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