Greens Aerification Approaching

In order to continue to improve the playability and the health of the putting greens at Hyde Park a series of practices are implemented each season during the spring and fall. Core cultivation or aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, modifying soils and removing thatch thus helping the grass plants stay healthy and creating a firm surface to putt on. The soil based greens at Hyde Park, in some cases are over 85 years old and drain poorly. Based upon soil physical properties testing we strive to modify/remove approximately 25-30% of the surface area of the putting surfaces. Attached below, are photos of a few of the processes that are employed  in our cultivation practices.  In the upcoming weeks a schedule will be posted on the blog and twitter to update the membership when the practices are occurring.


Deep tine aeration (fall)




Lineal cultivation with sand injection (spring and/or fall)



Dry Ject sand injection (fall)



Core cultivation (spring and fall)

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien
Grounds Superintendent

Larry Drehs

Hyde Park's own Larry Drehs, PGA Golf Professional on the Golf Channel. Good Stuff! See Below...

Annual Bluegrass removal on Zoysia fairways

In order to maintain a high level of playability on the Zoysia fairways, many cultural practices are employed such as; aerfication, adequate fertilization, proper watering practices and increasing light to the plant. These practices improve the health of the Zoysia grass, reducing unwanted weeds such as Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua). Each year the fairways are sprayed twice with a herbicide to eliminate any Annual Bluegrass, the encroachment of the Annual Bluegrass, if left untreated will reduce the health and playability of the Zoysia. The below photos were taken during the recent application to the fairways at Hyde Park.


Thank-you,

Pat O’Brien
Grounds Superintendent




Clumps of  green Annual Bluegrass in Zoysia Fairway




Walking spray boom with shield to get clean line between fairway and rough 



Golf Course Closed

The golf course is closed today due to the frozen/thawing turf, we hope that the warm weather will allow for play on temporary greens later next week.  Attached is a further explanation from the USGA concerning the impact of freeze and thaw effects on the surfaces from foot traffic.

"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 20° F. Symptoms from this severe injury include whitish to dark brown leaves that may mat on the surface. Once temperatures allow thawing to a depth of three to four inches, the probability of turf damage declines since about 75 percent of the root system is in the upper four inches of soil. Frequently soil probing is the only positive way to effectively monitor the freezing level. Traffic should be adjusted accordingly (USGA, 1984)."


Please stay tuned for updates on twitter, the Golf shop and the Grounds Blog.


Thank-you,


Pat O'Brien


Grounds Superintendent