NCC.

If we want quality hitting conditions as witnessed below in the spring when the course opens then there are early fall measures that must be taken to prepare the grass tee and the short game hitting area.

The photos below are examples of the extensive divots and wear on the range tee and short game approach turf. These areas must be seeded and topdressed and leveled while the weather is still warm enough to germinate the seed and have it fill-in before the frosts of the fall and ice of the winter impacts it.

Without closing the range tee in October for re-seeding then this is how some of the areas would look when we open the course in the spring. Grass does not grow in the winter months under the snow.

Divots in the short game area must be re-seeded and allowed to germinate while the weather permits.

Aerification Video

2011-09-24T22:08:00.002-05:00

The following site provides a video on the reasons for aerificaiton. I think you will like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va98sIUEjFw

Aerification Process

2011-09-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

Aerification will begin on the greens and fairways next Monday the 19th. The photos below show the aerificaiton and clean-up process that we employ on the greens.

The greens are aerified

The soil plugs are brushed and shoveled into wind rows for collection

The grass and soil plugs are wind-rowed

The greens are then topdressed with sand to fill in the aerificaiton holes

The sand is worked into the aerification holes via the use of a turf brush

At times the topdressing sand is hand brushed into the holes

The holes are filled to the top with sand

The greens are rolled to make them smooth

Finally, the greens are mowed

The greens will always be slower following aerification because of the holes and the fact that the topdressing sand immediately dulls the mowers. It takes a week or so for the sand to totally work down into the turf canopy. The mowers are sharpened and the speed begins to return to the putting surfaces.

Anniversary

2011-09-14T13:38:00.000-05:00

Today Lorrie and I celebrate our 26th anniversary. I am blessed to have such a loving and healthy family (Seth , Lauren & Tanner.) What is more important than family, heath, friends and faith?

Texas Fires

2011-09-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

I realize this is not a golf course related news item but it is an important issue.

These are the wildfires in the Austin, Texas area that are close to my home and family. Over 1000 homes have already been destroyed. This part of Texas is in a 3 to 4 year stage 2 drought. The dry conditions make it difficult to contain the fires.

Attention Golfers

2011-08-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

I have included a number of photos below that depict areas where NCC members and their guests can significantly assist in contributing to tremendous golfing conditions at NCC. These are actually simple tasks that are common golf course etiquette and that every golfer should be practicing.

We spend over $50,000 a year in repairing ball marks, fairway and tee divots and worn areas along the cart paths from poor cart operation. Please do your part to help care for our fantastic property.

The photo below shows the WRONG way to park a golf cart along the cart path. There is no reason to pull over and off of the path. Your playing partners can and should park behind you. We spend over $10,000 a year correcting these bare "eyesores."

The photo below shows the correct way to park a cart around a tee or green. Keep all 4 tires on the path.

Unrepaired ball marks are currently the only blemishes on our otherwise wonderful putting surfaces.

An unrepaired ball mark will take 3 to 4 weeks to heal. It is not only unsightly but can affect other golfers putting ability.

The golfer who hit the fairway shot below made no attempt to repair the divot. This neglect should not be part of the NCC golfing culture.

It is extremely dangerous to have more than 2 riders on a cart.

Please observe the yellow lines and the stop areas at the two gates South of Clavey Road.

Please place your trash in the trash receptacles rather than on the ground.

Weather Impacts on The Golf Course

2011-08-03T14:57:00.002-05:00

The extended periods of heat, humidity and wetness combined with the frequent storms over the past several weeks of July have impacted many courses in the Midwest. The continuing wet soil and turf conditons present the ideal enviroments for turfgrass disease occur and "scalding" of the turf. Although we take every precaution and measure by applying fungicides to combat the disease and squeeging and pumping the fairways, there is simply no way to dry the entire turf canopy. Chicago is in a weather pattern that is the perfect storm for turf stress and loss. There is already one recognized course that is reported to be closed in the Chicago area and I am told that a nationally ranked course in the Minneapolis area is closed for the second time this summer. Let's hope for cooler, drier and windier weather conditions for the next few weeks.

Another Chicago rain storm - August 2nd, 2011

Notice the significant heat indexes. These eleviated levels affect turfgrass health

Excessive temperatures combined with wet & saturated soils threaten turf health

July Rain Dates and Amounts

Even though we have drainage installed in #4 white fairway, water cannot be removed or pumped away because the level and drainage of this fairway is directly connected to the canal to the west of the property. The canal is overflowing and it backs water onto the course and does not allow our course to drain.

Areas throughout the course have standing water and the soils are totally saturated and cannot drain. Hot and humid weather conditions literally cook these areas as the water and moisture reach temperatures too high for the turf to sustain.

The staff stays busy squeeging the lower areas of the course in an attempt to move water off of the surface of the turf

Lower areas of the course are squeeged after every rainfall

Recent rains continue to flood the white bunkers

The bunkers are pumped to remove the water after each rainfall on the white course

The subair machine is used to remove excess water form the rootzone of the greens. The plant roots literally are drowned and die if there is excess moisture in the green. Excess water prevents the availability for oxygen exchange in the rootzone.

The low areas below show the evidence of sun scald, a result of continued and excessive moisture and the presence of "Pythium" - an agressive turfgrass disease

These damaged areas have already been aerified, re-seeded and topdressed.

Damaged areas are vented in preparation for seeding

Damaged areas are seeded and topdressed

Greens are being needle tined or vented to provide air channels to the rootzone

Preventative fungicides are being applied to combat disease

Fairways are being blown in an attempt to dry the turf and soil surfaces to prevent disease invasion

Fans are being used to provide air flow over the green's surface for cooling and drying

Bug Spray, Sub Air, Venting and Disease

2011-07-25T15:24:00.013-05:00

PYTHIUM - THE MOST DREADED OF TURFGRASS DISEASES

The damaged turf in the photo below is from a low area on #3 white fairway. Pythium is an agressive & rapid spreading turfgrass disease that occurs under hot, humid and wet conditons similiar to those we had for the last week. Even though we had a preventative material down on the turf, the climatic condions were so intense that there was a pathogen breakthrough. So when you see our guys on the sprayers on occassion, it is to protect the turf against these devistating disease invasion.

Extended periods of wettness, heat and humidity on the turfgrass surface are optimum conditions for disease occurance. For this reason you will see the staff squeeging the standing water in the fairway, especially in the low area where water accumulates and Pythium is most likely to occur.

Pythium on #3 Blue Fairway

Pythium on #3 White Fairway

The hot, humid & wet areas on the golf course are susceptible to damage from standing water & wet soil conditions following heavy rainfalls. Once the rain stops & the hot sun comes out, the turf is actually damaged from scalding. Wet areas heat up & the turf is damaged from the water being heated by the sun.

Spraying the golf course is a necessity to prevent and combat serious turfgrass diseases.

BUGSPRAY - DO NOT SPRAY BUGSPRAY ON YOURSELF ON TURF AREAS

There are 3 dead areas on the small putting green where someone applied bugspray to their legs.

The photo below shows one of the dead areas.

Below is a SubAir machine that we use to either blow cool air into the rootzone of the green or to suck water out of the subsurface of the green. Both actions are implemented to provide the turfgrass and their roots the best of possible growing conditons. Each green on red and blue has the plumbing installed for the unit but we have only one machine to use on all 18 of the new greens. This machine is not intended to increase putting green speeds or to dry out a green immediately following aa rainfall. It is a tool to use to alter and improve the rootzone of the green, to remove excess water or to help cool the rootzone. You can see water being expelled from the green in the photo below.

To insure the rootzone in the greens have adequate available oxygen, we "vent" the greens on a regualr basis during the summer months. This machine uses 1/8 th inch solid tines and pokes holes in the greens to allow oxygen to reach the turfgrass roots. We mow immediately after the "venting" and the golfers are not impacted in any way.

Small air channels, a fraction the size of a dime, are created by the solid tines

Once the greens have been "vented" they are mowed and ready for play.

Extended Heat

2011-07-17T15:33:00.023-05:00

Excessive Heat Advisory in Effect for Chicago
July 19th, 20th & 21st 2011 !!!!!!!!

If the weather forecast is correct, we are in for a week or more of one of the most intense weather stress periods on turfgrasses over the past 15 years. You may recall how the weather impacted courses all over the country last summer. Such iconic courses as Wingedfoot and Congressional among other actually closed for periods. You will notice a number of agronomic tasks being implemented this week to protect our turf. There will likely be many golf courses in the Chicagoland area that suffer turf loss this week due to the intense heat. Hopefully we can escape that situation here at NCC. There are some turfgrass species that simply cannot survive when soil temperature rise to extreme levels and destroy the root structure of the plant.

The photo below shows the 7 day forecast to have high temperatures in the 90s.

Extreme heat and drought are influencing factors on turfgrasses. For this reason we will be implementing a bit more cart traffic measures than normal. The photo below shows how cart traffic can damage turf if golf cart traffic is not rotated.

