Greenside APR 2015 Low Res

Feature
an appearance in the area. Further to that, the
city has been a regular PGA Tour stop with
the BMW Championship returning this year
to Conway Farms. We generally are on hand
to help out wherever needed and will do
whatever is asked to help get the tournament
completed. Last year, I was also involved
in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst and saw
some very interesting colors as the USGA
implemented a reduced water strategy.
This year will also see Olympia Fields
Country Club host the US Amateur and the
local superintendents and golf officials will all
pile in to help where needed. The rich history
of golf in the area means that Luke Guthrie,
Luke Donald, Jeff Sluman, Steve Stricker can
grasses. Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) and
bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) are common
in this area of the U.S. The location is part
of the transition zone and it means that
neither the warm season grasses nor the
cool season grasses find it optimal all season
long for growth – it is a tough location
to be a turfgrass manager. Diseases and
insects become more diverse and even more
aggressive the further south I go and damage
can really occur within hours. It’s very
interesting to see the activity but it can be
taxing to try understanding all the problems
that are occurring as the grasses change.
Other issues that occur include tornadoes
as well as spring decline in water quality due
in the political sphere to ensure the health
of the game. Further to that the Wee One
Foundation (www.weeone.org) is based at
the Midwest Golf House, which has helped
superintendents deal with huge medical bills
– it’s a great charity and continues to grow on
an annual basis. The Association continues to
be a leader and influence on the game of golf
here in the U.S. and I am really enjoying the
experience of dealing with the issues, which
can translate readily from Ireland to Chicago
at certain times of the year – it makes for
an interesting day at times! In trying to
help the superintendents deal with both the
disease, insect and weed problems - there
is a requirement to protect them from the
Pinehurst 2014 in all its browness
call the region their home at certain times of
the year and competition for ‘bragging rights’
can be intense between the clubs, meaning
that the conditioning of the courses leads to
constant tweaking to get an edge.
Generally, dollar spot Sclerotinia
homoeocarpa is the prevalent disease, but
Microdochium, brown ring patch Waitea,
Pythium spp. anthracnose Colletotrichum
cereale, and a range of patch diseases are
possible to find during a season in Chicago.
Disease pressure can be intense with
humidity’s above 90% a regular occurrence.
Further to this, rainfall can be sometimes
tropical in nature with downpours leaving
standing water on turf, followed by hot
temperatures, leading to scalding of the turf.
The spring and autumn are similar to Ireland
and this means that Poa can find time to
grow which then causes issues for the courses
when the extreme conditions arrive.
Chicago is where I work the most but my
position also brings me to southern Illinois,
which grows predominantly warm season
to salting of surfaces that inevitably finds
its way into the water course. A majority
of the private courses have a somewhat
difficult time trying to provide early
season golf, but as the membership tends
to only play golf from June 1 - September
1, it makes life a little easier. Issues such as
covers, tree work, snow and ice removal,
and preparation of the irrigation system for
winter tend to dominate in the offseason,
while superintendents like Dan Dinelli, Scott
Witte and others have a huge diversity of
projects on site such as rootzone construction
variations, turfgrass evaluation trials and
beekeeping practices. I, of course, have
not lost the accent and I get some stick for
that - but the superintendents have been
very welcoming and are extremely intense
about their profession. The superintendents
association (Midwest Association of Golf
Course Superintendents) are very progressive
and will sponsor research they feel offers
them value while also having influence on
the national association and interacting
weekend superintendents, who enjoy time
in the 19th hole. We write a weekly scouting
report discussing climatic issues, disease
and insect damage noted amongst other
things. This lets everyone know that they
are not alone in their battle. The report can
be used for personal use or it is also posted
in the changing rooms of the clubhouse to
deliver information. The service requires a
phone call from the superintendent prior to a
visit – nobody else at the course can request
a visit and so this helps to retain some
sensibility when things might look a little
off color for no reason other than a change
in temperature. There is no requirement for
a superintendent to follow direction from
the service – we offer an extra set of free and
independent eyes and sometimes a pair of
sympathetic ears. If you would have asked
me ten years ago if this was where I would
be - I would have not had any inkling - but
it certainly is a great experience and I gain
more knowledge every day than I dispense!
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greenside magazine | April 2015