As the calendar turned another page into the month of December, the Greens & Grounds team has been preparing the course for the winter months that lie ahead. Preparing the course for the cold, snowy, and windy conditions that Mother Nature throws our way in January and February is just as important as preparing the course for the summer months.
One of the first steps that was taken at Illini was applying a late fall fertilizer application to provide nutrients to the plant going into winter dormancy and aid in spring green up. Next, a fungicide application that contained a mixture of contact and systemic active ingredients was applied to the bentgrass surfaces to protect the plant from a disease known as snow mold.
Half of #11 green complete with the snow mold app. The dark green color is due to one of the fungicide products we applied known as Civitas.
Once the final fertilizer and chemical applications were complete, the next step was to winterize the irrigation system. This is done by renting a large air compressor to connect into the existing irrigation system to blow air through the irrigation pipes and sprinklers to push the water out. If water is left in the irrigation pipes and sprinklers, it will freeze and crack the existing infrastructure leading to wide spread irrigation failures in the spring. Before the system is blown out, a handful of irrigation watering cycles were conducted to hydrate the soil.
Air compressor used to blow out the irrigation system.
Hose connecting air compressor to pumphouse & irrigation system.
Hose connection into irrigation pipe exiting the pumphouse.
Once these important tasks were complete, the Greens & Grounds team shifted there focus to leaf and debris removal and clean-up. While this is still a work in progress, the team will continue to blow and mulch leaves as long as the weather allows. The final step for our team will be applying a medium to heavy topdressing application on greens once we determine that the weather will no longer permit suitable golfing conditions.
The Greens & Grounds team wishes all of the members and staff at Illini Country Club a happy and healthy holiday season!
- Illini Greens & Grounds Team