Below is a photo of turf under dry conditions with repeated golf cart traffic. exposure

The photo below exhibits the benefits and success of implementing cart traffic control measures.

The photo below is of new turf on the blue course last year. We put out some stakes to route traffic away from the young and stressed area.

We will put out a few stakes in the fairways in some of the higher traffic areas

During the next week we will do everything we can to provide quality and challenging putting green speeds but we will not sacrifice the health of the turf in an attempt to chase speed. This is a temporary measure and we will provide speed as soon as the weather conditions allow.

Our staff will be doing quite a bit of hand watering. Although we do have a fully automatic irrigation system, we hand water so that we do not over water the areas that are not wilting and so we are able to apply water to the exact areas that are stressed.

One of the areas where the turf wilts the quickest in on the bunker faces. These areas must be hand watered to prevent the bunkers from being totally wet. However, during the coming week in order to keep the turf alive, it will be necessary for us to irrigate the bunker faces more than normal. Some of the bunkers may play wetter than usual. We will try to keep the sand as dry as possible.

Some of the tee tops and the fairway drain lines on the newer renovated red and blue courses require hand watering during intense evapotranspiraton rates.

Family

2011-07-05T18:35:00.010-05:00

During the family oriented 4th of July festivities, many NCC members asked about my family. I know this is a turf related site but we all know how important family is. I thought I would just share a few photos of my family since you had asked about them.

My wife Lorrie sits in a field of bluebonnets on our last trip home to Texas. Lorrie helps us with the flowers and plantings here at NCC. She received her Master Gardner Certification last year. She has a real touch for flowers & gardening.
Tanner just finished his sophomore year and plays baseball (short stop) at Kansas State University.He is playing for the San Luis Obispo Blues college summer team this summer in California.
Lauren just graduated from The University of South Carolina with a degree in Public Relations. She is now interviewing for jobs in Chicago and Austin, Texas.
Seth has just returned from going to school and working in Charleston, SC where we lived prior to coming to Chicago. He was working at High Cotton restaurant in Charleston. He is now working at Sullivan's Steakhouse in Lincolnshire and will attend UIC in the fall.

Insect Spray

2011-06-27T08:28:00.003-05:00

Please use caution when applying bug spray when you are out on the course. Most insect sprays contain active ingredients that are phytotoxic to the turfgrass. The photos below show 2 of the 5 burnt spots on #8 red fairway where a golfers sprayed insect spray on their legs. The chemical burnt the fairway. Try to apply the spray on a cart path or in the rough. Thanks.

Storm Damage

2011-06-22T13:57:00.017-05:00

Several weeks ago and again last week, two different storms hit NCC. Winds of 70 mph were registered at NCC. We had a number of trees that were completely uprooted and fallen. There were also a number of trees that had large limbs or the tops of the trees damaged. In the photos below you will see the extent of the storm damage and the amount of work the staff did today to get the course ready for play.
Rotten trees, like the one in the photo below, are the first to fall in a wind storm.
Staff members blew leaves and small limbs from the fairways and into the roughs for removal.

The staff collected fallen limbs and put them in piles for collection.

The staff blew leaves out of the bunkers and removed limbs and sticks.

Truckloads of fallen debris were collected and piled for removal.

Crews removed loose limbs that were hanging from the trees.

Hundreds of fallen limbs were collected and piled for removal.

A number of trees were uprooted by the high winds.

The golf course was a total mess that morning at daylight.

Crews worked 12 to 13 hours a day to remove the fallen trees and debris.

The most extensive damage to the course was on the red nine where we have more trees.

In total, we lost `12 or 13 trees but the most impacting damage from the storm is the number of trees that are still standing that have broken limbs and damaged tops to the trees.

Storm Damage

2011-06-22T12:28:00.017-05:00

Two recent storms have significantly impacted the golf course. We have lost 12 or 13 large trees and many trees are damaged. The staff has spent over 800 man hours cleaning the debris and removing the fallen trees. They have kept the remaining part of the course in great condition at the same time. The photos below show some of the damage and cleanup from the storms.

Flowers

2011-06-07T13:05:00.008-05:00

The photo below is one of the new signs that have been placed at various locations around the club. The new signs are uniform in design and material composition. Finally the weather has warmed-up and the annual flowers are being planted this week.
A truckload of plants was delivered last week and the staff is busy getting them in the ground.

Why do you ask for carts to stay in the fairways?

2011-05-28T21:05:00.007-05:00

Often, following rainfall periods, we ask golfers to keep their carts in then fairways. This is done in hopes of limiting damage to the golf course. Except for the lowest parts of the fairways, the fairways are better drained and do not have standing water and they dry quicker than the roughs.
The photo below shows one of the may wet and standing water pockets in the roughs. This is due to the fact that the roughs are not as level as the fairways, do not have the subsurface drainage as the fairways, and they are not aerified and topdressed as much as the fairways.
The course is extremely wet today following 4 inches of rain this week as evidenced by the photos below. Notice how even foot traffic is causing visual damage to the turf.

Totally saturated soil conditions and overcast climate conditions leave little opportunity for the turf to dry.

The tracking and rutting below is why we ask carts to stay on the path on the white nine when it is wet.

Exposing the course to carts today would have resulted in hundreds of these tracked and rutted areas. These areas occurred on the white nine alone where carts we asked carts to please stay on the paths.

Notice that there are no tracks or rutting behind the cart in the fairway cut? This photo verifies our request to limit damage to the course in wet conditions. The fairways generally have better drainage than the roughs and do not hold as many pockets of water.

Storms Hit Northmoor

2011-05-25T11:19:00.004-05:00

We received over an inch of rain in about 20 minutes at NCC this morning. Below are photos of three holes on the course but all 27 holes are under water to some degree. With cooler temperatures and overcast conditions for the next few days, it will take some time for the course to dry enough to be exposed to golf cart traffic. Please check the condition line for course updates.
Blue #1 fairway is flooded Red #1 fairway is flooded White #1 fairway is flooded

April Rainfall

2011-05-02T12:16:00.003-05:00

On the calendar below, I have circled the days that it rained in April. We received 4.72 inches of rain for the month. We received some degree of rainfall on 13 days of the month. The rain, combined with cool temperatures and the lack of sunshine has left the golf course very soft. Hopefully this week we will begin to dry a bit.

In addition to the excessive moisture making for wet and muddy playing conditions, is the fact that cool - saturated soil conditions in the spring reduce the spring rooting capability of the grassplant. The spring period is when a healthy turf is able to establish a deep and dense root system following the winter months. The root structure is the mainstay of the grassplant as it enters the stressful summer months. The saturated soil conditions during the month of April may well have an impact on the health of the course in the months ahead. We will be taking advantage of all agronomic practices available at our disposal over the next few weeks to promote increased root growth on the turf.

Carts on the Path

2011-04-25T09:49:00.011-05:00

There are those days, especially in the spring, when wet - saturated golf course conditions dictate that carts must be restricted to the paths. Please reference the photos below to see why it is necessary to keep all 4 tires on the path rather than driving around another cart, around a water puddle on the path, or going across the golf course when the conditions are very wet. When approaching a puddle of water on a cart path STAY ON THE PATH, REDUCE YOUR SPEED & DRIVE SLOWLY TROUGH THE PUDDLE. DO NOT GO AROUND THE WATER

The photo below shows the damage by a golfer who drove a golf cart off of the cart path this weekend when the carts were restricted to the paths.

Below is another example of a golfer driving a cart across the rough and fairway when there were cart restrictions in effect.

Please help keep the golf carts on the paths during the restricted periods. It takes time and money to repair these violations. Most of all, it detracts from our beautiful property.

Wet Conditions

2011-04-21T08:11:00.006-05:00

The enlargement of #8 blue tee is progressing. Unfortunately it has rained 4 of the last 7 days in addition to a 2 inch snow on Monday. This enlargement will give us more teeing area to distribute the traffic, the divots, and the wear.

We received 1.2 inches of rain on Tuesday which resulted in very wet conditions.
We will have cart restrictions on the red and blue nines until the course dries out.

The fairways are holding water . Cold & overcast conditions do not allow

for favorable drying conditions.

Polly

2011-04-18T16:34:00.002-05:00

Many of you ask about Polly, our border collier who assists in keeping geese off of the course. She was 2 years old when she came to NCC in 2003. Although she is getting up in age, she has a tremendous amount of energy. She is wonderfully trained and is a tremendous asset to our operation. Unfortunately she is a bit under the weather now. She has an enlarged heart that is putting pressure on her lungs, resulting in a build-up of fluid in her lungs. She is receiving the best treatment possible. We will see how she recovers. Her goose chasing days may be behind her but she will always have a loving home here at our office.

Greens = Television

2011-04-16T15:27:00.002-05:00

For those of who watch the PGA tour event this weekend at the TPC course in San Antonio, you will notice the greens have many brown spots in them. The rich green television filters mask many of the brown spots on the greens but if you look closely, you will see them. In order to achieve the elevated putting speeds that the tour desires, irrigation and supplemental watering is withheld from the turf. The intent is to make the green's surfaces hard and dry resulting in very firm surfaces. These greens are not maintained at this level for an expended period. It is not possible to stress the greens on a year round or season long basis without risking turf damage and failure.

#8 Blue Tee Project

2011-04-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

Over the next few weeks we will be expanding the teeing surface on #8 blue tee. As is the case with virtually any par 3 tee, there cannot be enough teeing surface because of the damage left by iron shots that result in deep divots. We will be expanding and enlarging the middle tee. This will provide the opportunity for the blue tee players to hit off of the middle tee and not be required to play off of the back - championship tee 100% of the time. The photo below shows the extensive wear and numerous divots on the small black championship tee on #8 blue. These divots are the result of both the black tee and blue tee players hitting from the small championship tee. The tee expansion will allow us to rotate the tee markers and provide an improved hitting surface.

Course opening

2011-03-29T09:22:00.010-05:00

We are set to open the golf course on Friday, April 1st. As you can see from the photo below, the turf is still brown and dormant. There is quite a bit of work that goes into preparing the course for the seasonal opening. Below are just a few of the tasks the staff undertakes to prepare the course for play. The staff is edging the bunkers & distributing the sand.

The staff is adding compost to the flower beds in preparation for the summer annuals

The greens are being rolled to help firm them for play

Leaves are being blown and cleared away

Numerous irrigation and drainage projects are receiving attention

Course Condition Emails & Texts

2011-03-24T13:12:00.005-05:00

I have set up a new medium for NCC members to check on the daily golf course conditions. If there are any conditions that deviate from normal course opening and normal play, I will post a message between 6:00 and 7:00 AM in the morning. This is a way for you to check to see if there are cart restrictions, frost delays, course closings, etc. If everything is normal as related to the golf course practices for the day then there will not be a message sent out.

You can participate by going on line to http://www.rainedout.com/ and sign up to receive my updates by text or email messages. This information will be similiar to what you would hear on the golf course condition line.

Give me a call or send me an email if you have any quesitons.

Course Preparation

2011-03-16T10:11:00.011-05:00

The snow has melted and course opening preparations are in process. It is still very soft and wet and the turf is still dormant. Even though the course opening is still several weeks away (targeted for April 1st) the staff is busy doing as much work as the soft soil conditions allows

The photo below shows the turf is still dormant
Leaves are being cleaned out of the bunkers

Fallen trees are removed from the course

Fallen limbs and branches are collected and removed

Low hanging tree branches are removed

Leaves are collected and removed for disposal

All flower beds have to be cleaned and prepared

Course Opening

2011-03-08T16:04:00.002-06:00

As is the case every spring, our target date or opening the golf course is April 1st. Depending on the weather during the next three weeks, we have our sights set on another April 1st opening. The actual opening may vary by several days on either side of the 1st depending on the weather conditions at the time. I will keep you updated on this blog site and with emails for those of you who have indicated that you want the updates.

The driving range grass tee will not open until closer to May when the turf is dry and growing.

With the extensive amount of snowfall that we have had during the winter, the melting conditions will result in the course being quite wet during the early part of the spring.

Below workers remove ice and snow from the green' surface

Most of the ice an snow have melted from the green's surface

What Happens Under All That Snow

2011-02-11T09:17:00.013-06:00

While snow can appear as a beautiful and calm blanket for a golf course during the winter month, undesirable things can be happening underneath. In the basic of terms, turf can survive under snow for extended periods but if there is an ice layer under the snow then the turf can only survive for a certain amount of time. While snow affords oxygen availability to the turfgrass plant, an ice layer prevents oxygen to get to the turf.

Each different species of turfgrass has its own specific threshold of tolerance before damage occurs to the plant under ice. For this reason sometimes drastic measures have to be initiated to protect the turf, even during the frozen winter when golfers are thousands of miles away from Chicago in the warmer climates. In the event that you would like to learn more about the effects of snow and ice damage to turf, please refer to the following website and article.

http://www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/midatlantic/What-Is-

Northmoor Country Club golf course under snow
The photo below is of Microdochium patch, a winter turfgrass disease.
We want to avoid this at all costs. It occurs under extended periods of ice and snow.

Numerous diseases can occur under the snow and ice

that can affect the appearance and playability of the

golf course the following spring.

The photo below shows the effects of ice damage in a shaded area on a golf course.
More winter and ice damage on a course in Virginia.
The photo below is of a 1 inch ice layer on our green at NCC.
Our staff removed the snow layer with a sand machine blade

so that we could get to the ice layer.

Once the snow was removed from the surface of the green
we shattered the ice layer with the aerifyer machine tines.

This allowed air and sunlight to get to the grass plant.

The surface of the green was cleared of ice for turfgrass protection & survival.

The Storm

2011-02-03T15:58:00.014-06:00

Below are some photos of the snow accumulations at the club following the recent storm.

The Golf Course Operations staff clears the main driveway

The entry to the men's locker room was difted in with snow.

A view of the back of the clubhouse

The golf course is blanketed with a deep layer of snow.

There are 3 and 4 foot drifts of snow covering our fuel tanks

The Golf Course Operations staff braves the cold to clear the driveway

The cart barn is surrounded by heavy snow drifts

Range Turf Quality Factors

2011-01-11T11:37:00.004-06:00

Below is a photo of the range tee prior to the renovation. The tee was 1/3 smaller than the new range tee.

The New Range Tee

I receive a number of questions and comments regarding the quality of hitting surface on the range tee. This overhead photo says it all. On May the 28th, before our memberships begins to actively utilize the golf course, the front half of the bottom tier of the range tee has already been "churned up" with divots. At this time the soil temperatures are barely warm enough to germinate new seed much less have it come up and rapidly fill in the divots.

We rotate from the front to the back of the range tee 3 to 4 times a year. In essence, we are growing 3 or 4 new stands of grass each summer. This process would be similar to a home owner planting, killing, and re-planting their lawn 3 or 4 times in a single growing season. You can see how the turf does not have the ability to gain a significant degree of maturity until it is time to hit off of it again.

Our range tee receives more use than any private club I have ever seen. We re-seed the used portion of the tee every night after the range closes but it can take 4 to 8 weeks for the seed to germinate and mature depending on the times of the year and the soil temperatures. We take every measure to expedite the maturation process but we cannot defy Mother Nature or the inherent growth & physiological characteristics of the grass plant.

Can I cross country ski on the golf course?

2010-12-11T06:20:00.002-06:00

Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are allowing on the golf course when there is snow cover.
We request that skiiers follow two simple rules:
1. Do not ski on the greens and tees.
2. Ski in the roughs whenever possible.

Use caution when snow skiing on NCC property. There are no staff members on the course most days during the winter months and there are numerous depressions, fozen water features, course maintenance projects in progress that command your attention for safety.

If you have any questions just give me a call.

Can I walk my dog on the golf course?

2010-12-11T06:10:00.002-06:00

In order to enjoy spending time with your dog on the NCC golf course I recommend the following:
Do not walk on the course when there is a frost. This can damage the turf.
Stay on the cart paths and the in the rough.
Have your pet leashed so that they do not run on the greens and cause turf damage.
Even when there is snow cover on the course do not allow unleashed pets to run on the
greens and tees.
Clean up after your pet.

Thanks and enjoy. If you have any questions just give me a call.

Fall Course Cleanup

2010-11-09T08:14:00.008-06:00

When the cooler temperatures of fall descend upon us and golfing begins to slow, there is still plenty of work that still happens on the course. Leaf collection and removal is just one of the tasks that lasts all the way through November. It is necessary to remove the leaves. Leaves left in piles or in layers can cause damage to the turf over the winter when trapped under the snow. This is quite an accumulation of leaves that we have to remove from the property.

The staff works in freezing weather to clean the property of leaves and debris.

Daily blowing of the leaves on the fairways is performed until all leaves are gone.

Leaves around the clubhouse and golf shop areas are collected and removed

Below - We have 4 rough mowers that mulch the leaves in the roughs.

Walkway Flowers

2010-11-01T19:18:00.004-05:00

The photos below are of the flower pots at the front of the clubhouse and the seasonal landscaping along the walkway to the front of the clubhouse that Lorrie Witt and her staff have put in place. We hope you like the presentation.

South Side of Clavey

2010-10-25T10:12:00.006-05:00

Leaf collection and removal is a full time task in the fall.

As we are nearing the end of the golfing season and play is diminishing, we will be closing the holes on the South side of Clavey Road. Many of our employees have already left for the winter and the remaining staff will focus on maintaining the 18 holes on the North side of Clavey. Our primary focus for the next several weeks will be leaf collection, mulching, and removal.

Green Speed Factors

2010-10-07T23:08:00.002-05:00

Frequently asked question - "Do you just cut the greens lower to make them faster?"
The answer is no. Mowing height is only one factor involved in green speeds.
Green speeds are not increased by simply lowering the cutting height of a mower. Each individual turf species has limitations on how low it can be mowed with being severely damaged.

