Hyde Park Est. 1909.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Where is Winter?

December has been one of the warmest I can remember since moving to Cincinnati, the above normal temperatures have kept the staff busy with many initiatives across the golf course and grounds including:

  • Leaf and debris clean-up
  • Mowing of the putting and tees surfaces multiple times
  • Plant protectants applications to greens and tees
  • Late season fertilization and preemergent applications to all areas of the course
  • Mowing of high rough areas

We have also been working on minor sight-line and green expansions on 14 green to bring the bunkering into play with these tightly mowed areas

 

The long range forecast looks warm and possibly dry, this means there might be a little more golf on the horizon.

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superientendent

 

 

Monday, November 23, 2015

Happy Holidays from the Grounds Department!

The last few weeks have been very warm and conducive to accomplishing a few much important pieces to the agronomic puzzle before winter eventually arrives.

Recently, the staff and I have been busy with the following initiatives:

  • Addition of drainage on holes 4,8,9,12 and 17. Next year, there will be only 2 greens left to complete; 13 and 18. This process started in 2006 and has proven to help improve playability and turf health for these 100 year old surfaces.
  • The cart path project was completed and has had rave reviews on the finish work and the rerouting of some of the paths
  • Final herbicide applications are being made to the rough areas, this is the best time of year to enhance your home lawns with late season fertilization and herbicide applications for those pesky weeds
  • Over the winter, the grounds staff will be working on tree maintainance including pruning and removal of several dead trees along Erie ave.
  • The winter months we also focus on the equipment repair, agronomic programs, continuing education and snow and ice removal across the property including the platform tennis area.

With the shift to colder temperatures, we have begun to shift cart traffic to path only, to reduce damage and winter kill to the Zoysia grass fairways. This season has been one of the latest in recent memory that carts have been able to scatter from the paths

 

From the entire Grounds Department we wish you and you're family a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

If there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Cart Path Remodel Completed!

The cart path remodel project is completed, outside of some minor adjustments. The project began Septmeber 21st and the paving was completed October 21st. Thanks to the entire membership for your patience during this challenging project. I would also like to thank the entire Hyde Park grounds staff, especially the Assistant Grounds Superintendents; Dan Lawendowski and Greg Nickerson for their preparation and execution to make this a succesful endeavor. The projects continue in the month of November with the addition of green drainage to holes 8,9,12 and 17, please follow us on Twitter for the latest on this and other initiatives.

Thank-you,
Pat O'Brien
Grounds Superintendent

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Fall Flower Displays

Fall is in the air now and with that comes one last push to get some color in the flower beds and planters before old man winter arrives. There are several areas around the clubhouse and paddle ball courts showing off some fall color. Flowers and grasses mixed in with some fall staples such as straw, cornstalks, and of course pumpkins and gourds.
At the main entrance we have a fall display of Osaka White/Red Cabbage and Amazon Neon Purple Dianthus.
The bag drop area features a nice fall display of Mums (Bewitched variety), Peacock Red Kale, Nagoya Rose Kale, Purple Garden Mums, and Sangria Ornamental Peppers
More Osaka White/Red Cabbage in front of the Proshop, along with some Mums(Jack O' Lantern variety) in hanging baskets
Some of the planters seen throughout the area have Purple Fountain Grass, Millet, Nagoya Rose Kale, Black Pearl Ornamental Peppers, Sundaze Flame Bracteantha, Diamond Frost Euphorbia, and mums and pansies.
In addition to the fall displays, a new perennial bed was installed which include three different colors of Astilbe, Varigated Liriope, and Oakleaf Hydrangea var. Munchkin. These should fill in nicely in the coming years.

Thank-you,

Bryan Miller, Horticulturist

Monday, October 19, 2015

Cart Path Remodel-Final Stages!

The cart path remodel is in the the final stages, with roughly 600 feet of blacktop to be placed by the contractor this week on holes 1 and 2. The HP grounds staff is not too far behind with another 40 yards of topsoil and 22 pallets of sod left to lay, hopefully before the weekend. The dry conditions, careful preparation and the hardwork of the staff have the project moving well.

