The month of June flew by! It is hard to believe that 4th of July weekend is upon us and Member-Guest is weeks behind us. The Greens & Grounds team has transitioned into "maintenance mode" over the last few weeks and are completely focused on providing and maintaining consistent course conditioning and playability for the foreseeable future.
Daily mowing and rolling of the greens, bunker raking, detail work and mowing of tees, fairways, and rough multiple times per week are keeping the small, but dedicated team busy.
This past week Illini received over 4" of rainfall, the property was in need of precipitation to supplement our irrigation use and particularly help stressed areas in fairways. As we transition out of this cloudy, wet stretch of weather and start to recognize a more summer like pattern of high temperatures and clear, sunny skies, the Greens & Grounds team will be putting the health and sustainability of the golf course as the top priority on all agronomic decision making. Directional signs, rope, and stakes will be used to help direct cart and foot traffic routes throughout the property as needed to alleviate stressed areas throughout the fairways and rough. Members & their guests may notice team members hand watering or syringing greens throughout the afternoon. This process is helping to cool down the leaf tissue and surface temperature of the green and should not take more than 1-2 minutes per green. Other water management tasks you may see are; staff hand watering tees & fairways or irrigation heads running throughout fairways during the afternoon, these cycles last 3-5 minutes. Please remain patient and do not hit your ball towards Greens & Grounds staff, this is a serious safety issue and we will be out of your way as soon as possible. During these stressful times, you may notice green speeds a little slower than normal. This is due to increased mowing heights and reduced rolling. It is imperative that we do not over stress the greens and cause thin or bare areas. These thin or bare areas are extremely susceptible to disease, moss, and algae.
Below is a link to a couple different USGA Green Section videos that explain summer maintenance and watering strategies.
Fore The Golfer: Summer On The Golf Course - YouTube
Golf's Use Of Water: Handwatering - YouTube
If you have any questions regarding turf maintenance strategies or practices at Illini during stressful summer months, please feel free to contact Curtis or Cody.
- Illini Greens & Grounds Team