Numerous factors influence the green speeds on a daily based.
These factors include, but are not limited to:

The firmness of the green’s surface
The irrigation schedules of the green’s surfaces
Rolling of the greens
Single or double cutting the greens
The construction method (root zone mix) of the greens
Grooming of the greens
Brushing of the greens prior to mowing
Fertilization rates
Rainfall amounts
Wind velocities
Humidity levels
Topdressing schedules
Cupping locations
Contour of the green’s surface
Aerification schedules
Ball marks
Thatch levels
Grain formation
Soil temperatures
Turfgrass variety established on the green

What Factors are Involved in Determining the Daily Cupping Locations?

2010-10-01T13:57:00.003-05:00

Who decides the daily cupping locations for the greens?
What factors are involved in where the cupping locations are set?

For daily play, the Golf Course Superintendent determines the cupping locations.
For particular tournament play, the Golf Chairman or the Golf Professional may provide input.

The consideration and actual placement of the cupping locations on the greens each day is dependent on numerous factors. They include, but are not limited to:

Undulations and slope of the green
Wind direction
Wind velocity
Actual speed of the green
Moisture level of the green
Number of ball marks in the vicinity
Distance of the hole on a particular day
Entry and exit points of the green
Traffic flow and wear patterns of the green
The health of the turf in the localized area within the green
The quest to meet a 6 easy – 6 medium – 6 challenging cupping location set-up
Even distribution of front – middle – and back cupping locations (preferably 6 each)
Even distribution of left – center – right cupping locations (preferably 6 each)
Make the course play at a designated distance each day
Number of available and fair cupping locations on a given green
Suggestion by the Golf Committee for the degree of course difficulty for given events
Meet general USGA course setup guidelines as related to green’s edges, slopes, etc.
The particular design of the hole
The distance and difficulty of the approach shot for that particular day
The skill level of golfers for a particular event
The firmness of the green

Aerification Update

2010-09-29T11:50:00.005-05:00

Once the Northwestern Ladies Invitational is completed next Tuesday, we will doing an extensive amount of work on the golf course. We will be aerifying and topdressing fairways and tees. Our aerification on the blue and red nines will depend on the 14 day forecast after next Tuesday. If the forecast is for fairly mild weather we will aerify the red and blue greens next week. If the weather is unfavorable, we will have to wait until the spring to aerify.

I do not want to leave the new greens with open holes over the winter. For the safety of the grassplant and the quality of the course for member play, I want to make sure that when we do aerify that the weather is conducive to a quick turf recovery.

If you plan on bringing out guests during the fall, please contact the golf shop or my office for aerification updates.

Also remember that the grass hitting surfaces on the range and the short game area will close October 1st for the winter to allow the turf to recover from the season usage.

Fall Range & Short Game Schedule

2010-09-08T12:21:00.003-05:00

It has been a busy season and NCC has one of the most active driving ranges in the area. In order for the range and chipping hitting areas to heal and grow-in before the cold winter temperatures, it will be necessary for us to give it time to grow while the weather is still favorable. This is the only way we can count on having quality surfaces to practice on beginning in the spring.

As in the past, the target date for closing the grass surface of the range and the short game area will be October 1st.

As you can see from the photos above and below, there are large portions of the practice areas that need to be re-established.

Fall Aerification Dates

2010-08-30T10:48:00.001-05:00

Our fall aerification will begin Tuesday September 7th with the white greens.
At this time we will also begin aerifying the fairways and tees. We have a busier than normal fall tournament schedule with the Northmoor Invitational and the Northwestern Ladies Invitational. These two events will impact the fall aerification on the red and blue greens. I will send you an update on the red and blue aerification once I see how the weather patterns are forming.
If you have any questions, please give me a call.

Bunker Face Replacement

2010-08-26T10:51:00.004-05:00

We are in the process of re-sodding some of the bunker faces on the white nine. These areas have a difficult time in the summer because they get a heavy layer of sand build-up on them from the bunker shots, they are exposed to the drying South winds, and their vertical faces (slopes) do not allow for adequate water infiltration. Therefore, these areas dry out quickly.

Below Mario is hand watering the bunker faces. Watering with the overhead sprinklers results in the sand in the bunkers being too wet for quality playing conditions.

Mario and Ramiro are adding a low volume irrigation line to the bunker face on #9 white bunker.
This system will add a low volume of irrigation water to the vertical face of the bunker slope. It will prevent heavy run-off of water into the bottom of the bunker.

Below the staff has re-sodded the #9 white bunker face and installed irrigation.

Hand Watering Around Bunkers

2010-08-20T12:54:00.004-05:00

You may have noticed several of our employees hand watering the areas around the bunkers in the fairways and around the greens. They are watering only the turf without having water flood the bunkers. This, while labor intensive, has a two fold benefit. It gets much needed water to the turf and it prevents the sand from being wet. While we do have an automated irrigation system, those sprinklers turn 360 degrees which waters both the turf and the sand. Wet sand can minimize the quality of bunker playing conditions for the golfer.
Regulo Sanchez is watering the turf immediately bordering the bunkers.

Notice the edges of the bunkers are drying out and deteriorating due to lack of water

Dry bunker edges are less defined due to extended hear and lack of water

Golf Cart Routing

2010-08-19T08:30:00.006-05:00

You will notice that we have placed a few more cart traffic stakes on the course, especially on the blue nine. The blue nine turf is young and immature. It is showing significant signs of cart traffic wear, compaction, and thinning of the turf. This is common on a young turf that has been exposed to a tremendous amount of rainfall, moisture, heat, and humidity this summer. The wear occurs mostly in the lower areas but also near the bunkers where carts drive as close as possible to the fairway bunkers.

Cooler temperatures, fall aerification, and golfers varying their driving patterns will help revive these areas. Thanks for your help.

Here is an example of a heavily used golf cart path where the turf has been affected by the record setting rainfalls this year. The turf remains soft and wet and the golf cart tires repeatedly compact the area resulting in thinning of the turf.

Turf Video - Why does turf die in the summer?

2010-08-11T11:04:00.005-05:00

Below is a video site that describes why there is turf loss in the summer months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg_CYn2YMvQ&feature=email

Wall Street Journal Article

2010-08-11T10:30:00.002-05:00

The article below is from the Wall Street Journal and it references the tremendously difficult weather conditions that are resulting to damage on golf courses around the country. There are major "Top 100" type courses that are closed for the remainder of the summer or that have significant damage. This is an interesting read.

The Ugly Summer of 2010
Brutal heat has greenkeepers fighting to save their courses from ruin
By JOHN PAUL NEWPORT

The sustained record-breaking heat across much of the U.S. this summer, combined with high humidity and occasional heavy rain, is killing the greens on many golf courses. A handful of high-profile courses have already had to close, and if the heat continues, others are likely to follow. Golfers themselves deserve part of the blame for insisting that putting surfaces be mown short and fast even in weather conditions in which such practices are almost certain to ruin them.
Huntingdon Valley Country Club outside Philadelphia, which dates from 1897, shut two of its three nines two weeks ago because of serious turf disease caused by the hot, wet weather. The Philadelphia area in July had 17 days of 90-degree-plus weather, six more than average, mixed with flooding thunderstorms of up to 4 inches.
View Full Image Getty Images

