Critical Situation

Course care is important at any golf facility and NCC is no different.   We have a wonderful golf course here at NCC and our members seem to really be enjoying the course.   With the increased activity of play that we have at NCC, it is imperative for every member and their guests to participate in normal golf course care by repairing every ball mark, divot and spike mark that they make.  Also, please encourage your caddy to do these three important tasks for every shot.

If we want NCC to be recognized as one of the outstanding manicured and quality conditioned courses in Chicagoland,  I have attached two videos at the end of the photos that will show proper ways to properly repair ball marks and divots.  Thanks for your help with these practices.

Our Golf Course Operations Team will continue to do everything we can both from an agronomic and manicuring aspect to keep the course in a condition that you can be proud of and enjoy. Thanks in advance for your help in joining us with making our course  detailed and manicured.  I'm available to share information and course care recommendations if  you want to give me a call. 

The 104 red flags on #7 red green and an equal number on Blue #1 green following the 4th of July weekend represent unrepaired and incorrectly repaired ball marks.  This significantly reduces both the aesthetics and playability of the putting surface.

The photo below is a neglected unrepaird ball mark.  It will take 2-3 weeks for this spot to heal.   Imagine hundreds of these marks on a green.

Unrepaird fairway divots.  

Attention Golfers

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. 

Insect Spray

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.

Carts on the Path

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.

Blue Nine Opening

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

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.

Replacing Fairway Divots

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.

Putting Green Damage

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.

Cart Signs

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.