Fall is in full swing, and the course is shining. It’s hard to believe we were still laying sod on some of the greens in October 2025. We’ve had our share of challenges, but the course has come a long way since we reopened in June. Thank you to the members and guests who have taken the time to share kind words about the course. It means a lot to our team.
Our focus is on how the bentgrass plays on the greens, tees and approaches. We’re about 0.005 inches from our seasonal mowing height, and we’ll keep working to smooth the playing surfaces so we can make that last adjustment when the turf is ready.
We’ve followed other restored courses to see how their turf matured and how playing conditions changed over time. What we can expect in year one is different from what we can expect in year three. The data we collect here at Hyde Park helps us see where we stand, track our progress and decide when to make adjustments.
The rough is looking great, and aeration is part of our fall work. The hydroseeded fine fescue is filling in well, and the new sod along the cart paths has taken well. It’s good to see those details coming together.
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| The Clubhouse Shining- Courtesy of M. Perez |
Our Assistant Superintendents, Jared Marshall and Brad Leitz, have done a fantastic job recruiting interns and reconnecting with their alma maters. We’ve recruited interns from Indonesia and the University of Tennessee, spoken with students at Penn State and addressed a class at the University of Tennessee. Purdue is up next, and we hope to speak with Ohio State students as well. Brad and I will also speak at the Indiana Green Expo in Indianapolis.
Our H-2B crew heads home to Durango, Mexico, next week. They’ve been an amazing part of our team, and I’m grateful for everything they’ve done this season. We began the H-2B process for 2027 back in August. I also want to thank our grounds leadership and horticulture teams for all the work they’ve put in throughout the season.
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| Our Friends from Durango, MX |
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| Seasonal and Leadership Grounds Team |
Other initiatives
Deep-tine aerate the greens and apply sand topdressing before winter.
Build steps in the No. 4 tee area, tackle several small drainage projects and repair the sinkhole on No. 10.
Continue weed control in the fine fescue and Poa annua control in the zoysia, and finish the season’s last mowing of the high rough.
Use sand removed from the bunkers after the July flooding to topdress selected fine fescue areas.
Relocate the aggregate storage area behind No. 1, finish the cleanup there and grind a few remaining stumps.
Test the soil and measure organic matter as we finalize our agronomic programs for 2027.
Track how long routine maintenance tasks take on the restored course so we can plan staffing and work schedules more accurately.
Finish the sprinkler yardage tags and verify every sprinkler location against the final irrigation drawings as we close out the project.
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| As-built Confirmation |
The Golf Shop has been working with us to block early tee times on cold mornings so the frost has time to clear. Foot and cart traffic can damage frosted turf. Thanks to the Golf Shop for coordinating with us and to everyone for your patience when we need to delay play.
Thank you for your questions and feedback throughout the season. Please reach out to us anytime at grounds@hydeparkcc.com.
Pat O’Brien
Grounds Superintendent