Members at the Golf Club at Cuscowilla, east of Atlanta, received letters this week that the club's highly regarded Ben Crenshaw-Bill Coore course would be closed for eight to 10 weeks so that the wilted greens can be completely replanted. The Ansley Golf Club broke similar news to members about the club's in-town Atlanta course. "The continued, excessive heat and humidity have put our greens into a critical situation and the possibility of saving many of them is remote," said a letter from the grounds-committee chairman. Even Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., the site of five U.S. Opens, is having serious weather-related problems with its turf.
The U.S. Golf Association last week issued a special "turf-loss advisory" to courses in the Mid-Atlantic states, urgently advising greenkeepers to institute "defensive maintenance and management programs" until the weather crisis ends. Most of the danger is to greens planted in creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass (also known as poa annua).
"Physiologically, these are cool-season grasses that do very well when the air temperature is 60 to 75 degrees," said Clark Throssell, director of research for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. "They can cope with a few days of 90-degree weather every summer, but when that kind of heat lasts for days at a time, they have extreme difficulty."
Temperatures for weather reports are measured in the shade, but greens baking in the midday sun can reach 120 or 130 degrees. When grass spends too much time in soil that hot, it starts to thin out, turn yellow and wither. Most bentgrass strains will collapse entirely with prolonged exposure to 106-degree soil. The grass doesn't go dormant—it dies.
Grass does have a mechanism to cool itself. It's called evapotranspiration and is analogous to perspiration. The roots draw up water from the soil and it evaporates through the plant's leaves, dissipating heat. But when greens are scalped to a quarter-inch, an eighth of an inch and even shorter, the leaf surface available for transpiration declines.
Prolonged heat causes other problems. One is that root systems shrink, sometimes to within a half-inch of the surface, reducing the amount of water drawn up to the top. Humidity and heavy rain make things even worse. Humidity retards evaporation, while soggy soil stays hot longer than dry soil does. Puddles and saturated soil also create barriers that prevent needed oxygen from getting to the roots.
Even when the combination of these factors doesn't kill bentgrass and poa annua greens outright, it weakens the turf significantly and renders greens more susceptible to fungus and disease.
Bermuda grass, by contrast, thrives in temperatures in the 80s and 90s but cannot survive cold winters. That makes Bermuda the logical choice for courses in the Deep South. High-prestige clubs in the so-called transition zone, which includes parts of Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas and the Midwest, have long put a premium on having bentgrass greens because of Bermuda's historic liabilities as a putting surface. Bermuda greens were coarser, bumpier and had problems with excessive "grain," caused by the bristly blades growing in one direction (generally toward the setting sun) instead of vertically and thus unduly influencing the speed and direction of putts. Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, claims to be the first course south of the Mason-Dixon line to install bentgrass greens, in 1936. Hundreds of clubs have followed since.
But they pay the price, even in years with less brutal summers than this one. Colonial, for instance, has five or six fans around every green, stirring up 25-mile-per-hour breezes around the clock to help keep the greens cool. The club in summer has four full-time employees who do nothing but hand-water the hot spots on the greens every day. "Keeping the greens alive till that first cool spell in September is all we hope for," said the club's head pro, Dow Finsterwald Jr.
When hot weather hits bentgrass courses, course superintendents also raise mowing heights. That yields more leaf surface and improves evapotranspiration but can slow down putts by a foot or more on the Stimpmeter, which measures green speed. "Better slow grass than no grass" is a mantra among greenkeepers, but the pressure from golfers to keep the greens rolling fast is relentless.
During the hot summer of 2007, ground crews at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, home of the PGA Tour's Tour Championship, tried every trick in the book to keep the club's bentgrass greens healthy. They hand-watered each green every 30 minutes during the hottest days, just enough to cool off the grass blades but not enough to add moisture to the soil. They ran fans and cut the greens with walk-behind mowers rather than heavy triplex riding machines, to reduce stress.
But nothing did much good. "It's such a helpless feeling. You watch the greens turn yellow and you know they're going to collapse, but there's just nothing more you can do," said Ralph Kepple, East Lake's superintendent.
For the 2008 season, East Lake replanted its greens in one of the new "ultra dwarf" strains of Bermuda that are hard for most golfers to distinguish from bentgrass, in terms of performance. The club is pleased with the decision, Mr. Kepple said—especially this summer.
Augusta National, the home of the Masters 90 miles east of Atlanta, is in an area that is often 10 degrees hotter in the summer, but it easily maintains bentgrass greens. The main reason: The course is closed for play in the summer. That's a luxury very few courses can even consider.—Email John Paul at golfjournal@wsj.com

Record Rainfall and Wettness

2010-08-05T10:45:00.009-05:00

I often get the question,"Isn't this rain good for the golf course?"

When you get 3 to 6 inches of rainfall at a time or when it rains every other day for 6 or 8 days , the answer is ALWAYS NO!!!!!!!!

When conditions are dry and the rainfall comes in timely manner, rainfall is great for a golf course. When it rains 12 days in the month of June or when it rains 7 inches in a 12 day period, then negative aspects of turf conditioning come into play. Soils become saturated, healthy deep roots regress back to the surface and are less healthy and golf carts are restricted because of the compaction and damage they may cause . High humidity normally accompanies rainfall and humidity is a contributor to turf disease. If high temperatures are included in the equation then that increases the conditions for serious challenges.

Below are a few of the charts and graphs and headlines from the Chicago Tribune this summer relating to our weather conditions. We will always do all we can to have the course playable for you but in months like June and July of 2010 the record rainfall amounts are quite impacting on the course and cart usage.

Course Restoration

2010-07-27T14:49:00.012-05:00

Thanks to each of you who have made such positive comments about the course conditions and staff effort during the Member-Member this past weekend. I relayed your thanks to the staff.

After 4 inches of rain on last Friday night and Saturday morning, the course was flooded and many of the bunkers were flooded unplayable. Beginning at 5:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday, the staff pumped out bunkers, squeegeed fairways, redistributed the sand in the bunkers, and delivered the course for play for the Member-Member event. Many courses were closed both weekend days but our staff (see below) came through. They put in hundreds of man hours before and after play to prepare the course. They are a tremendous group of men.

The finished product - Ready for play Sunday morning

White #9 Buckthorn Removal

2010-07-27T14:16:00.006-05:00

We recently removed the buckthorn thicket on White #9 cart path. For many of you, it was a mass of brush one time that you were out and then it was gone in a few days on your next time on he course. While projects like this can get completed in a fairly short time, this project entailed hundreds of man hours to complete each phase of the project. I hope you like the new look.

Below - The dense buckthorn thicket in place

Below - Removal of the buckthorn

Below - Clearing of the debris & adding topsoil

Below - Sodding the area

Below - The finished product

Member - Member Rain Day

2010-07-24T07:02:00.007-05:00

In case there is any doubt about how much it has rained last night and this morning, I have included the photo below of one of the flooded streets in the area. Some areas of the city have received over 8 inches of rain.

Below are a few photos early Saturday (today) morning. We have received 3.3 inches of rain and more is on the way. I thought you might like to see the course conditions after a heavy rainfall.
I looks like the Member-Member will be a one day event tomorrow. The bunkers are flooded and the fairways have standing water. We will pump the bunkers once the rains have passed through and get the course ready for tomorrow.

Let's hope we don't get the 87 degree high temperature this afternoon that is forecast. That temperature and the 90% plus humidity will be an ideal formula for a disease outbreak.

Putting Green Cupping Rotation

2010-07-16T12:40:00.003-05:00

You will notice that at times there are no putting green cups located at the northwest end of the putting green. When there are cups at this end and edge of the green, 90% of all golfers stop right there and practice putting. They do not use the other 8 cupping locations or the other 8,000 square feet of putting surface. We rotate the cupping locations to disperse the foot traffic of the golfers so it does not wear out a single portion of the green.

Damp Bunkers

2010-07-16T09:33:00.005-05:00

When the rainfall stopped in late June, it really stopped. The last three weeks have been very hot and very dry. So far, it is the hottest summer in the last 4 or 5 years at NCC. I understand that dry bunkers are the preferred playing condition and the photos below show how we have been utilizing our staff to hand water bunker faces, green surrounds, tee surrounds, and fairway drain lines to prevent over watering key in-play areas with our overhead irrigation system.

With the forecast for extended temperatures in the 90s and high heat indexes, the grass plants are subject to high evapo-transpiration rate and have to be watered or they will wilt or die. We cannot keep up with the high evapo-transpiration rates during periods of high play and extended heat periods with hand watering only measures. We will irrigate with our automatic overhead irrigation system on Friday and Saturday nights this week so the bunkers may be wet in the mornings until about 8:00 or 9:00 AM. I would like to wait until Sunday night to irrigate but the weather conditions dictate otherwise. I just wanted to give you a heads-up.

Soil Moisture Extremes

2010-07-14T10:59:00.004-05:00

After a record setting rainfall in June, the golf course is now very dry. Within 4 or 5 days the soil moisture conditions can go from one extreme to the next. This is due to the heavy clay soil types in the fairways and roughs. Managing "AROUND" Mother Nature and the weather is always a challenge. Things can change in a hurry. Even though we have an ample supply of irrigation water, there are areas of the course that have different established turf species, are out in the open, more exposed to sunlight and wind, receive more traffic, and have a poorer soil structure so they are stressed more quickly and command frequent attention.

Below is a photo of the soil in one of our flower beds.
After an inch rain the course was saturated

In Full Bloom

2010-07-12T11:15:00.009-05:00

We continue to add additional landscaping to the NCC property. Below are several photos of our landscaping results this season. We have a very limited staff that is assigned to taking care of our plant materials and the flowerbeds. Santiago and Hector do a tremendous job of keeping up with our extensive landscaping. From the terrace plantings to the pots to the perennial beds, the flowers are in full bloom.

Main Walkway Improvements

2010-07-12T08:44:00.005-05:00

Lorrie Witt, Master Gardener, is assisting us again this year in a part time capacity. Here is an example of how she has helped improve the walkway area of the club.

The photo above is a view if the walkway 7 years ago.

Below is a view of the walkway improvements today.

Lorrie Witt, Master Gardener

Bunker Moisture

2010-07-07T12:59:00.006-05:00

I understand that the best playing conditions are when bunkers are dry.

Except for last week, our bunkers have been wet since early June.

What has contribute to this situation?

1. It rained 12 days during June and therefore the bunkers stayed wet.

2. Last Thursday marked the first time since April first that we had a 4 day period without rain.

3. Last Tuesday through Sunday the bunkers were dry because of higher winds and no rain.

4. We had 5 days of 90 degree temperatures and the turf around the greens has to be
watered. The turf surrounding the greens is watered with the same sprinkler heads that
irrigate over the bunkers in their design sequence.

