Around The Grounds-December

The month of November was a wonderful time for fall golf with dry and above normal temperatures. It also signifies that our guest workers from Mexico return to their homes near Durango, Mexico to be with their families. We appreciate their dedication and hard work throughout the 8 seasons they have been with us on our team. Navigating the H2-B guest worker program is always stressful, not knowing if or when we will have our team back based upon the demand for visas.  Before the majority of our team left we were able to focus on the Tree Management Program (TMP) for the Golf Course Restoration Plan. 

Background:

The (TMP) has been a multifaceted program, and began extensively in the early 2000's with these goals in mind:

• Reducing the inventory of trees to be able to manage and care properly from a cost, human safety standpoint,  and tree health prospective.
• Improving turf health by reducing shade, increasing air movement, reducing the use of inputs of herbicides and fungicides.
• Increasing the diversity of the plant population of the trees on the HP property because of age, species, and challenges related to disease and insects. 
• Planting of the proper species to enhance screening of the peripheries, and replacement of declining specimen trees.  
• Removal of invasive species; multiple varieties of Honey Suckle, Tree-of-Heaven, European Buckthorn and other plants.
• Exposing the natural terrain and making the game of golf more enjoyable.
• Over 400 trees on the property have been tagged with GPS coordinates outlining current condition and maintenance costs associated with each.
• Tyler Rae (GCA) and Bryan Miller, Director of Horticulture have partnered with Arborists and Extension agents to come up with a diverse plant list to enhance the natural environment at HP.

Changes to Playability and Views with TMP at Hyde Park - Where is this?

Oak Wilt:

In an update from early 2024, Bryan discusses the importance of enhancing plant diversity for both the short and long term goals at HP.  PLEASE CLICK HERE This summer our team noticed some concerning  patterns of decline in a couple of the Pin Oaks on the 13th hole. The signs and symptoms pointed to Oak Wilt (Link to Oakwilt) Unfortunately, a sample taken from a tree on the 13th hole came back positive for Oak Wilt.  This tree has since been removed and disposed of in an approved manner.  This diagnosis of Oak Wilt does not mean the remaining Pin Oak trees will be wiped out, but we need to be cognizant to identify possible signs and symptoms, properly test and plan for the future with increasing the Bio-diversity of the plant population of specimen and screening trees across the property.

Tree Planting:

Bryan, with the help of our partners have identified areas across the 153 Acre property to enhance periphery property line with plantings, along with key specimen tree replacement. This is a strategic plan that will be discussed with the Grounds and Golf Course Restoration Oversight Committee. The preliminary plan includes over 300 trees to be planted over the next 2-5 years.

Small Segment of Plant List 

 

Sample Slide Utilized for Budgeting and Areas to be Addressed 

As always we appreciate your feedback, and please send any questions regarding the Golf Course to grounds@hydparkcc.com. Please stay tuned for more information and links to updates for the Golf Course Restoration Plan. 

Merry Christmas,

Pat O'Brien 

Grounds Superintendent 

 

Playing to Our Strengths While Improving

As the fall season progresses our team is looking towards next year with our agronomic plan, we will continue to adjust to according the results of our programming, budget and of course feedback from the membership. The putting greens were aerified during the week of September 18th. There is never a good time to aerify with the disruption it causes to play but the consistent cultural practices, added infrastructure of drainage, increased sunlight and air movement have helped the majority of the greens. The annual physical properties testing and work with the USGA of the sub-surface has given us data points for our program to hopefully place the last missing puzzle piece of regrassing the greens to a new bentgrass that will perform well with fewer inputs, excellent consistency and ball roll from green to green, even during the summer months!

Below, are a few photos of the progression of the healing of the putting greens.

Day 1-Post Aeration 

Day 6-Post Aeration 

The shorter days, lower ambient and soil temperatures signifying the on-set of dormancy of the Meyer Zoysiagrass Fairways.  Since the establishment of the Zoysiagrass in the early 80s at Hyde Park, this grass continues to be Hyde Park's competitive advantage to other courses in the area, not only for it's uniqueness (one of the furtherest courses north to have Zoysia fairways) but from the economic advantages compared to the typical cool season fairways has paid off!

As a self proclaimed Zoysiagrass nerd, I have been fortunate to speak to colleagues around the country about the benefits of having Zoysiagrass (Link) as the primary fairway grass in the Transition Zone.

Some interesting facts about Zoysia in the Proposed Master Plan (MP)

• The MP calls for a total square footage increase of Zoysiagrass by roughly 8 acres along with Zoysiagrass Bunker faces (Link) allowing increased savings in water, fertilizer and labor inputs.

• An additional 43,000 Lineal feet (LF) of drainage infrastructure in the fairways will be added that will allow for reduced cart path only days and for carts to scatter earlier and later in the golf season. This drainage will be tied into much of the already existing 7000 LF of installed drainage in 2004.

Other fun facts about Zoysiagrass.........

Thanks again for your comments and feedback concerning the golf course and MP at Hyde Park. Please reach out to me with any questions or join us for one of the upcoming on-course tours.

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent

Master Plan Update

It looks like Mother Nature is starting to co-operate with some wonder fall weather.  Dry and seasonal temperatures should be the norm for the next 7 days which will keep the golf balls bouncing in the fairways, adding a few extra yards to that tee shot.  

The Grounds team and I are also excited to welcome Tyler Rae, Golf Architect back to Hyde Park. Over the past few years Tyler, Jim Ryan (Design Associate) and I have spent many hours traversing the course with the Donald Ross plans and notes in tow discussing the exceptional topography, infrastructure challenges along with the opportunities to make this gem of a course shine even more by enhancing the original architecture of Mr. Ross.

On September 12^th I am hopeful that you will be able to attend the Golf Course Master Plan meeting to listen to Tyler and ask questions. Tyler's passion comes through in his exceptional work and is displayed in this video from Beverley Country Club in Chicago.

Following the Founders Cup, I would enjoy the opportunity to take small groups around the course for about an hour to discuss the Master Plan and some of infrastructure challenges. Stay tuned for more details on the tour dates and times! 
 
As always thank-you for the feedback and the questions about the Course and the Master Plan. Please do not hesitate to reach out to grounds@hydeparkcc.com
 

Thank-you,
 
Pat O’Brien,

Grounds Superintendent 

High Rough/Seeding Trials

The season continues to move along at Hyde Park, with the Art Smith in the rearview mirror our team is focused on giving the greens a little of a break with the added stresses on the turf from multiple mowings and rolling to achieve a true surface.  We are utilizing tools such as fans and venting of the surface to allow for oxygen exchange and dry the surface. USGA VIDEO LINK  There are areas of turf that have "thinned" but are largely confined to certain varieties of bentgrass.

Our annual mowing of the "high rough" areas has begun across the golf course in anticipation of fall herbicide applications, these areas are usually mowed two-three times each season depending on the weed encroachment. In many areas the grass clippings will be mulched and blown to disperse.

Between the 10th and 11th hole we have begun an establishment trial of fine fescues to see if we can create a low input rough area that is playable. This area will consist of Sheep and Hard fine fescues with different seeding rates. 

Rectangle- Trial Area 

If you have any questions please reach out to us grounds@hydeparkcc.com. We appreciate your feedback!

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent 

Storm Assessment 7.29.23

Around 5:15 am this morning a strong line of storms moved through the Greater Cincinnati area with high winds, hail and heavy rain.  

Radar 5:15 Am

Prior to this rain event the course had around 1.25" in the last 24 hours, and many of the playing surfaces were saturated. The greens are the most delicate surfaces, the recent heat, humidity and now saturation have increased thinning of the old Bentgrasses. The moisture sensors placed in the 11th and 16th green along with our portable moisture sensors allow us to see just how much water is in the profile. Simply put with excessive rainfall, the oxygen in the root zone is replaced with water and the roots compromised. 

Moisture Content on 11 and 16 green prior to Rain Event

Once the the lightning leaves the area our team will be able to assess the damage on the course and evaluate for possible delays or closures. Thanks for your patience during this process, we will continue to update via email and the golf shop.

Please send questions or feedback to grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Change in Strategy

The summer stress period for the turfgrass plant is here in the Ohio Valley, which has caused us to pivot slightly to protecting the putting surfaces as the heat and humidity are challenging the older types of bentgrass on the greens. Practices that can help reduce turf loss on greens include raising mowing heights, reduce rolling and potentially some greens will not be mowed daily. With so many different types of grasses on the greens our strategies are focused around the weakest grass.  There are many instances where a variety of bentgrass will be healthy but just inches away another type will decline due to disease, heat and traffic stress.

Blotchy Appearance- Many Different Grass Types

Another excellent tool to help sustain Turfgrass health is the use of the aerifier to produce small 1/4" holes to allow for gas exchange in the rootzone. For many Turfgrass Managers this practice is fondly known as "Venting". These small holes are created on a monthly basis and are not an issue to playability.

• Allowing increased oxygen exchange within the root zone
• Increased water infiltration into the subsoil
• Added root growth while temperatures are moderate

"Venting"

Handwatering:

Golfers are often reminded to drink plenty of water before teeing it up on a hot summer day. Similarly, putting greens also need to stay hydrated. Typically, putting greens are irrigated at night or early in the morning. However, during periods of hot weather or low humidity, turf may need additional water throughout the day because soils can quickly dry out. Light watering during the day helps keep putting greens healthy and playing well. When the grounds team has the flagstick removed please do not hit the ball at the green. Hand watering usually only takes 3-5 minutes to complete.

Roughs:

Recently, the rough in many areas of the course has been impacted by a disease called dollar spot, mainly the unwanted Bentgrass and Annual bluegrass is in decline, however these turfgrasses make up 50 percent of the rough.  Fungicides have been applied, but the damage continues to occur. Innerseeding of fescue in late August will be necessary in many areas of the rough.

Dollar Spot in the Rough

Thanks again for the questions and feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out to us grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent 

July Update

Photo Credit: Jared Marshall

The weather conditions in the Ohio Valley continue to be on the drier side of the continuum, which puts us in control of the moisture but it has posed a few challenges. With just over an 1.5” of total rain for the month of June the irrigation system has been put to the test, using about 4.2 million gallons of water, with 65% of this usage focused in the roughs across the property.  There is certainly a little more roll on the fairways!

Seeding Trial #15 

The seeding trial on #15 has progressed well, we are now investigating

how little irrigation water is needed to sustain the turf. So far, the Fescue turf looks good and we have used about 40% less water in this area compared to the mix stands of turf across the property. I am disappointed with the final composition of the rough on #2, unfortunately the late seeding allowed for Annual Bluegrass to outcompete the Fescue in a few areas, this will be noticeable in the summer months.

Seeding Trial #15- Reduced Water Inputs 

Zoysiagrass Winter Injury 

The Zoysiagrass continues to heal from the winter injury sustained in December of 2022, the Grounds team has focused on replacing thin areas with Zoysia plugs and sod throughout the property. Extra fertilizer and water has been applied to these areas to improve the appearance of the turf. The Zoysia sod is currently coming from the nursery behind #4 green. We have been also experimenting with new greens height Bentgrass types that exhibit excellent disease and heat tolerance with fewer inputs.

Sod Nursery 

Thanks again for the feedback and questions please send us a note to grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Sincerely,

Pat O'Brien 

Grounds Superintendent 

Summer Annuals

Summer Time is Almost Here!

You know it’s getting close to summer when it starts heating up and the summer annuals start going in the ground. This year the Horticulture dept planted over 2000 individual flowers over the span of a couple days! Within those 2000 plants, are 32 different species of flowers. From Angelonia and Geraniums to Petunias and Zinnias, the club will be full of color before long. As the coming days heat up, the landscape beds will start to fill out.

For those interested or curious, the following list is a list of my tried and trued annuals that I like to use every year:

            Sun Plants 

·       Begonia ‘Bada Bing’ series

·       Canna ‘Cannova’

·       Coleus ‘French Quarter’

·       Geranium ‘Caliente’

·       Lantana ‘Landmark’ and ‘Lucky’

·       Musa ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (banana)

·       Petunia ‘Wave’

·       Petunia ‘SuperTunia’

·       Ruellia ‘Purple Showers’

·       Zinnia ‘Uproar Rose’

Shade Plants 

·       Colocasia ‘Coffee Cups’ and ‘Illustris’

·       Impatiens ‘Beacon’

·       N.G. Impatien ‘Harmony’

·       Setcreasea ‘Purple Hearts’

Enjoy the start to the summer! If there are any questions please don’t hesitate to stop and ask me or send me a note to bmiller@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Bryan Miller, Horticulturist

Grounds Update

Zoysiagrass Update Late-May:

It was great to spend time on the 3rd tee during the Memorial Day golf event to answer questions about the grounds. Thanks so much for the positive feedback on the direction of the conditioning of the golf course.  A topic that was discussed often was the thin areas on the fairways. This majority of the winter injury to the Zoysiagrass has occured in low lying shaded and high traffic areas. Many turf mangers in the Midwest have been experiencing these challenges on Zoysiagrass this season. This article from the USGA

explains some of the causes of winter injury.

