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