The photo below shows the sprinkler head on the right edge of the green on #3 red. The pink designs represent the patter of irrigation throw that the sprinkler delivers. This sprinkler rotates 180 degrees from the edge of the green out, therefore covering the turf outside the green. Unfortunately, the same sprinkler delivers water to the bunker area in its rotation. We will do our best to kep the bunkers as dry as possible.

What A Differenc a Week Makes

2010-07-03T12:14:00.005-05:00

A week ago our course was totally saturated from rainfall 12 of the first 26 days of the month.

This week, area of the course are bone dry and showing signs of wilt. The weather has immediate impacts on the heavy clay soils of the Midwest.

The high 80 degree temperatures combined with relative humidity readings in the low 30s on Thursday and Friday dried the course out to the point we are having to hand water throughout the day to keep the turf from wilting.

Below are the headlines from the news paper from Friday July 2nd

Heat, humidity on the way in the wake of Illinois's wettest June in 108 years
By Chicago Weather Center Staff on July 1, 2010 11:01 PM
Illinois June rainfall among the heaviest on record rainfall in June was one for the books across Illinois, the Midwestern Regional Climate Center's Dr. Jim Angel reported Thursday. The average statewide tally of 7.80 inches for the month was the highest in a June here in the 108 years since 1902. The tally was nearly twice normal

Blue Nine Opening

2010-07-01T14:10:00.004-05:00

It is finally here. The Blue Nine opens for full play tomorrow. You have read where I have written about young, new greens and how vulnerable they are to mower and foot traffic in their first season of growth. Of significant importance is how golfers care for the new greens. The photo below is of an un-repaired ball mark on the #1 blue green. The turf is ready for play and it is in premier condition. How golfers care for the course will have a tremendous bearing on the continuing quality of the new greens. Hundreds of un-repaired ball marks on a green will quickly diminish the putting surface both in smoothness of ball roll and aesthetics.
Thanks in advance for giving special attention to ball mark and divot repair.

Destructive Ball Marks

2010-07-01T14:00:00.009-05:00

The photo below shows the tremendous quality and condition of the new putting surfaces on the blue nine when we opened the course for play. The only decrease in quality over the last month is the lack of ballmark repair which will quickly reduce the quality of the putting surfaces.

The brown spot in the photo below is an example of how a golf green is damaged when the ballmark is not correctly and immediately repaired. We already have hundreds of blemishes on each of the new blue greens.

The flags in the newly opened #6 blue green represent the locations of unrepaired or incorrectly repaired ballmarks on the green. There are 165 incorrectly repaired ballmarks on the green. It will take weeks for each of the blemishes to repair themselves.

Green Speed Factors

2010-06-28T12:27:00.007-05:00

Numerous factors affect the speed of the greens on a given day or over an extended period. The most impacting factors include the health and condition of the turf, extremes in weather conditions, extended periods of drought or rain, construction methods and materials used to build the green, species of turf established on the green, the design & contours within the green, etc. Last but not least, green speeds should be maintained at a pace that affords the membership an enjoyable round of golf.

One factor that is often overlooked is that virtually no course has its greens maintained at lightening fast speeds everyday of the season. The turf simply cannot take that kind of pressure over an extended period without showing signs of a decrease in quality. You may visit a club for a Member-Guest or Guest Day or some special event where they have the greens very fast for that single day and that day alone. It doesn't mean that is their speed everyday.

Factors Affecting Green Speeds

Contributing Factors (lower speed)

Rainfall/irrigation/dew/humidity/moisture held in the plant
Fertilization
Verticutting
Aerifying
Hydrojecting
Brushing
Increased Mowing Height
Grain
Changes in soil temperature
Thatch
Diminishing effects of Plant Growth Regulators
Ball marks
Lack of sunshine (prevents turf drying)
Greens with a flatter design and minimal contours
Shade
Lack of air movement

Contributing Factors (higher speed)

Rolling
Lower mowing height (Diminishing return)
Increase # of times mowing - double cutting
Changes in soil temperature
Reduced fertility
Use of Plant Growth Regulators
Verticutting
Grooming
Brushing
Topdressing
Any factors that contribute to a smoother surface
Any factors that reduce plant growth
Use of improved bentgrass varieties
Higher wind velocities (keep surfaces firm and dry)
Greens with more slope and more undulations
Good air flow
Improved drainage for firm surfaces
Dry surfaces
Low humidity

Venting Greens

2010-06-28T11:17:00.007-05:00

Oxygen availability to the roots of the grass plants on a golf green is an essential component for a healthy green. With golfers and mowers walking and rolling over the green's surface each day the surface can become compacted and limits oxygen exchange into the rootzone.

Here Luis is using an aerifyer, equipped with 5mm diameter tines to punch holes in the green. These holes provide channels for oxygen to permeate the turfgrass rootzone and allow the roots to "breath." The holes also offer improved infiltration of water (rainfall) to move into the subsurface rather than water puddling on the surface.

Once we roll over the greens one time and mow them, the holes are not even visible and the ball roll is not affected. We will do this process to the greens every week or two in the summer months. This process is called "venting" or "needle tining" the greens.

Blue #8

2010-06-28T08:14:00.001-05:00

Below is a photo of the new Blue #8 green complex

June Rainfall

2010-06-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

Weather is one of the most impacting influences on a golf course. A one inch rain today can affect the conditions for a week. A 4 day period of 95 degree temperatures can dictate the health of the turf and the agronomic decisions that we have to make for weeks afterwards.
Below, marked in red, is a list of the days in June that it has rained.

I realize that many of our members need to ride in carts to enjoy their golf. I take every measure to accommodate the use of carts whenever absolutely possible. 2010 is already recorded as the 3rd wettest spring in the past 82 years. Last spring was the wettest spring in the past 112 years. It is easy to see how the weather impacts our decisions on the course.

SubAir in Operation

2010-06-23T10:42:00.000-05:00

Weather conditions are one of the most influencing factors on the health of a turfgrass plant. Saturated rootzones and extended periods of wetness are detrimental to the health and quality of a green's surface. The turf roots do not like being submerged in water. There is no oxygen available to the plant when the soils are continually wet.

We have just completed the 3rd wettest spring in the last 82 years. Last spring was the wettest spring in the last 100 years. Continual and persistent rainfalls have the opposite effect on turfgrass plants than a nice drenching infrequent rainfall. This is not the kind of spring we want for our course, especially the new blue nine. Wet conditions reduce roots depths and are a haven for disease occurance.
The photo below is is of the SubAir machine in operation. The machine sucks water out of the subsurface of the green and discharges it offsite of the green.

Storm Damage

2010-06-19T10:55:00.001-05:00

The storm last night brought high winds, an inch of rain, and quite a bit of damage to the golf course. You will not see much of the damage today because the staff was out at daylight cleaning as much of it up as possible before your round. We should have most of it cleaned up before the Sunday morning events.

Wet Conditions

2010-06-11T13:05:00.001-05:00

The photos below show how wet conditions exist and can receive damage following a heavy rainfall. At times, it is necessary to implement different options for cart usage when wet conditions exist. Depending on the amounts of rainfall, carts may be restricted to paths, restricted to fairways, or restricted to the roughs. Thanks for your understanding during the times that we have these restrictions. It is my goal to allow carts on the course as soon as possible following a heavy rainfall. I place a high priority on trying to achieve the best possible balance between protecting your valuable asset and providing you access to enjoy your golf course.

The photo below shows where several carts drove in wet area of the rough when carts were restricted to the drier fairways.
The photo below exhibits the type of damage a golf cart can do to the course when saturated soil conditions exist.

The photo below is a wet area in the rough following a rainThe photo below is a wet area in the rough after a rain

Replacing Fairway Divots

2010-06-03T09:50:00.000-05:00

The recommended way for our NCC member's to repair a fairway divot is to fill the divot by using the mixture in the sand and seed bottles. This is the preferred repair method. Too often if the golfer places the turf back in the divot, there is not a solid turf to soil contact and warm air dries the turf, dies, and leaves an unsightly dead area of brown grass.

The photo below shows the correct way to fill a fairway divot. Sand is used to fill the divot and then you can use your foot to smooth it level with the surrounding turf.

The photo below shows an example of where the turf was placed back into a fairway divot. The turf died and turned brown.

Chipping Green Design

2010-06-03T09:38:00.001-05:00

A common question I receive is,"Why is the chipping green designed the way it is?"

Based on my conversations with Dr. Hurdzan, he wanted to design a chipping area that had different sectors to the green. He knew there might be 3 or 4 different golfers practicing at the same time. With this design, each golfer could chip balls to their won section of the green. If the green was just flat, there might be 200 golf balls on the green at one time and the golfers would not have a clear spot to hit to. It was meant to be a Short Game practice area primarily for bunker practice and bump and run (low trajectory) chip shots. The pink markers designate the 4 different sectors of the chipping green.