Plywood roads are constructed to reduce the impact of the 10 ton trucks

Once the contractor is completed we have a long list of repairs from the heavy equipment and fine details to wrap-up, including: aeration and seeding of haul roads, final seeding of bury pits and continuous handwatering of almost an acre of sod and seed.

Over the next few weeks we will continue to rope off newly sodded and seeded areas for quicker establishment. Thank-you for your patience during this project!

Last section to complete behind 1 green/2tee

If there are any questions please contact us grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Upcoming Cultural Practices

Beginning on October 26th, we will start the next group of cultural practices to improve green surfaces through aerating and amending the soil profile. Two separate practices will occur in conjunction with each other.

First we will Deep-tine the greens with a 1/2" solid tine at up to 12" depth. There is no core pulled, just a small diameter hole punched. This process penetrates through the "plow layer" that exists at about a 4" depth relieving compaction and allowing air and nutrients deeper into the profile also creating a void for roots to grow.

Secondly, we have a contract company coming in to perform "Dry-ject." We have done this procedure in the past. In this process, special machines use a high pressure jet of water to create an irregular void that is instantaneously filled with sand. Spacing and depth can be adjusted to our needs. Following this process, we will brush and roll the greens and they will be playable. This is just another tool in the arsenal to modify profile and improve overall conditions. It does not replace traditional Aerification procedures.

The first week of November, we will begin adding internal drainage to greens on holes 9,8,12,17. This will be the same process completed over the last few years, where small trenches are cut on 6' centers, 2" pipe is installed and trenches are backfilled with an appropriate sand mix. The sod is then replaced on the trenches. Individual greens will be closed as the work is performed, and re-opened when feasible (likely in the spring). Once completed, only 4, 13, and 18 remain without internal drainage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your patience during these important procedures, that will improve overall conditions on greens in the future. Please follow our progress through this blog, emails, and by following these twitter accounts:

@pobrienhpgcc

@ganick23

@djlaw308

 

Greg Nickerson, Assistant Grounds Superintendent

Hyde Park Golf and Country Club

 

 

 

 

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Cart Path Remodel Update

We are into the third week of the cart path remodel project and it has been very successful thus far. Mother Nature continues to cooperate, giving us above normal temperatures and dry conditions. With roughly 2000 lineal feet left to complete on holes 1 and 18 it looks as though the contractor will be completed paving in the next 10 days The remaining drainage, sod and seed work will continue into the month of November. Over the next week we will be repairing haul roads and bury pits with multiple aerifcations, and seeding with turf type tall fescue. We do anticipate the 10th tee will be used this week as the starting tee again, to allow us more time to safely complete work. Also, please remember to obey signs and stay out of roped off areas, this will allow the seed and sod to establish quickly!
Drainage Work near 1 tee
If there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact us grounds@hydeparkcc.com
Thank-you,
Pat O'Brien
Grounds Superintendent

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Cart Path Remodel Update

 

The cart path remodel continues to move forward with a couple minor set backs due to the wet soil conditions, not allowing the contractor to utilize their heavy machinery needed for this project. The Grounds staff, led by Assistant Superintendent Dan Lawendowski are getting a rhythm with the drainage and final finish work to the edges of the path. A tremendous amount of labor goes into these final steps, there is a lot of juggling of staff resources between daily maintenance of the course and the project. Greg Nickerson has the challenge of leading the rest of the team with course maintenance. Both situations are dynamic and require constant coordination and communication between the two of them to make sure we hit the mark on both fronts. The week ahead looks dry with seasonal temperatures, which should allow for the blacktop to be finished on hole 2.

Topsoil and Final Grading to the Edges of the Path

A couple quick reminders concerning cart operation during this project:

-Please obey signs and directional ropes, the sod and seed will not survive if carts drive on theses areas

-Please enter and exit at the designiated areas marked with the 6ft Orange flags, most of these areas have plywood covering the edges to protect the carts and the sod work.

Enter and Exit Points designated with Orange Flags

If there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Or follow us on Twitter @pobrienhpgcc

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Another Busy Project Season Ahead

Autumn signals the change in seasons as well as the direction of the grounds shifts from everyday maintence to upgrades and enhancements across the property. The major project of the 2015 season is the cart path renovation that will take place on Holes 1,2,7,8 and 18.

Cart Path Enhancement Map

The Grounds staff will be involved with the final shaping, sodding and seeding of the cart path edges. During this project we will continue to add drianage in many areas to eliminate saw cutting of the paths in the future. The aspalt crews will be finished in late October and our staff will continue to into early November placing the finishing touches on the work. During this project our goal is not to close holes however, it may be necessary to close or alter teeing locations to insure the safety of the staff, members and contractor. Please obey the signs and ropes and check with the Proshop and Twitter for the latest on the project.

Drainage Installation on Hole 2

Other projects/initiatives this season include:

Drainage in the select putting greens 8,9,12 and 17 commencing in late October

Renovation of select tees (Pending weather)

Dry Ject and Deeptine of the putting surfaces late October/early November

For the latest on all the iniatives on the Grounds at HP follow us on Twitter @pobrienhpgcc or check out our blog.

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

Friday, August 28, 2015

Practice Tee

A few folks have been inquiring why practice was limited to the mats this week. As many of you know the tee at HP is far too small (less than 20,000 square feet) for the amount of use it receives. Therefore, there are periodic times where practice is limited on the grass to enhance divot recovery. This time of year is an excellent time to germinate seed. On Monday, the staff innerseeded, fertilized, topdresesed and drop seeded bentgrass to help with recovery. Over the next week we will be applying water more frequently to allow for the seedlings to survive.

 

Another Way to enhance divot recovery is the use of a lineal divot pattern as noted in the photo below. This practice technique allows the space to be used more efficiently and allowing the divot to recover via seed and vegetatively from the edges.

If the are any questions please email us grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Preparations for next year!

Late August is a busy time for the Grounds Staff, the college students are returning to school and projects are starting to gear up. Recently the staff has completed aeration of the tees and greens with great results. Aeration during this time frame can be a challenge on the turf due to extreme temperatures but the healing process is much faster compared to late Septmeber and generally the golf calendar is slower with the return to school for Elementary and Highschool students.

Day 1
Day 4

The greens are bumpy and slow but they have filled in well, as noted in the photo above.

The staff and I have been busy with other initiatives such as:

  • Slicing of the fairways to reduce compaction and improve water movement
  • Rough aeration and spot seeding to enhance turf type tall fescue populations
Rough Aeration

Fall Projects

The are a few key projects this fall including;

Cart path renovations totaling close to 1.5 miles on Holes 7, 8, 2, 1 and 18. This project will commence September 21st and should be completed in 3-5 weeks pending weather conditions. The golf course will be open during this process, however hole closures may need to be employed to ensure the safety of the contractors and our staff. Updates and progress will occur via Twitter and the Grounds Blog.

Scope of the work including cart path re-routes, drainage and irrigation relocation

Other projects will include added green drainage on holes 8, 9, 12 and 17 along with tee enhancements.

As always, thanks for the feedback and questions concerning the initiatives on the golf course and grounds at Hyde Park. Please email us with any questions? Grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendnt

 

Monday, August 10, 2015

Putting Green Aeration

The aeration of the putting surfaces will begin Sunday August 16th in the evening and will continue until Wednesday the 19th,  pending weather and soil conditions. The golf course will be open but temporary greens will be employed where the Grounds Staff is working. The aeration is scheduled during this time to enhance recovery and reduce the spread of annual bluegrass on the putting greens. If there are any questions please email me: grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Saturated soils and Annual Bluegrass

The hot, humid and above average rainfall over the past few weeks in the Ohio Valley are beginning to challenge annual bluegrass in some areas of the rough at Hyde Park. Much of the the thinning of these areas is due to a plant pathogen called summer patch. Expensive preventative applications in the early spring are required to reduce this fungus, which has never been employed due to the large areas. Annual bluegrass (Poa) is not the desired turfgrass in any areas of the property, unforunately it thrives well in shaded, poorly drained areas. Over the past few years with the moderate summers, Poa has been able to out compete fescue with its prolific seed production that is viable for many years. Without a strategic approach of; shade reduction, herbicides, innerseeding programs Poa will continue to be a challenge.

Thinning of annual bluegrass in the rough, healthy fescue around it

Fescue blend is thriving well

Over the next couple weeks the staff will be seeding and aerifying these thinning areas with Turf Type Tall Fescue

If there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via email grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent