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