Donald Cross

@WyattByrdie It’s just a lighter shade of green, right? Gotta be quick I’d imagine!

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Great Day for Prairie Grass Burning! Fire reduces heavy biomass quickly and effectively. Returns nutrients to the soil, helps control unwanted species (aka weeds), and the darkened clean surfaces helps new growth get started quicker. Made good progress today but more to come.

@HogEng @golfcourses101 Correct. Two different topics there. Bridges were re-built by Amish fellas about 12 years ago.

@scc1897 @golfcourses101 Real quick: Ross didn’t do the bridges. Lulu is the best Ross.

Who’s got the best bridge in golf?

@golfcourses101 I haven’t played or studied enough of Donald Ross courses to make an educated comment. You’d have to ask @bschneider126 that question. I do know Skokie is an excellent arch. blend of both Donald Ross and W. Langford & T. Moreau and members and guests never tire of playing it!

What is the most underrated Donald Ross course? Is it Skokie ??? Or somewhere else?

Unfortunately Camp Skokie was followed by thunderstorms that left 1.5” rain in a short time at daybreak, leading to standing water and bunker washouts and play delay and cart restriction. Course is draining well but we’ll be walking only this afternoon. #When it rains it pours!

Was a beautiful night for Camp Skokie 2025. Perfect for sleeping out and for a serious bonfire!

Was a gorgeous “red sky this morning” but we didn’t have to “take warning”, as the saying goes. After brief cloudiness it was a perfect day to begin the holiday weekend. Forecast is a few more days like this before next chance of rain. Turf definitely breathing a sigh of relief!

Yesterday morn. this was underwater like this but gone by now. The entire drainage outlet…the East Diversion Ditch aka Skokie Ditch, leading to the East Fork of North Branch of the Chicago River, is obviously fully inundated. Taking much longer to drain today. 4” will do that!

Yesterday morning’s 1.8” was topped off with this early morning’s 2.2”. Upper left: 4” will create some new ponds! That water is not supposed to be in front of that green! Top Rt: our next spot for micro-perf drainage! Bottom pics: More sediment removal & wash out repairs today.

1.8 inches in less than an hour.

Was told by many course was beautiful. The drone footage by Western Golf Assoc. and cameras crews shooting for ESPN+ broadcast did a truly outstanding job! Can’t wait to watch the entire two days.

SCC staff & volunteers (members, & their children, nearby club Course Maint. Staff, & Equip. Dist. Reps.) all did an outstanding job preparing the course and helped provide a terrific presentation! Grns & Fwys were fast & firm, rough was fluffed and nasty, divots filled daily. 2/

Wow what a week! From Con-Am & Pract. Rd, last Sun.&Mon. to 72 holes stroke play (-5 was medalist) Tues. -Thurs., to 4 rounds of match play, Fri. & Sat., it has flown by. Weather was brutally hot & humid early, windy w/showers mid, beautifully mild to end. Challenging course! 1/?

Long time no tweet but with final Western Amateur Championship preparations nearly complete and Contestant-Am underway, I’ll get back to doing so. Greens are smooth and quick, rough is thick and challenging, contestants are excellent players and very gracious. Great week ahead!

@Super__Link @EanDaniels Nice! It’s a challenge to having poll. plants AND keep the Thistle, QAnns Lace, and other weeds out but the benefits to pollinators, and the aesthetics, is great. Had some beautiful Swamp Milkweed and Goldenrod last yr. Found Thistle doesn’t grow where G-rod grows! Best of luck

@scc1897 @EanDaniels Just replanted our pollinator patch. Hope it works well this time. It's been difficult to get it going .

@Super__Link @EanDaniels I used to (for benefit to bees) allow dandelions to grow in rough areas out from short grass areas (and still have some in tall rough) but researchers now found that while bees produced earlier and larger populations of brood larva the long term survival was less. Plant natives.

@EanDaniels Call me crazy. I don't mind the dandelions.

We battle the dandelions every year but it takes time to win the war. Fortunately after 3 consecutive years of spring treatments we are starting to see improvements.

@BowdenKnapp First do no harm.

What advice do you have for a new superintendent on his first day?

While part of crew was busy on pond bank restoration, other part was busy spiking, heavy topdressing, aerating (solid 5/8”), brushing, cleaning, rolling, spraying, & watering 15 greens. Few more to knock out tomorrow as it takes a lot of time to incorporate 50 tons of sand!

Nice improvement today recapturing 4-5’ of eroded shoreline on 12th hole pond. Utilized Sox Erosion product and method with guidance/instuction from Jacob Willsey. Our crew got after it and knocked out approx. 150’ and filling it with 3 semi-load sand/soil mix. Sod follows soon.