Putting Greens and Aerification

The core cultivation of the putting greens was originally scheduled for the week of April 13th however, with warmer temperatures, firmer surfaces and drier soil conditions the aerifcation will begin across the course on 3/30/15- 4/2/15 pending weather conditions. The practice and #1 green have been aerified to test equipment and processes of clean-up. Aerifcation is disruptive to play and takes a tremoundous amount of labor to complete properly. With that said, it is a necessary evil to reduce compaction, modify the existing soil, aiding to improve playability and the health of the turf.

Recovery time will be slower compared to the late summer cultivation practices due to cooler soil temperatures and the extended forecast models are leaning towards below normal temperatures. We anticipate at least 14-18 days for complete recovery.

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

 

 

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Spring is here!

It is officially Spring however, the temperatures are still slightly below normal, but the turf is off to a great start. The putting greens have been been mowed and rolled several times to smooth and firm the surfaces after a long winter. Overall, the fairways and new Zoysia continue to look healthy, the spring transition of the Zoyisa will be crucial, hoping there will not be any extreme temperatures over the next month.

What difference a week makes!

Drainage functioning and looking great!

New drainage, installed last season in greens 2,10, 11 and 16 is functioning well, root growth has been slow with the sodded lines but we will adjust our program to enhance these areas.

Over the next few weeks the staff is extremely busy with:

• Spring clean-up of tree debris
• Spring aeration of the putting surfaces the week of the April 13th
• Irrigation pressurization
• Leveling and fine tuning of bunkers
• Mulching of landscaped areas
• Staff recruitment and training
• Har Tru tennis court resurfacing
• Final preventative maintence on equipment

 

As always we welcome comments, questions and feedback on the Grounds at Hyde Park. We can be reached at grounds@hydeparkcc.com or follow us on Twitter @pobrienhpgcc. We are looking forward to the upcoming season and some warmer weather.

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

 

 

 

Thawing Out

Saturday 3/7/2015 8:00 AM

Sunday 3/8/2015 3:00 PM

It has been an unusually long winter here in Cincinnati. We had an early snowfall in November, and now a late snowfall on March 4th. The forecast however, looks to be turning the corner with high temps moving toward 60 degrees. As the temperature warms and the sun comes out, it is natural to want to dust off the clubs and get on the course for an early spring round. It is important to be cautious this time of year though. While the snow may be melted, the course is not necessarily ready for play. The greens are frozen underneath the snow. As the snow melts, the greens begin to thaw out slowly. This creates a layer of saturated soil over top of frozen soil. Traffic on the playing surfaces in these conditions can damage the plants and soil structure. Saturated soil is more prone to compaction and the roots of the plant will be sheared off at the frozen/saturated interface. This has the same effect as running a sod cutter over the greens; leaving the plant with roots as shallow as 1/2 inch heading into the season. The damage will manifest itself later as we hit the stressful time of year.
USGA Article
For this reason, it is necessary to restrict play until the playing surfaces have thawed completely, and dried up enough to allow traffic. While you are anxious to get out and play, we have to protect the golf course for all players in the long run. Please be patient and know that we are continually monitoring the conditions of the course and will allow play once we are thawed and are comfortable there is no risk of long term damage.

We will update conditions daily. Please remember to follow us on twitter, and check your emails to be aware of when we are open, and always check with the golf shop prior to play.

Thank you,
Greg Nickerson, Assistant Grounds Superintendent
gnickerson@hydeparkcc.com. Twitter: @ganick23

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