Hyde Park Est. 1909.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Winter On the Grounds of Hyde Park

Mother Nature has thrown us curve ball this January, with many unseasonably warm and very wet days. This has created a set of new challenges to completing some of the ongoing projects with these wet condtions; however there are a couple bright sides with all of the rain.

We have been able to measure the success of the infrastructure improvements such as the added green drainage and our sand topdressing program. These investments by the membership at HP have allowed in many instances opening the golf course much faster in comparison to even 3 years ago. The excess water in the sand profile, drains much faster, reducing the threat of soft conditions and damaging the turf stand. We are still very careful and strategic not to allow foot traffic on the surfaces, when the sandy profile is thawing to reduce root shear. Please keep in mind, all courses and green conditions vary around the region and the opening of each facility is dynamic based upon many factors!

The recent drainage added to the 17th fairway is working well and we are anxious to see how it performs next season. Could these drainage systems be applied strategically across the property to improve turf conditions and reduce cart path only days? Evaluation and time will tell!

Sand Topdressing and Aeration; Key to long term success!

Over next few weeks our team is finishing a few key processes on the golf course:

Fan stored away, ready for action on 14
  • Fan installation on 14
  • Recruitment of our Grounds Team for next year
  • Drainage behind the first green to capture seepage
  • Tournament volunteer opportunities
  • Refinement and assessment of current agronomic and department strategies
  • Legacy project planning for practice facility and details associated with other areas
  • Tree management program
  • Split rail fence installation on 14
  • Snow and ice removal around the grounds and platform tennis
Exploring further concepts of practice area

As always, please do not to hesitate to contact us with any questions? Email: ground@hydeparkcc.com or follow us on Twitter for the latest course conditions and updates.

Thank-you

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent