Renovations and Preparations for 2020

The fall season is here, overall the last 3 weeks have been great for golf. The recent renovations on the 3rd hole have been well received, with a lot of excellent questions being asked? The grounds team, once again did a great job with all of the work that was completed, we are very excited to showcase these efforts early next season. Our biggest challenge is to ensure the new sod on the tees is established as quickly as possible. The 3rd hole will open in early spring but a temporary teeing area will be employed for a short period of time to ensure the newly sodded turf areas are established to sustain all of the traffic. 

Before- Hole #3

After-Hole #3

Merry Christmas! Hard to believe how fast 2019 is progressing. We have had some good days of golf in November, with some moderate temperatures and drier weather. We will see what December and January will bring, if looking for information on course openings please check with your daily club email, Proshop or follow us on Twitter for the latest information.The last month the team has been busy with many initiatives on the course including:

●      Turf Fan Installation on 7
●      Preventative maintenance on the fleet of equipment
●      Leveling irrigation sprinklers around the putting surfaces
●      Various drainage projects around the course●      Leaf clean-up

Preparations for 2020 are well underway, with Turfgrass intern program recruitment and securing guest worker visas for next year. Recently, our friends from Mexico left to get back with their families in Durango, Mexico. As many of you know they are an integral part of our success, each year we work diligently to obtain legal, seasonal workers. The H2-b guest worker program is a challenge to navigate with many political pitfalls; unfortunately,  there are not many other alternatives. It looks as though 2020 will be no different; a shortfall in the number of visas issued will most likely occur again, delaying the workers or even worse, they may not arrive at all. Over the past few weeks, we have reached out to Senators and Congressman to help educate the need for legal seasonal workers and the importance of raising the visa cap to meet the need. 

Late Fall Happenings

I'm often asked what goes on in the Horticulture world after summer and the cold weather starts to set in. Aside from leaf cleanup and keeping the clubhouse grounds looking the best they can with the ever changing weather, a lot of what's going on is planning for the following year. Designing, plant selection, areas for improvement, etc. It's a time where I can let the creative juices flow and find ways to better improve the landscaping. I take notes throughout the year on what plants do well in their particular location and if there's enough plant material, whether it's too many or too little. Then around this time of year, I sit down and review those notes and figure out how I want to utilize certain plants next year and what new plants I can incorporate into the landscape.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and until next time...

-Bryan Miller
Horticulturist
Hyde Park Golf and Country Club

Zoysia Grass and Wines by the Vines; August is Here.

Hard to believe that August is here! The grounds team continues to move forward with many

initiatives.  The Zoysia grass continues to improve with just a few blemishes noted across the property. Sodding, plugging, extra fertilizer applications and a little patience were the strategies used to allow recovery from winter injury.

May-2019

July-2019

The availability of Zoysia sod has been a challenge due to demand and weather conditions across the Midwest. In order to avoid future issues we will be expanding our Zoysia nursery near the vegetable garden behind the 4th green.

High Rough:

We have had a few comments on the  weeds in the high rough areas, the wet spring and early summer have created a sea of green. Over the coming weeks we begin to mow select areas in preparation for an herbicide application. The weeds are currently too large for the herbicides to work effectively. 

Wines by the Vines:

August 22nd Bryan Miller, Horticulturist will the host the inaugural "Wine by the Vines” an evening exploring the Clubs plantings from 7:00-8:00pm. Please be on the lookout for details of this event!

Once again,  thank-you for the feedback on the golf course and grounds,  the entire grounds team have done an excellent job, in these challenging growing conditions.

Thank-you,

Pat O’Brien

Grounds Superintendent

Jon Nash- Turfgrass Intern- A View From Inside the Ropes at the JD Classic

Jonathan Nash - John Deere Classic 2019

I was lucky enough to volunteer alongside the agronomy team at the John Deere Classic this year, the PGA tournament was hosted at TPC Deere Run for its 19 consecutive year. TPC Deere Run is a fantastic golf course situated in Moline, Illinois, the challenging course architecture and picturesque landscape makes it a perfect location to host a PGA tour event. 

I was assigned my roles for the week upon arriving so I could accustom myself to new maintenance practices and machinery prior to the tournament. These roles included hand mowing greens before play, mowing approaches using a triplex and hand mowing tees, bunkers. The agronomy team including volunteers numbering 50 in total and TPC Deere Run converted their workshop into a relaxing, social area including beds, couches, televisions and even a massage therapist.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned  a lot about tournament conditions in relation to turf and agronomy. I was able to network with other international and domestic greenkeepers, this was rewarding as I learned about golf course management practices being used in other countries and areas of the US. I found it very interesting learning about the TPC network and a gratifying opportunity to work at a tournament players club. 

Thank-you,

Jonathan Nash

Turfgrass Intern, Hyde Park Golf and Country Club

Around the Grounds at Hyde Park

I like to talk a lot about weather and the impact of it on managing turf, however this month I am going to be very concise and stray away from data to just say it has been very wet! We apologize for the cart restrictions and the other inconveniences associated with record rainfall, we are hopeful for a drier July with “normal” temperatures!

The practice area continues to see plenty of use. The wet conditions have warranted more use of the synthetic teeing line and bentgrass teeing spaces. Moving forward, the Zoysia grass tee will be utilized more because the warmer temperatures will help with divot recovery. Lineal divot patterns will better utilize the teeing area more efficiently and aid in quicker recovery. 

Exciting News! Our friends from Mexico were approved with their work visas,  it has been amazing to have them back again for another season. 

Over the next few weeks our team will continue to play catch-up from the rain. Long awaited drainage projects will occur near the forward tee on 7, near the ninth tee and behind the 1st green. The majority of wet areas are of result of a high water table and natural springs. Donald Ross  mentions these springs in his design notes from the early 1920’s on the 7th hole.

The Zoysia Grass continues to heal well! The warmer temperatures will help, along with resodding and plugging of many areas across the golf course. We hope very soon to have cart path restrictions lifted on 2 and 8. The 18th fairway will take a little longer due to resodding of winter damage just past the fairway bunkers. 

The monthly newsletter/blog gives me an opportunity to introduce some of our team members. This month I would like to introduce Jon Nash, our international intern from Australia, Jon brings a wealth of knowledge to our team along with excellent critical thinking skills and many other intangibles. Below,  is a note from Jon!

Hi,

My name is Jonathan Nash!

I am the current sports turf management intern at Hyde Park Golf & Country Club. I am participating in a program available for international students through the Ohio State University’s sports turf department coordinated by Mike O’Keeffe.

I am originally from the UK but emigrated to Australia 5 years ago. I began my trade in 2016 in the form of an apprenticeship which involves both practical and theoretical assessments at a small golf course in Western Australia. It was my former Superintendent that informed me of the program, it seemed like an opportunity I could not pass up on as it would expose me to more complex maintenance practices, management skills and further my knowledge of turfgrass agronomy.

I’ve been at Hyde Park for two months now, the experience so far has gone beyond my expectations. I’m extremely lucky to work alongside Pat, Dan and Arron as they are very knowledgeable and are more than happy to answer any questions I may have regarding the trade. I have already learnt so much and will continue to do so until October when I depart the US back to Australia. I am thoroughly enjoying what Cincinnati has to offer, there’s plenty to do and see, I have been taken back by how friendly and inclusive everyone has been.

I plan to take what I have learnt from my internship and use that to seek a supervisory role on a golf course in Australia. I already feel the confidence in my abilities growing, I believe I will have both the knowledge and skills needed to become successful in the sports turf industry upon completion of my time at Hyde Park.

I’d like to thank you for hosting me at your prestigious club.

Regards,

Jonathan Nash

As alway, thanks for your feedback on the course. If you would like updates on course operations please follow us on twitter  @pobrienhpgcc If there are any questions, please send us a note at grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O’Brien 

Grounds Superintendent 

Summer is Heating Up: A quick update from Bryan Miller-Horticulturist

Summer finally decided to warm up at the end of June, really firing up all the summertime annuals. After a slow, wet start to summer, the flowers really started to take off when the heat kicked in. All the rain we received mid June, however, (around 6"-8" in a week) did not help things, especially from a disease stand point. All things considered, the plants held their own, minus a few cases powdery mildew on the Bee Balm (Monarda) and some areas where plants were just sitting in several inches of water. Some of the challenges that come with new landscaping, especially those after a major construction project, are drainage and proper soil conditions. Still working out some of the kinks, but our heavy clay soil mixed with construction fill and compaction provide the perfect storm for poor drainage resulting in the standing water that some of these plants are sitting in, causing root rot, among other things. We will try and remedy these troublesome areas by tilling in some pine fines in the fall to loosen the soil up and provide better drainage. The following photos show the differences between the viburnum and lilacs that are sitting in water vs those that are in a drier spot.

 The summertime annuals in the heavy clay soil also show signs of stunted growth. The following photos show Bidens and Petunias thriving in the rich soil of some of our older beds, while they struggle in the beds that are heavily compacted and mostly clay. The Lobularia and Cleome also struggle in wet soil, as shown in some of these photos as well.

I'll end with the older more established beds, as well as containers and hanging baskets. No complaints here. They all look great and really filling out nicely. The heat, proper fertility and water management result in some very healthy looking plants.

As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to stop me and ask. Have a great rest of the summer!

Bryan Miller
Horticulturist, Hyde Park GCC

June-Mother Nature is in Control

The month of May was another roller coaster-of-a-ride for the  weather, the team was challenged once again with above normal precipitation, making mowing of the playing surfaces, interesting. This translated into plenty of poor lies and unfortunately a few lost balls. A question arose recently about the frequency of cart path only, and how cart status can change so quickly? Excellent question! We have had to shift carts from scattering to the fairway, to cart path only because the cumulative effect of the rain and rising water table on the course. The graphic below, shows that the United States recently finished the wettest 12 months in 124 years of record keeping. Pretty impressive!

We have seen many new springs that have surfaced across the golf course,  one spring very evident is located near the forward tee on #7. The water continues to move through the hillside and flow over the path, making a mess of the turf below. The team will address this area, when we get to a more conducive weather pattern for improving the drainage.

The Zoysia grass fairways continues to heal slowly from the winter injury, we have started extra fertilizer applications and limited aeration to help with healing. Sodding of select areas will begin in early July.  Thanks for being mindful of the cart path only holes of 2, 8, and 18, this will aid in the recovery process.

The month of May also signifies the planting of the summer annuals, this year the team of Bryan, Diane, Jim and a few other folks planted over 3,500 annuals in less than two weeks. Bryan has added many new designs and plant selections that will be amazing when they mature over the coming months. If there is interest from the HP membership we would like to put together a walk around the annual beds for a little Q and A with Bryan. Stay tuned!

A couple reminders:

The practice facility is closed on Mondays, the Pro shop staff does an excellent job of removing all the balls so that we can mow, fertilize and preform other practices to enhance this area. PLEASE do not use this area on Mondays.

Thanks for the help with utilizing a lineal divot pattern while practicing off of the grass and raking the bunkers after usage. The practice area is a busy area!

As always, thanks for the feedback, we are happy to answer any questions!

Thank-you,


Pat O'Brien
Grounds Superintendent

The Hyde Park Golf and Country Club Grounds Department: Winter Injury of Zoysia 2014 and 2019

Winter injury has been noted on the fairways please click the link below......
The Hyde Park Golf and Country Club Grounds Department: Winter Injury of Zoysia 2014 and 2019:

Plant Trialing Out West

Over the span of four days, I was lucky enough to travel out to Central California to check out this springs plant trials. The California Spring Plant Trials were a great way to see, learn, and discuss the many different varieties of flowers and shrubs that have been on the market already and those that are soon to come to market. From seed to plugs to cuttings and full grown plants, I saw them all.

The color combinations may be what struck me the most. The amount of flowers that now contain more than one color and even more than two colors was remarkable. I will definitely be trying them out. There are greenhouses and trial gardens set up all over the valley. It's quite impressive to be on top of the mountain and look down to the valley and see greenhouse after greenhouse.

A lot of what we grow in the way of herbaceous plant material, especially annuals, in this area is researched and field tested out west. Perfect climate and growing conditions. A lot of trialing can be done in different parts of the country as well, since some of what is grown in one part of the country may not be suitable for another part of the country. This holds true especially with fruit baring trees and other various crops.

It was very interesting to see how many new varieties come to market every year. More specifically, the older varieties that have been bred to become deer resistant, drought tolerant, disease resistant, larger blooms etc... A lot of time goes in to research and development before a plant is considered successful and ready to go to market.

At the end of the trip, I had plenty of fresh new ideas for the fall and 2020 and beyond. Be on the lookout for some new plant varieties and new garden designs at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club! Don't hesitate to stop me and ask questions if you see me out and about around the grounds.

Until next time!

Bryan Miller
Horticulturist
Hyde Park Golf and Country Club
@HPGCCPlantman