Charlie raising and moving back the net at the bangboard.  This will clear the way for higher shots and still catch wayward hits.

Aerate

The grass court baselines have had a lot of wear in the last week.  The grass has not completely worn out down to the soil, but has thinned and yellowed a bit.  Considering the amount of play and weather  (multiple tournaments and temps in the high 90's) we are in good shape. 

To relieve some of the stress we were able to aerate with some small, solid tines.  This relieves some of the excessive compaction and gets some oxygen down to the roots.  If the extreme heat had continued there is no way we could have done this, it would have stressed the grass further - luckily the weather has moderated. 

Gala

135th  LCC Gala was on Saturday.  This included a 60 X 30 foot tent and floor on the low cut grass by court 1.  Had some yellowing after the 2 1/2 days of being covered up, but most should bounce back fine.  A few spots from spilled drinks and liquid nitrogen (used for making the instant ice cream) might take a little longer to rebound.  The last picture is what the turf looked like this morning. 

Pics 7/18/2012

USTA F/S

Sunrise this morning - the crew arrived early to prepare the courts for the 2012 USTA National Father/Son Grass Court Championship.

Neil marking the courts with one shoe on.  They taught him this at Roxbury Latin.

The players gathered on the porch for their court assignments and rules.

The last picture is of the lads marking the lines this morning.  4 markers, 25 courts, well done!  Notice special guest line marker Stephen Dean of England and the Agawam Hunt Club.

Misc.Weekend Pics

Gathering before the Mixed Member/Guest, Tennis Host - Paul Noonan, Larry Wolf getting a tennis lesson.

Pictures courtesy of Magnus - he found them on eBay.  Not sure on the date of the first picture.  The second one is dated July, 1926.

Week Ahead

Our busiest tennis week of the year is approaching and the weather will just add to the stress put on the grass courts.  With a member/guest, USTA championship and LCC's 135 birthday gala all in the upcoming week we have been preparing to deal with the weather that enhances wilt, disease and poor recovery from wear.  Special attention to fertilty, disease management and especially irrigation is taking up most of our time.  Too much water will enhance disease pressure and make the courts not play well.  Too little water means wilt stress and potential death of the plants.  To have better control of the water we are doing lots of hand watering for a more precise application compared to large sprinklers.

Garden, sweet pea flower by Pro shop and Black Eyed Susan at pool perennial garden. 

The garden has an uphill grade so we usually arrange it with the plants gradually getting bigger towards the back.  We tried something different this year and planted different sizes from side to side, trying to create a wave effect.

Slow motion video of the Toro triplex mower.  It is cutting at 5/16 of an inch.  A frequently asked question is, "how often do you mow the grass courts?"  Usually six times a week, depending on the weather, stress (people and grass plants) and usage.  Next week is a 3 day USTA national championship tournament, so we may end up cutting six times in just those three days.

Wimbledon Rain

Neil Stubley checking surface moisture during the Men's final.  I like his high tech use of the hand.  Photo courtesy of Nate Salmore via ESPN, via DVR, via iphone.

A great quote from Neil Stubley  - Head Groundsman designate at Wimbledon.

“We have the perfect grass-growing climate in Britain,” he said. “For us it is a constant battle. You will never ever have a baseline that doesn’t wear out. Grass is a living plant and if you kick it on the head enough, the head will fall off. But it’s all about how long you can keep the head on for.”

Weekend Pics

LCC doubles, hydrangea, bee balm and courts this morning.

Pool Perennial Garden - Cone Flowers