I hope this gives you some insight into the design of the chipping green.

Improved Rough

2010-06-02T09:56:00.001-05:00

The photo below shows the evidence and success of the project where we widened the fairway on #2 red. In less than 8 weeks we have gone from a weak - thin turf to a dense stand of turf. This was achieved by reducing the shade in the area and by providing a wider area for carts to drive, thus reducing compaction of the soil.
The photo below shows where we removed a dead tree and widened the fairway on #2 red which resulted in improved turf conditions.

The photo below shows the thin turf in #2 red right rough where traffic and shade had reduced the quality of the turf.

Rough Heights

2010-06-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

I was recently asked why there is some inconsistency in the height of our roughs. Good question. This is due to 4 or 5 main agronomic reasons:
1. We have 3 different species of grasses in our roughs (poa, bent, and bluegrass) and each of
these species has a different growth rate and different growth pattern. Basically, each of
the 3 species grows at a different rate.
2. We recently fertilized the roughs for the first time in 4 or 5 years. We did this to encourage
growth in some of the shaded and high traffic areas. The nitrogen component of the fertilizer
is now releasing with the warm weather and is available to the plant.
3. The rainfall over the last two weeks has stimulated the growth of all of the rough.
4. Many of the heavily shaded areas of the rough have shorter and thinner turf. The areas that
are exposed to more sunlight have a denser growth pattern.
5. The more cart traffic that is exerted on a given area of turf will affect the growth rate of that
specific turf area. In many cases the closer you get to the green, the more concentrated the
cart traffic becomes and it keeps the turf worn down more because there are more carts
driven in a concentrated area.
6. In certain times of the year (spring and fall) the roughs will grow much faster than in the
hotter summer months.
As for mowing the roughs, we mow all the roughs twice a week and then on Fridays we mow two times around each fairway for the weekend preparation. We mow at a 2.5 inch cutting height.
Based on a survey that I did of approximately 12 area high end clubs, we mow more frequently and lower than any other club in the survey.
If you have any questions, let me know.

Play on the Blue Nine

2010-05-30T17:30:00.000-05:00

I have received a number of questions on why the blue is not opened for full time play yet? Without getting agronomically technical, let me provide a few examples.

If a person has a knee operation, they are not able to go out and run a race right away. They have to take time to heal and rehab. Much is the same with young turf. It has to have time to mature to be able to take the wear of mowing and of golfer traffic.

The foal below can be compared to our turf on the blue nine. It is young and immature. Just like the blue nine is not yet ready for unlimited exposure to play, the foal is not ready for a grueling mile long race at this stage of his young life. Both require time to mature.
The photo below is of a mature 2 year old colt running the Kentucky Derby. He has been conditioned, trained, and given time to physically mature to run the event. Just as the 3 year old turf on the red nine has done following the renovation, the blue nine turf will continue to get stronger and better.

Cart Traffic

2010-05-28T07:56:00.000-05:00

I had a question the other day about why we ask golfers to drive their carts on the paths around the tees and greens. The golfer added that our members do not have to do that in Florida and out West. There are basically three reasons for our recommendations.
1. The bermudagrass courses in the South and West have a different kind of grass (bermudagrass) which is much more wear tolerant than the bluegrass, bentgrass, and poa that we have on the North Shore. The bermudagrass is heartier and can withstand more cart traffic without incurring damage.
2. We have a number of areas that are in the shade and in a narrow location where carts are funneled over the same location. When carts drive in these areas the turf is negatively impacted and shows signs of wear and damage.
3. There is a safety factor involved. The safest route to the next tee is via the cart path. It is designed to keep golfers out of the vicinity of golfers playing other holes.

The wear in the photo below is behind #4 red green where carts drive around the back of the green. We have already replaced this sod twice since the renovation. This is a high traffic - shaded location.
The photo below is where carts frequently exit the cart path on White #8

The photo below is the approach to white #9 fairway where the majority of the golf carts enter the fairway. This is why we rotate the cart traffic to prevent damage.

Blue Opening

2010-05-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

The blue nine will open tomorrow morning, two weeks ahead of schedule. The turf is new. It is young, immature, and sensitive to traffic and wear. Please remember to repair all ball marks and divots.

The green's surfaces will be very firm for the first few years but will mature just as the red nine has matured and approach shots hold better now. We will be managing and rotating cart traffic and the number of rounds as we expose traffic to the new turf. I am confident you will like the blue nine. It is very good.

Great Guys

2010-05-16T16:20:00.000-05:00

They are the men behind the scenes. They have a tremendous work ethic. They are as dependable as anyone could ask. They work in rain, snow, ice, and heat. They are the men who prepare your golf course for you. They don't get much recognition so if you have a chance, a simple hello, a smile, or a wave would be a great way to show them how much you appreciate their efforts. Without them, golf would not be the same at the club.

The staff was busy late into the evening on Friday and back again at daylight on Saturday morning restoring the course to a playable condition.
The bunkers on the white nine were flooded on Thursday after the 3 inch rainfall

Flooding on Friday morning - #4 White Fairway

Red #1 Screening

2010-05-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

The photo below shows the screening plantings that were installed recently to help screen the view from Red #1 to the Golf Course Operations Facility.

Storm Results

2010-05-13T10:31:00.000-05:00

We received 2.75 inches of rain in the storm last night. #4 white tee and #8 red tee areas are impassable. #5 white green is partially under water. Most all of the bunkers on the course have eroded and will require redistribution of the sand. We will have to wait for the canal to recede before these flooded areas will return to normal. It will be a wet weekend for golf.

Putting Green Damage

2010-05-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

The brown spots in the photo below are on the new putting green. They are the result of a golfer standing in the same place and putting from the exact same spot. This form of practice damages any turf, especially the young and immature leaf blades on a green. This is detrimental to the quality of the putting green. Please rotate your practice locations on the putting green. Thanks.

Tree - Blue #1 Tee

2010-05-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

These two photos show the planting of a new tree that is located to the right of #1 Blue tee.

It is a White Oak. We have planted approximately 25 trees on the course in the past year. This is part of our Tree Management Program that is designed to provide care and attention to our entire tree inventory.

Range Tee Opening

2010-04-30T08:37:00.000-05:00

The grass section on the driving range will open Saturday morning May 1st. We have been working on some irrigation troubleshooting the last week to correct some electrical issues.

Improvement - Red #6

2010-04-29T12:35:00.000-05:00

The photos below are of the project we just completed behind Red #6 green. With the addition of turf, rather than mulch, the area will more playable for all golfers.

The photo below is of the mulched bed behind Red #6 green that required improvement.
The photo below is of the sod replacement project we did behind #6 Red green.

Cart Signs

2010-04-29T07:57:00.001-05:00

In an attempt to have fewer ropes and stakes on the course to rotate golf cart traffic, we will be placing a single cart sign on the edge of the fairway where golfers are encouraged to return their cart to the path. The signs will be placed on the side of the fairway that leads them to the cart path side of the green.

For example, in the photo below, the cart sign is placed on the right side of #3 red fairway because that is the side of the green that the cart path is located on. On a hole like #9 white where there is a cart path around both sides of the green, we will have two signs and you are encouraged to use either path. Thanks for your help in this request. It will benefit the golf course conditions.

Why the Difference in Our White and Red Greens

2010-04-27T16:57:00.000-05:00

All greens are not constructed alike. Therefore they do not perform exactly the same. During wet and rainy periods, the white greens will be softer. The reason is simple. The rootzone is constructed of native black soil and there is no drainage in the greens. Black soil holds water. Sand based greens allow water to drain through.
The photo above is the sand based material that our red and blue greens are made of. The courser sand particles allow surface water to infiltrate the rootzone and then flow into the drainage system of the green. This material allows for a firmer & drier putting surface.

The photo above is a model of the rootzone of a sand based USGA constructed green. Notice that there is drainage pipe surrounded by a gravel layer that allows water to flow downward from the sand based rootzone mix into the gravel and into the pipe and out of the green. This is why USGA greens are firmer and drier.

The photo above is of the rootzone of the white greens (except #4 and #5.) The white greens were built 90 years ago out of soil (black dirt.) There is no drainage under the greens. There is nowhere for water to go when it rains. The green stays wet and soft for a week or more.

The New #3 Blue

2010-04-23T13:25:00.000-05:00

Below is a photo of the approach and green of the newly renovated blue #3 hole.

Red #3 Pin Location

2010-04-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

I receive a number of questions regarding the cupping location on #3 red green. Due to the design of the green, only about 10 to 15 % of the fair & available cupping space is located on the right side of the green. This means that over 80 % of the cupping space is found on the left portion of the green. For this reason, the flagstick will be located on the left side of the green at least 75 to 80 % of the time. The right portion of the green is so small that having the flagstick in that area of the green on a regular basis would destroy the green's surface. The cupping locations must be rotated to distribute foot traffic.

Aerification - Timing Is Everything

2010-04-22T15:30:00.000-05:00

The link below is to the USGA Green Section Record magazine site. The article that is presented relates to the importance of timing of aerification. I think you may find it interesting. With the short golfing season in Chicago and the need for Golf Course Managers to make the golf course available to golfers for their enjoyment quite often the necessary practices such as aerification are delayed or omitted and course conditions can decline. I place a high priority on balancing member access to the course and still accomplishing necessary turfgrass management programs.
http://turf.lib.msu.edu/gsr/2010s/2010/100332.pdf

Red #2 Fairway Widening

2010-04-22T12:14:00.000-05:00

With the approval of Dr. Hurdzan, we have widened the fairway adjacent to the bunker on Red #3. The fairway was only 13 yards wide at this point which was extremely narrow by fairway width standards. The widening of the fairway does not make the hole play that much easier as much as it will help with us being able to distribute the cart traffic through this narrow area. The cart traffic and shade and tree roots are factors that have contributed to tighter lies on the edges of this fairway.

This photo exhibits the widening of #2 red fairway by approximately 10 yards.

The photo below shows the staff widening the #2 red fairway

Dandelions

2010-04-21T14:39:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again. The dandelions are in full bloom. We are spraying them this week and will follow up with a second application next week. Although we are on an annual control program for the dandelions, weed seeds from surrounding properties blow onto NCC property and contaminate our turf. It will take several weeks for the weeds to shrivel up and die back.

Blue Nine Progress

2010-04-20T16:35:00.001-05:00

The photo below is the new turf on #9 blue fairway. The warmer, sunny, and drier weather this spring is providing very good growing conditions. We are still targeting early June for opening the blue nine.
Staff members are mowing #9 blue fairway.

150 Yard Posts

2010-04-20T16:15:00.001-05:00

New 150 yard posts have been made by our in-house staff this winter. The wooden posts with the white ring at the top have replaced the flags and flagsticks previously used to designate the distance. The posts are being placed in the right rough, except on #4 white which will be in the left rough and out of play along the lake.

Wet

2010-04-10T09:10:00.001-05:00

The weather is sunny today but the carts are restricted to the paths. Keep in mind we received over 3 inches of rain since last Saturday afternoon and most of this past week was cold and overcast. There is not much drying under the cooler conditions. We are also continuing to dry out after the last 10 to 12 inch snow cover of the golf course. The native black clay soils tend to hold moisture for an extended period during the cooler periods.

The fairways are dry enough for carts but the rough areas still have some standing water. Our concern are the wet areas where carts enter and exit the fairways. I am hoping for some nice drying winds today so that we can have carts on the fairways tomorrow. I monitor these conditions very closely and will get carts back on the course ASAP.

Frost

2010-04-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

The photo below shows the results of frost damage caused by golf carts driving on a fairway before a morning frost has had time to melt. I will try to give you a brief explanation of why this happens.
Everyone knows frost must clear off the grass before play can begin, but few people know why. Frost on the grass blades tells us that the water inside the leaves is frozen. Remember that water is the primary component of plant tissue. When this water is frozen, traffic on the turf causes the ice crystals in the cells to puncture through the cell walls, killing the plant tissue. Little damage is done to the crowns (growing points) or roots if only a light frost appears; however, when the frost is heavy, cell disruption may occur at the crown, thus killing the entire plant. Frost damage symptoms include white to light tan leaves where traffic has passed.

Traffic damage on frozen turf areas usually occurs during periods of freezing or thawing. The most devastating situation occurs when the grass blades and the upper one-half to one inch of soil has thawed, but the ground beneath their level remains frozen. Traffic will create a shearing action of the roots, rhizomes, and crown tissues at this time. This is comparable to cutting the plant tissue from the underlying root system with a sod cutter. Complete kill of leaves, crowns, and rhizomes can occur if the temperatures soon drop below 20Â° F. Symptoms from this severe injury include whitish to dark brown leaves that may mat on the surface.

Below is a photo of a turf area with the frozen crystals on the leafblades. What we cannot see if the same frozen crystals inside the leafblade.

Frost occurrence and starting time delays are very common in the spring and fall on golf courses on the North Shore of Chicago. Golfers may leave the heat and warmth of their homes on a cold morning ready to set onto the course and tee it up. Unfortunately, overnight temperatures that have dropped into the low to mid 30s deliver a sparking white layer of frost on many areas of the course. There can be evidence of frost on certain areas of the course when the ambient temperatures are even in the mid to higher 30s. This is because the news casters give reports that have reading taken 36 inches above the ground. In lower and shaded areas temperatures can varying by 3 to 5 degrees or more at ground level.

Foot or mower traffic can crush the frozen leafblades resulting in the ice crystals becoming fragmented and puncturing the cell walls within the leafblade and causing significant damage to the plant. For this reason we will occasionally have starting time delays. During frost occurrences, I have to make the proper decisions to protect your asset and also to get you onto the course as quickly as possible. A few minutes delay heavily outweighs months of damage.

Back to Normal

2010-04-07T10:01:00.001-05:00

After several days of sun and warm temperatures the weather is returning to normal Chicago spring conditions, cool and very wet. We received over 2 inches of rainfall from Saturday evening through last night. As you can see from the photos, the course is very wet. It will take some time for the course to dry considering the overcast and cool conditions.

Below - #8 White Fairway

New Blue

2010-04-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

I think you are going to be very impressed with the Blue nine renovation. I have taken a few members out for tours last fall and this spring. The impressions have been tremendous. Below are a few photos of the blue nine.
The photo below is of the newly renovated Blue #5
The photo below is of the tee to fairway view of the new #3 Blue hole.

Tree Plantings

2010-04-05T13:05:00.001-05:00

Our trees are an important resource for the golfing experience at NCC. Understanding that, I developed a Tree Management Program several years ago that was approved by the Grounds and Green Committee. With over 2800 trees on the property, we have a variety of trees that are in varying conditions of health. Our Tree Management Program includes trimming, fertilizing, pruning, controlling pests, and planting new trees on the course. At times we may have to remove a tree that is dead or rotting and becomes a safety hazard. I work closely with the Green Chairman, our architect Dr. Hurdzan, and with a certified arborist to insure that we have a solid plan for caring for our trees.

Below is a photo of 4 new trees that we planted last year behind #2 white tee.

Tees - Covers Bring Color

2010-03-31T10:31:00.000-05:00

In a previous post a few weeks ago, I listed a photo of the synthetic cover that we had placed on the lower half of the driving range tee. We did this to help trap and retain some heat under the tarps so the turf would green up quicker and protect it from the heavy frosts on spring mornings. Notice how dark green the turf color is around the square area that we left uncovered. This process might help with moving from the artificial surfaces to the turf surfaces a bit sooner in the spring.
In the photo below, the turf on the left was covered and the turf on the right remained uncovered.

New Tee Distance Markes

2010-03-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

The photo below exhibits the new tee distance markers that have been chosen for the golf course. We began placing the markers on the white and red tees nines yesterday.The markers are temporarily placed on a firm dirt surface. We will come back and place them on a concrete base. The markers will replace the previous round CDGA markers. They will take a bit more labor and attention in the trimming tasks but they do provide an attractive presentation.

Flagsticks In

2010-03-26T12:41:00.001-05:00

The flagsticks are in the greens. Don't let the sunny blue sky in the photo fool you. It is 33 degrees and sunny but it is very cold today on the course. Keep in mind that it will be some time before the turf begins to actively grow. It will begin to green-up but will not really begin to grow until the soil temperatures reach the high 50s or low 60s at a 2 inch depth.
The course is still very wet from the melted snow and will be slow to dry out until the daytime temperatures climb into the 60s and 70s. Please check with the golf course condition line or the Golf Shop over the next few weeks if you plan to play golf. Any significant rainfall amounts, excessively cold temperatures or prolonged frosts could affect the opening of the golf course. See you soon.

Spring Greens

2010-03-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

The photo above shows a temperature reading of 48.2 degrees on #1 Red green at 2:00 PM today. The temperature reading at8:00 AM was 38.6 degrees. While the turf may start to green-up at lower soil temperatures, the grass will not being to actively grow until soil temperatures at a 2 inch depth are in the mid to high 50s. The AM to PM soil temperatures can vary considerably this time of year due to the freezing overnight lows and the potential sunny afternoon conditions.

The photo above is of #4 Red green. Notice the different colors in the green. This is due to the ice and drainage patterns from the winter months. The darker areas are the wetter areas of the green. This same situation can hold true following heavy rainfalls throughout the year. This is why some locations on a green can be firmer than another.

The photo above shows the damage incurred from the hoofs of a deer running on the new #9 Blue green

A New Look

2010-03-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

We continue to improve the appearance and aesthetics on the NCC golf course.
The photos below exhibit the improvement in the previous and current flowerbed border and steps behind the #2 Blue Green. I hope you like the new look. The rock border matches the rock work that has been constructed on Red #7 and Blue #5 along the lakes.
The photo above is of the railroad tie and dirt slope walkway at #2 Blue Green

The photo above is the new rock border and steps behind #2 Blue Green