2nd Fairway- Poor Drainage

2nd Fairway- Winter Injury due to poor drainage

Some of the turf has been recovering well with the warmer temperatures and addtional fertilizer applications, other areas will need to be sodded over the coming weeks. The zoysia sod will come from our nursery behind the 4th green.

We will continue to update the membership on our progress with the Zoysiagrass recovery.

Rough Renovation on Holes 2 and 15:

Overall, the rough renovation on 2 and 15 has progressed well! The seeded area on 15 is the true winner in quality so far, the ideal time to seed is in late August early September. The late seeding (October 31st)  on #2 is doing okay, it will be interesting to see how the turfgrass plants on #2 can withstand the challenges of the summer.

#2- Late Winter 

#2- May

#15- May 

Thanks again for the feedback and questions concering the course and the grounds at Hyde Park. If there are any questions please send us a note at grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien,

Grounds Superintendent 

Zoysiagrass Mid-May Update:

Winter Injury to Zoysiagrass in Poorly Draining Area

Over the last weekend a few questions were asked about the condition of the Zoysiagrass fairways.  Meyer Zoysiagrass is a warm season grass that has excellent cold tolerance, however in shaded, high traffic and low lying areas where surface drainage is inadequate the turfgrass can be impacted negatively by cold weather.  Many of the thin and off color areas will recover with warmer weather, unfortunately this will not occur until Growth Potential Models reach above 50 percent. What is growth potential? (GP)

Pace Turf has developed growth potential models to explain myriad of ways in which whether impacts turf growth. The model considers turf growth to be good when the growth potential (GP) is between 50% and 100% (the best possible growth occurs at a GP of 100%). However, when weather conditions are either too hot or too cold for optimal turf growth, the GP falls below 50%, and turf becomes progressively more stressed. When the GP falls to 10% or lower, growth is extremely limited.  

The chart below explains the ideal growth period  for Zoysiagrass occurs when average temperatures reach 87 F however we start to see slight improvements in turf quality when the average temperatures are in the mid 70s (yellow highlighted areas) 

With the recent inconsistent temperatures the current Growth Potential of the Zoysiagrass is around 33 percent, which is very low and the recuperative capacity of the Zoysiagrass from winter injury will be slow until the Growth Potential is above 50 percent. 

Winter Injury- Shaded Area

 

Around the Grounds: Aeration, Intern Spotlight and Practice Like a Pro

Practice Area:

I have been asked a few questions on the proper etiquette on divot removal on the grass tees. Below are a few pictures of divot patterns that are exhibited at HP. Ideally there is one divot pattern that should be utilized for increased recuperation and the most efficient use of turf, better known as a “lineal” divot pattern. The lineal divot pattern is a series of divots connected in a lineal fashion with a minimum of 2-3” of turf between each strip. The creeping Bentgrass/Zoysia grass left between the divots will grow horizontally, decreasing the amount of time for recovery.

Aeration:

A big thank-you to the entire Grounds Team for their execution of the Spring putting green aeration. The greens continue to heal well as we hit the 2nd week of healing. 

Walk On/Off #7 Green:

The turf continues to grow through the matting on #7, we are hopeful this trial of this new material will aide in eliminating resodding this area year after year.

Almost 3 weeks post installation

Intern Spotlight:

Hello, my name is Ross Greenwood and I’ve come here from Swansea, Wales. Before making the trip across the pond I had worked at my previous course (Langland Bay) for the past four years. I started my time there after going from job to job with little direction. But before long I realized that this was going to be the career for me. I started to attend college in order to get qualified in Turfgrass Management. And it was during my time at college that I heard about the incredible programme run by The Ohio State University that has made it possible for me to be at Hyde Park today.

 

I have only been here for three weeks, but have already had the opportunity to talk with so many members and staff here. I’d like to say a big thank-you for the warm welcome. I look forward to meeting more of you and contributing to a successful summer season here.

 

I see a future for myself in the turfgrass industry. After my time in the States I would love to find a position back in the UK as an Assistant Greenkeeper, and then look forward to working abroad some more in the future. After my short time here I can already tell that the knowledge and experience I’ll  gain from working with the HP Grounds team is really going to give me the best chance of achieving my goals. Away from the job I’m excited to see as much of this country as I can in my spare time. So I welcome any suggestions, from restaurants and to the best state/national parks I should visit. I’ll also be trying to improve my golf game while here, so I apologize in advance for the numerous calls of ‘Fore!’.

See you on the course.

Ross Greenwood

Taking in FC Cincinnati Game

Thanks again for the feedback and questions about the golf course and grounds at Hyde Park. 

Sincerely,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent