Staying loose

Now that the driving range has officially closed for the season things not only look different, but your body will probably feel a little different when you get to the first tee.  I know mine will!  With that being said, I have asked an expert on ways to stretch before heading out to play.  Cory Puyear was kind enough to shoot a video showing some stretches that will help with getting loose without the availability of a driving range.

DYNAMIC WARM UP VIDEO 

Cory and his staff are also available for appointment if you would like a session before you play.  Please feel free to contact him at cpuyear@hotmail.com to set something up.

Even with the range closing, there are still a few weeks of golf left to enjoy at Conway.  Not only is there regular play, but there are also a few more events on the schedule.  Always a great event, the Member/Member is taking place Friday and Saturday of next week (July 25 & 26).  There is a great turnout so far, but if you are looking to play there is still availability in the event.  The Ladies Solheim concludes Wednesday, with the blue team currently holding a 6-4 lead after 18 holes of play.  The tee reservation system has been implemented and is running on a daily basis.  Definitely feels a little different, but people have been coming out early and checking the progress of the range before they tee off.  Look for updates on that from Robin as she has placed a time lapse camera on top of the clubhouse that takes a picture every 15 minutes showing the progress.  Really a neat way to see the progress on the range, amazing how quickly they get things done!

Also, next week there will be two of us competing in the Illinois Open Championship, myself and Andrew "Bubba" Bateman.  We were able to make it out for a practice round earlier this week and are ready to head out to The Glen Club next week.  Please follow along on the Illinois PGA website for live scoring Monday through Wednesday.  We are both looking forward to a good week at The Glen Club and representing Conway Farms.   

"I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that i didn't have a chance to win"         

    - Arnold Palmer

Guest Blogger Connor Healy, Assistant Superintendent

2014 is a unique season from many vantage points. I am sure each department of Conway Farms Golf Club can speak to the challenges and excitement this year brings. On the grounds side, a few common questions are prevalent. During the earlier portion of the spring, we were most often asked about what was going on at other clubs rather than what was happening at Conway Farms. Everyone certainly seemed relieved to not deal with the extent of winter damage that so many clubs around us experienced. From our perspective, the decision to not remove snow and ice during prolonged cover was validated for our course, with our circumstances. We have mostly bentgrass playing surfaces, really good drainage and air movement, and limited shade. These are all critical components to successful turf management not only during the growing season, but also during the depths of winter. The winter was certainly one of the worst we have seen from both temperature and snowfall accumulation data. A few playing surfaces had some damage, but mostly superficial in hindsight. Happily, most of these discussions are behind us.

That leads us to the next question we get pretty frequently.

“So, everything on the course is great…but what is going on with the putting green behind the 18th green and is this how the rest of the greens are going to look with the new grass?”

This is a good opportunity to not only explain why that putting green is in its current state but also explain some of the reasoning behind the greens regrassing project.  Most people recognize the green was covered by a structure during the BMW for an extended period of time that resulted in a complete kill of the green. The surface was also greatly impacted by vehicles driving on it. The carts, trucks, forklifts, and pedestrian traffic created ruts, which in turn held water and further damaged the surface and top few inches of the green’s profile. Because the surface was damaged, a significant amount of grading needed to take place to prepare the green for seed. By the time the structure was removed and the prep work was finished, we were entering November. Timing was the biggest detriment to the successful regrassing of the putting green. It is also a critical success factor for the greens regrassing project for the entire course.

Perhaps the most important reason we are closing the course in August is to give the project the best opportunity to succeed. Ideal seeding conditions are present in August. Soil and air temperatures are high, weed competition is low (particularly Poa Annua, which thrives in the spring and struggles to remain viable in the hottest months), and sunlight is at a premium in both length of daylight and sun angle. Seedlings that germinate earlier in the growing season (August compared to November) have a substantial advantage over later seeded areas for surviving the winter. Weak areas will face a slow recovery in our typically cool springs on the north shore of Chicago. Since the ideal grow-in conditions are present from August through October, a dense stand of turf will be achieved before reaching the winter months. The greens will be well established and mature enough to withstand the winter and concerns about winter injury are minimal since they will be entirely bentgrass.

After closing on August 4, we will be seeding in mid-August and germination will follow shortly thereafter.

OVERVIEW OF THE GREENS PROJECT:

• Aerify the greens with 5/8” hollow tines (pulling big plugs out to remove organic matter)
• Clean all plugs off the surface
• Topdress heavily with dry sand to fill all holes
• Brush sand in the holes
• Aerify a second time with needle tines at the closest spacing possible to further incorporate the sand on the surface and also make as many channels for the methyl bromide gas to entire the green’s profile. This is a critical step in ensuring a thorough kill of the Poa Annua seed bank that exists in ground.
• Sodcut a ring of grass around each green and peel the sod back
• Place tubing in a snaking pattern on the surface and cover with an impermeable plastic-performed by a licensed contractor
• Place sod that was cut back on top of the edge of the plastic to create an airtight seal
• Pump the methyl bromide gas into the tubing-performed by a licensed contractor
• Plastic will remain on the greens for 5 days
• Remove plastic and allow greens to vent for 3-5 days (there will be a foul odor at this point, which is the decaying grass, and not the gas!)
• Verticut units will slice slits into the greens to create a seedbed, once the greens have aired out.
• Spread seed and fertilizer
• Apply preventative fungicide applications to prevent major disease issues that are present under these conditions (high temps, high fertility, and water)
• Water, water, water!!!
• Grow, Mow, Grow, Mow, and so on.

I hope this answers any questions about the putting green and calms any concerns about the grass selection or risks associated with taking on this project. Our goal is to have the putting green playable by the time the range closes so that the Pro Shop has an area to stage golfers before going to the first tee. This will be a challenging few weeks for all and we collectively need to do what we can to make it as smooth as possible for members and staff.

The last pair of questions we receive are closely related.

“What is the range project going to entail and why do we have to close it down a few weeks before the rest of the course?

Chad is great at explaining the vision, which can be difficult to grasp since so much area will be disturbed. There are not many visual aids available for presentation, so Chad and I are happy to continue to answer questions about the project as we see you out on the course. The latter question about the timing of the range project is fairly straightforward. The Club will save $125,000 by moving the date to July 16 instead of August 4 because it allows us to seed the bentgrass areas instead of sodding them. The cost of seed is substantially cheaper than sod. From an agronomic perspective, seeding is also preferred over sodding when given the appropriate opportunity.In the coming weeks you will probably begin to notice a few preliminary steps taking place such as the paint markings shown in the picture below.

Paint markings that mark the main lines of irrigation

These lines are marking our main lines of irrigation and power lines for the irrigation system which will need to be rerouted promptly before major construction on the range begins because we need to keep the system in tact for watering the entire course while the range project is underway and especially when the greens are seeded. Leibold is the company doing the work on the range and will be on the range periodically before the project commences to ensure any impending issues can be resolved and the project deadline met. So far, they have been excellent to work with on this project as far as prep work is concerned. The club already has a solid relationship with Leibold as their shaper Eric has helped us with most of our major earthwork over the last few years. Also, Leibold’s irrigation department serviced some of our past projects in the field and also helped install the new pumphouse this spring.

Newly Installed Pump House

We will keep you posted with pictures and updates of the project and how the timeline is trending in the coming months. Thank you for your patience during this process. We will continue to give you great conditions until the course closes and are excited to deliver these great improvements to the club in 2015!   

All the best - Connor Healy

Heading to Myrtle Beach

Made it through my first Conway Invitational this past weekend.  I might be biased, but I thought it was a first class event.  I want to thank the rest of the staff for all their hard work and help in making the event special, not only for me, but hopefully for all that played in it as well.  Congratulations to Howard Polk and Marv Wenger for outlasting the other 130 players and finishing on top!  I have to admit that the shot Mr. Wenger hit in the chip-off on the 1^st hole, I think even Luke Donald would have been impressed!

Next up for me (and I am actually on an airplane right now) is a tournament I will be competing in.  I am on my way to Myrtle Beach, SC for the 2014 Club Professional National Championship.  There are 312 PGA Professionals competing in the event from around the country, with the ultimate goal of finishing in the top 20 and punching a ticket to the PGA Championship this year at Valhalla.  All 312 players will compete Sunday and Monday with the field being cut to the top 90 after 2 rounds.  Those 90 will then play two more rounds Tuesday and Wednesday with the hopes of finishing in the top 20 !  This is truly a special event and considered a major for the club professionals.  Look for myself and all the other competitors on The Golf Channel throughout the week!

This is my fifth time competing in this event and each time is just as special as the one before.  Each year brings new and different memories, but all of them are good regardless of how the golf might be.  In 2008, I remember having my brother and wife with me in Georgia.  That year was my best finish and I remember getting back to the junior golfers at Glen Oak and one of them telling me, “I saw you on TV, but they said you weren’t doing too good!”  I guess it was great to be on TV, but I have to admit they were right as my fourth round that year wasn’t great.  2010 we were in French Lick, IN and our crew had expanded a bit.  My dad had now taken over as caddy, and we had a 2 month old with us!  Didn’t matter how well I did on the course that year, but just the fact that I was able to come back to the room and see my beautiful daughter made it special.  2011 took us to Hershey, PA and again the whole family was along.  Not great golf, but definitely great chocolate!  My last memory of this event is one of my best, as in 2012 my dad and I were in Monterey, CA.  During the 2^nd round of the event, I had a double eagle 2 on the par 5 10^th hole.  It was quite possibly a once in a lifetime shot and it was made even better to be able to share the memory with my dad.

18th Hole at The Dunes Resort, Myrtle Beach

The question now is what will 2014 bring.  I look forward to getting out on the course and finding out.  Tomorrow will be a quick start to the week as we will be heading out for a practice round on both courses.  My main goal tomorrow is to just get out and take a few swings and see the courses.  When playing practice rounds I don't worry too much about how I hit it or where I hit it, but just want to see the course.  I always try and spend a little extra time on and around the greens to get adjusted to the different conditions of the area.

I take great pride in being able to represent Conway Farms in this national event, and want to thank the entire membership for giving me the opportunity to play.  I will be updating my blog throughout the week as to how I am preparing for the event, and then as the tournament goes on, how I am playing in the event.  Please feel free to follow along online at www.pga.com/nationalchampionship where they have live scoring, write-ups on both courses, and all the participants in the event. 

I look forward to sharing this year’s event with all of you and producing some more memories.  Then, hopefully doing it all again at Valhalla for the PGA Championship!

"Hit the shot you know you can hit, not the one you think you should"              -Dr. Bob Rotella

 

New friends and lower scores!

What are two questions that need to be considered each time you think about coming out to Conway to play.  First, who is going to complete your foursome?  Second, which tees are you going to play that day? 

The first seems pretty simple.  A few emails, phone calls, or text messages and you usually find a couple of people that are more than willing to play with you.  What happens if you reach out to everyone you know and you can't find anyone to play?  I am sure you wouldn't be the only one looking to get out and enjoy a round of golf, but how do you find who else is looking.  All you have to do is visit the Conway Farms page and login to your account.   Then, under the Golf tab just click on Find a Golf Game.  The image below is part of the screen when you arrive on the Find a Golf Game page of the website.  Once you click on Enter Discussion, you will be brought to a message board of people that are looking to play, and when they might be looking.  Find what you are looking for, make a simple reply and just like that you have found a game when you thought it might not be possible. 

Another way this part of the website is beneficial is if you are looking to play with new people.  Then all you have to do is sign on and make a post stating when you are looking to play.  Anyone else that visits the page will see that and hopefully you will be able to put a group together.  To make it even more simple, when you post your message there is a button you can click that will send you an email reply when someone comments on your message.  This way you don't have to keep checking the website, but rather have the responses come right to your email.  

Find a Golf Game on the website new, but it is a great way to reach out to everyone and find a game.  We know not everyone will use this, but if there is a lot of use I think it will allow the whole membership a way of reaching out and meeting new people within the Conway family.  What better way to get to know more of the members then spending four hours on the course with them!

Now that you have addressed who you are going to play with, and granted it might be a few new people, how do you decide where to play?  One option you can consider is an initiative that the PGA of America has started in an effort to help you shoot lower scores, have more fun, and play faster.  Not bad options, right?  This initiative is called Tee it Forward.  The premise is that if you play one set of tees up from where you normally play you will have shorter irons into greens, allowing for more birdie chances.  Who wouldn't think that is more fun?  I personally know from Glen Oak last year that a lot of people were skeptical when they first heard about this, but after one round doing it they were hooked for the summer.  Consider it next time out and let me know what you think!

We all know how enjoyable the game of golf is and that is the reason we come back as frequently as we can.  The two programs I touched on above might lead you to meet new people and build friendships, or shoot lower scores.  Two pretty good options in my mind!

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”
-Arnold Palmer

For those celebrating, what a great day Easter turned out to be!  To see all the families present and enjoying what I am sure was an amazing brunch was exciting. The festivities certainly gave life to a club that was craving a 70-degree day.  I was fortunate enough to spend the morning at home and see the sheer joy on my four-year-old daughter Emerson’s face when she walked down to see her Easter basket.  I think she was just as excited to explore the contents of my five-month-old daughter Libby’s basket.  My wife Nessa had fun snapping photos of the girls while I was at work.

As the spring weather continues to improve, never mind the occasional setbacks, the upcoming weeks at Conway are going to be exciting! The season will kick off in full swing with the Demo Day on May 17.  We look forward to helping you find which new clubs will help you achieve the most success on the golf course this season.  Taylor Made, Adidas, Titleist, FootJoy, Nike, Cobra, Cleveland, Mizuno and Callaway have all committed to Demo Day, and with the help of these vendors we plan on the event being a great success.  The outdoor grill will be up and running that day too, so bring the whole family out to enjoy the day!

Following the Demo Day there are a couple of team events the following week. May 18 is the Men’s Two-Man Match Play Qualifier.  Find a partner and come out to try and qualify for the bracket and get the chance to take down the 2013 Champions, Mr. Trent Anderson and Mr. Sam Ankin.  Also that week is the Opening Golf and Luncheon for the ladies as well as the David L. Amory Invitational.  We look forward to seeing you out for these events! We want to make your experience on the course and participation in these events a memorable one! Please let us know how we can help, always.

 
Completing this busy week in May is the Foundation Cup which works with the efforts of the Conway Farms Golf Club Foundation.  In my short time here, I know it is an event the staff appreciates more than I can express.  The Conway Farms Golf Club Foundation was established in 2003 and thanks to the generous donations from the membership it has touched over 80 qualified club employees in its ten years of existence. The Foundation Cup was started to work in conjunction with the fundraising efforts while offering a competitive event.  Pick a partner and come out on either May 24 or 25 to participate in this event.  Things like this are what set Conway apart from other clubs and make it such a special place to work!

Speaking of Conway being a great place to work, I continue to find this to be the case day in and day out.  On Easter alone I had numerous families go out of their way to introduce themselves and talk with me.  As I am meeting the members for the first time, it is also great to meet all of your families and get to know a little bit about them as well.  I look forward to continued opportunities to do so and also share more stories about myself and my family.

 Golf is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that no one is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will live life faithfully and well.                          P.G. Wodehouse 

I have to admit I was never a huge believer in the phrase “cooler by the lake” until this weekend. Once the wind shifted and the clouds came in on Sunday, it was like a completely different day.  That and hearing from my wife that it was still 72 degrees in Glen Ellyn as I was outside with Tony freezing, quickly made me a believer. I won’t even touch on the snow, as we have all heard enough about snow for a long, long time!!

Moving on to better things, it was nice to finally start meeting people and seeing more activity around the club. I will do my best with names, but if I introduce myself to you again, it is not intentional! We had 67 “Hardy Souls” on Saturday, and I have to imagine it was the first time Hardy Souls was cancelled due to hail. Following the cancellation, about half of the players stuck around and finished their rounds, and even 9 additional holes in a few cases.

 
I was invited to play on Friday, and it was my first experience playing at Conway. I had always heard great things, but to see them in person: what a great course! I will just say I am glad the heather on the front nine still hasn’t grown in. Not only did it save me a few tough shots, but saved my group from looking for my ball a few times. Thanks to Mr. Pope, Dr. McClellan and Dr. Rosen for making my inaugural round a special one (they even autographed the scorecard for me so I will always have it).

 
I am sure nobody really wants to hear about my golf game, but what about the golf we witnessed on Sunday afternoon. I have to admit I was rooting for Jordan Spieth, but to see little Caleb Watson walk out onto 18 green to greet his dad after winning was pretty special. It was a good battle between the two all day, and if a few more putts had dropped for Jordan, it might have been a little closer in the end. What really stuck out to me was the composure that Bubba had throughout the day. Watching your playing partner hole out from a bunker for birdie on 3, then stick it close on 6 and make birdie, then birdie 7 to gain a two shot lead—most might start to believe it’s just not their day. Bubba stayed the course, kept playing and ended up with another green jacket. It proves that no matter how a round starts, there is always a lot of golf left and you just have to keep playing against the course and not worry about what those around you are doing. I hope everyone was able to enjoy Masters Sunday, and, now that it’s over, hopefully we can start to enjoy our own beautiful course a little more often!

 
On a different note, many enjoyed the Rules Corner that was included in the ForeThought in previous years. While this won’t be brought back in the same manner, I am planning on my blog posts including something similar. Please, if you have any questions about rules or anything for that matter, just email me at mslowinski@conwayfarmsgc.com. I would be happy to address them in the next blog entry. There are often too many rules and interpretations to keep straight. I would love to offer my insight.  

As the blog is new for both me and the membership, I am always open to topic suggestions. I look forward to sharing experiences, both yours and mine, throughout the year.

 
Cheers to a great 2014 golf season!