Morning Pictures, August 30, 2010

A wise man once said "Thomas Edison figured out 500 ways not to make a lightbulb, and only one way to make one." That wise man was Jeff. And today Neil Johnson has invented some as significant - nay, more significant - than Edison's lightbulb and telephone combined and then multiplied by the segway.

Rain Day Activities/Innovations

Nearly four inches of rain and counting...

Neil modifies blower to clean off the alley with one pass! Video to come to the blog soon.

Hogan walks down the ramp to meet the Rock in Wrestlemania XVIII.

Crowd hangs on the Rock and Hogan's every move.

Grounds Crew Tennis

The prestigious Grounds Crew Classic was held on August 19, 2010. Grounds crew and special guests had a competitive afternoon of tennis followed by a tournament banquet at Roggies in Cleveland Circle. Thanks to Larry and Magnus and guests John, Tom, Steph, Marrianne and Kevin.

Larry's team beat the Magnus squad!

Round Robin Preparation

Finished product.

Jr. camp welcomes some guests.

Jeff barks out orders to Neil and Jordan. They better listen or they will feel the wrath of Jeff! (Nate didn't listen)

A view from the porch.

Nathan cleans up the 'pro courts' for Larry and Magnus. Magnus inspected Nathan's work and said, "Nate really excels at his job!"

A couple early morning photos...

Mark Wilson rolls.

Neil Johnson mows.

We have had a lot of play on the grass courts this summer along with some stressful weather. A small window of less play today and tommorow (along with some cooler temps) allows us to perform some mid season assitance to the grass courts.

Small amounts of fertilizer and growth regulator were foliar applied. This limits excessive growth while supplying nutrients that the plants are having trouble picking up with their limited summertime root systems.
Frequent, light watering (syringing) keeps the plants cool. Too much water is just as bad as too little.
Today we are "venting" the courts. "Venting" is a term being used by the USGA instead of the traditional term "aerification." This is so golfers don't get scared and think their greens will be torn up and not putt well. The venting is a non-disruptive practice that allows for better air exchange and water pentration in the root zone. We are using 1/4 inch solid tines, with holes in a 2 inch X 2 inch pattern.