Tulip Recycling 2024

Tulips:

Another tulip season in is the books, which showcased roughly 10,000 tulips this year and over 10 different colors and patterns. I am often asked what happens to them next. A great question and to keep the landscape beds fresh and new for the following year, we pull all the bulbs out of the ground so that we do not get any unwanted colors mixed in with the new bulbs that will be planted in the fall. We also amend and till the beds in preparation for the Summer Annuals, in many cases this damages the bulb from blooming the following year.

If you are interested in recycling the bulbs to create your own masterpiece at your home we will remove the tulips and place in piles in the landscape beds. Please bring your own buckets/boxes/bags and gather what you would like. Below, is a brief guide on how to care for the bulbs.  Any questions do not hesitate to ask? Spring bulbs were a huge success, and we are getting close to planting the summer annuals. 

How to care/store/replant springtime bulbs:

• Find a covered well-ventilated area to lay out all your bulbs (leaves and bulbs still attached), making sure they do not touch.

• Once the leaves have dried out and turned yellow or brown, you can cut the leaves off all the way back to the bulb (this could take a few weeks).

• Store in a cool, dark, ventilated area like a basement or garage until fall.

• When it is time to plant in the fall, plant bulbs 3-5 inches in the ground, please keep in mind that 100 percent of the bulbs may not bloom again, so plant a few extra! 

Cheers!

Bryan Miller

Director of Horticulture 

Storm Update

Overall, the golf course and grounds faired well from the storms. Minor flooding was observed on the 5th and 6th fairway. The Grounds team has begun cleaning debris and silt from 6 fairway and we will move to restoring the bunkers along with a few odds and ends over the next couple days.

The golf course is open with all carts on the path.

Thanks for your comments and feedback on the course.

Pat O'Brien 

Grounds Superintendent 

Around the Grounds-Spring Edition

The Grounds team and I are shifting into the golf season after a busy off-season with work on the Restoration Plan, behind the scenes the team will continue to work on the plan, however our focus is on the playability of the golf course. 

Zoysia:

The Zoysiagrass is beginning to show hints of green in the canopy and we are hopeful that the transition will occur sooner than later to allow carts to scatter to the fairways. Cart traffic can be a challenge to the health of the Zoysia with its slow recuperative capacity during the cooler months. Click on this link for more information. 

Aeration:

The putting greens will be aerified on April 15th (Course Closed) 16th and 17th (Course Open with temporary hole locations in the fairways)- Pending weather and soil conditions. Thanks for you patience the healing process will take 3-4 weeks for full recovery.

Turfgrass Interns:

We are excited to welcome 3 gentleman this season to Hyde Park for 20th year of our Turfgrass intern program with many success stories over the years from all over the world.  

Fraser Curran, Scotland-Glasgow Golf Club

Lindo joins us from South Africa

Jake Gulley, Northern Kentucky- Pittsburg Steelers Grounds Staff

Clay Tennis Courts:

The spring conditioning of the tennis courts was finished recently and our tennis team is working on some minor details, however they are in great condition for this time of year and open for play.

Horticulture:

Bryan Miller, Director of Horticulture  has been busy around the Club with pruning, select plant replacement, near the Pickleball area and mulching will begin shortly. The tulips are starting to peak out and we are hopeful to see more shining by Easter. 

Other Initiatives Around the Grounds Include:

Herbicide treatments to the Bermuda grass on #4 hillside and inner seeding of multiple types of cool-season grasses to enhance playability. This is a work in progress with different timing and rates of a selective herbicide to reduce the Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass offers playability challenges and is considered a weed at HP. 

The Grounds team will be working on the final seeding of the hillsides on #8 and inner seeding of the primary rough areas post winter herbicide applications to remove creeping bentgrass.

Bentgrass removal 

Innerseeding in the rough

Thanks for the feedback and questions on the golf course please do not to hesitate to reach out to grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien 

Grounds Superintendent 

Restoration Update 2.11.23

The tree work on holes 8 and 13 has been completed, the HP Grounds team will spend the next few weeks restoring this area with the following initiatives:

• Rough grading: removal of vines, weeds and other invasive species 
• Additional drainage installs and erosion measures
• Stump removal
• Finish grading 
• Spring grassing of the entire site with Fine Fescues

Our team did an outstanding job collaborating with Lefke Tree Experts to ensure the project was completed on time and on budget. 

Here a few photos of the work completed that has been completed so far.

#8- 2006

#8- View of left side of 8 from the tee, reducing shade to the 8th fairway

View from the 4th green to the 7th Fall-2023

View from the 4th green to the 7th-2024

#5- 2003

#5-2024 Seeding of hillside of the left side 

#13 Left Side- Fall 2023

#13- 2012

#13-2024

Thanks again for the questions and feedback please do not hesitate to send us a note at grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien 

Grounds Superintendent 

Golf Course Restoration Update

 The Grounds team over the past few months has been focused in the off season with a few items related to the restoration of the golf course. We been laser focused on the puzzle pieces of planning along with moving forward with the Tree Management Plan (TMP).  Being able to focus on the TMP prior to 2025 will assist in the execution of the plan in many ways:

• Flexibility with sequencing during the project, reducing the number of contractors in an area where many trees are being removed.
• The off-season offers a better opportunity to complete the work
• Reducing costs with in-house work by the Grounds team
• Opportunity to hone some of the processes and allow our team to partner with contractors
• Experiment with different grass types and establishment strategies 
• Work closely with Golf Course Architect Tyler Rae to ensure we are on target with both removals and planting plans

During the months of October and early November we focused on improving the sight lines with clearing over 1.5 acres of brush and trees on holes #5/6 and the left side of 13. In late November and December our team was on the course removing select trees indicated on the TMP.  All of the cleared areas are ready for seed and the majority of the stumps on the course have been removed, seeded and covered with straw blankets to enhance seed germination. 

Recently, we have partnered with Lefke Tree Experts and have been working on the largest segment of tree removal attached to the restoration, between holes 8 and 13. The infrastructure improvements related to the tree removal will help with the following:

• Increased air movement from the west to the 7th green
• Increased sunlight to the 7th green
• Significant shade reduction to the 8th fairway

The tree removal on the 8th is being utilized for the architectural enhancements with the expansion of the ravine closer to the fairway, while generating soil for other areas of the project. Selective removal of the trees has opened up sight lines from the 13th to the 6th hole as well. 

Rendering of the 8th-Jim Ryan Jr.

8th Hole-Fairway shifts closer to the exposed ravine 

As you can see on the image below of the 13th, the yellow line overlaying the google image is the new proposed fairway line on the left side bringing the natural topography into play. Selective tree removal has opened views through the wooded areas. 

13th Hole-Fairway shifts to the left side and cart is path re-routed.

Before....After on the 8th

Over the next couple weeks we will be working with Lefke Tree Experts to restore the site with detail work followed by stump removal and eventual grassing with fine fescues in the coming months. While the work continues on the 13th there will be periodical closures.

Here are a few more photos of the work on holes 8 and 13.....

Looking above from 13 tees

View from the 4th green to the 7th

From the 13th cart path looking towards 6

Thanks again for your feedback and questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via email at grounds@hydeparkcc.com

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien

Grounds Superintendent