Busy Day

Busy day today - got the USTA 85 and 90's going and core aerated grass courts 19, 20, 21. Pictured are the semi-finals of the 85 age bracket.

Fixed

The lads had the Route 9 courts fixed and the fence repaired in one day! (See last blog entry)

Irene

Hurricane/tropical storm Irene is finished and LCC came through well.
The crew began cleaning up the debris on the courts, walkways and parking lot at 5 am.
Damage included the windscreen between the first two rows of clay courts, a tree limb falling on the fence and route 9 courts and massive wash- outs on clay courts 1, 2 and 3.

By 11 am most of the debris was picked up (thanks for your help Larry and Magnus!), the torn windscreen taken down (it will be replaced by next week), the tree limb cut and removed, the courts repaired and the USTA 85 and 90 championships have begun. Great work by the LCC grounds crew!

London Flowers and Trees, 2011

Pictures from Kew Gardens, Hyde Park, Regents Park, St. James Park and Green Park.

Fall Aeration and Topdressing

Autumn is coming and it is time to aerate and topdress the grass courts. We understand that it is disruptive and sometimes noisy, but it is necessary. The biggest challenge we have is when to do it. August and September are the optimum time to perform these operations, but this is also the time when there is a great deal of tournament and member play. Many golf courses actually close holes or entire facilities to get this done. At LCC we take a number of factors into consideration when choosing when and which courts to aerate and topdress:

• Membership play - how many members do we expect to show up to play on grass?


• The weather. If it is going to rain a lot, the terrace dries fastest so we may not want to close those courts for a day or two. Rain helps wash in topdressing and speeds recovery. Heat can damage the grass after aeration.


• Tournaments. If they need many courts, we won't close too many.


• Court conditions. Aerating can soften a court for a few days, so we take into consideration who will be playing.


• Outings and groups. They all want to play in front of the clubhouse.


• Need! Which courts need it the most.

So a big part of the job is not only performing our agronomic tasks, but also judging the best time to do it.

Below is a question posed to the USGA Green Section and a link to an article on aeration and topdressing.

Our greens were in great shape and now our golf course superintendent ruined them by punching holes all over them. I think she is being overprotective of them and just too stubborn to change her ways. Is this aeration all that important?

Aeration is an extremely important maintenance practice. Although it results in a temporary disruption of the green, aeration improves water penetration into the soil, reduces soil compaction, stimulates turfgrass root growth for a healthier plant, helps control thatch build-up, and improves overall growing conditions. Aeration generally is done once or twice per year, and sometimes more often if certain problems exist.

Think of it like going to the dentist for your twice-yearly check-up. The same holds true for aeration. You can skip a visit to the dentist, but you will contribute to problems over the long term. You can skip one of the semi-annual aerations, but this can result in a faster turf loss. Your superintendent isn't being overprotective. She is doing exactly what should be done to ensure long-term turf health.

http://turf.lib.msu.edu/2000s/2003/030301.pdf

Grounds Crew Classic V

The grounds held their annual tennis tournament. The highlight was the opening ceremonies: Larry and Magnus entered on a parade float (a trailer attached to the tractor), national anthems of Sweeden and USA, presentation of this year's Grand Prix trophies to Kevin, Nate and Jeff. We played one match each, thunderstorms came in and we all went to Roggies in Cleveland Circle. Magnus's team was declared the winner.

USGA Update

Click on the title "USGA Update" for the latest from the USGA northeast director. Good stuff about poa annua.

Different Ways

Turf managers strive to have the best conditions possible for the players at their facility. Each facility has differences in types of grass, soil, player expectations, length of season, tournament schedules and resources. Since we are all different, we use different methods to reach our goals but we can definitely learn from each other.
The first picture below is Chris Woods of the English Cricket Board. Cricket pitches need to be firm like a tennis court and Chris is explaining how they do it at the top cricket facilities in the U.K. Here is Grahm Kimpton, head groundsman at the Queens Club, talking about his spring grass court work.

Neil Stubley explaining court renovations at Wimbledon.

And finally Neil Johnson doing some renovation work at LCC.

Grandfather/Grandaughter Championship

The lads mowed a cool pattern for this USTA championship.

AELTC

Got back last week from a visit to Wimbledon. I have lots to write about (and will in future entries) - the trip was so informative. Thanks to Eddie Seaward and Neil Stubley for being gracious hosts to the lone American. Pictured: me on Centre Court - took the picture with the camera timer, AELTC member play, Neil and the lads and Neil leading discussion on Court 2.

Grandfather/Grandaughter Championship

The crew arrived this morning to prepare the courts for the newly established Grandfather/Grandaughter tournament. Last night the skies dropped a quick 2.5 inches of rain on the courts. Storm drains backed up and silt settled on clay courts 1-8. Pictured are Tim and Jon scraping away some of the silt.

Father/Daughter National Championship

The tournament was hectic for the grounds crew as rain storms continued throughout the week. The clay courts were utilized for most play, but the grass finally dried for the finals.

Andrew and Meghara's Wedding

The crew represented well at former groundsman (2005-2010) Andrew Walsh's wedding.

Great wedding and reception!

Mike proudly shows Mary Ann he can walk on grass with shoes. (Mike ensured crew sobriety by instituting a 5am Sunday start time).

Hingham Harbor.

Andrew and Meghara.

Two of the four bearded guests were lads from the LCC grounds crew.

Early Morning Photos and Jeff at work

Morning sun on the Clubhouse

5 am view from and of the garage.

Jeff disapproves of his assignment from Tim.

Job well done.