tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31787269689351120032024-03-18T13:44:20.229-05:00Swope Memorial Golf CourseDesigned in 1934 by A.W. Tillinghast, located in KCMO. Voted Best Golf Course in Kansas City in 2015 and 2016 by The Pitch & Visit KC.Sam Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06067636273270549310noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-46984623329328346772024-03-18T13:43:00.000-05:002024-03-18T13:43:48.405-05:00What's Wrong with the Greens!? If you've noticed a handful of greens at Swope Memorial that seem to have some off-color or yellow patches, you're not alone. Coming out of winter dormancy this year, we have battled a few slow-to-recover winter exposure spots on select greens. During bitter temperatures like we experienced in mid-January, any part of exposed turf is susceptible to cold damage and in extreme cases of Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-39594105703649022272024-03-01T11:27:00.000-06:002024-03-01T11:27:13.004-06:00New Course Marking You may notice while playing Swope the new paint on all of the cart paths. Along with many other course improvements we've been working on, this has been added to help golfers while they enjoy their round. Many patrons will already know, but for those that don't, the different colored stripes on the cart paths signify yardages the golfer is from the green. The important distinction that Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-47179365069025822532024-01-29T10:50:00.000-06:002024-01-29T10:50:10.653-06:00Global Warming? Somebody tell the Midwest Somewhat of a slow start to the new year for us here at Swope. This January has been filled with more snow coverage than we have seen in the area in several years. Over two weeks of snow coverage so far this year making for a frustrating month for the local golfer. The bright side to all of the snow coverage for us as Superintendents is the advantages it gives the Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-82497483710422552382023-12-22T08:12:00.001-06:002023-12-22T08:12:12.170-06:00Good Problems to Have The golf boom post 2020 has been noticed by none quite as much as the maintenance staff at most municipal golf courses. The increased round count and subsequent revenue each season has brought many opportunities for innovation to municipal course that just wasn't possible pre 2020. At Swope Memorial we continue to be innovative in creating not only a better experience forSwope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-90250295549284190822023-12-01T10:01:00.000-06:002023-12-01T10:01:47.490-06:00Winter Is Coming As you will have noticed our fall season is coming to an abrupt end as winter is rearing its head sooner than expected in the Midwest. While this year is going down as the warmest year on record, Kansas City did receive an early snowfall over the thanksgiving weekend. This added moisture is much appreciated as we go into the dryer parts of winter. The colder temps Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-57841553435152144452023-11-01T13:48:00.004-05:002023-11-01T13:51:01.150-05:00The Winds of Change Fall is in full swing at Swope Memorial and as always that marks the bookend of our traditional season. While a much-appreciated relief from the summer heat Fall does bring many challenges of its own to the daily maintenance of the course. With the cooler winds comes many exciting changes Superintendents love to tackle before the winter fully hits us.&Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-89802798343960613172023-06-29T12:20:00.000-05:002023-06-29T12:20:04.547-05:00Tour-LikeLike many sports golf can be a game of inches. Golf and golf course maintenance are very alike in this way. A win at a Major tournament can come down to coming up short by an inch or stroking it perfectly. Similarly the maintenance of the course is also a game of inches. Many would not believe the difference inches make in the presentation and playability of a golf course. We see examples of thisSwope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-86571348985261115072023-05-02T10:34:00.000-05:002023-05-02T10:34:11.375-05:00April Showers or Lack there ofAsk any Superintendent in the area and they will tell you the months of April and Early May are some of their favorite times for greenkeeping in Kansas City. This is no different here at Swope Memorial as we greatly look forward to the green up that comes with the warmer weather and ample amounts of precipitation. However as many have noticed in the past several seasons the weather in Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-13099887627131162222023-03-03T09:12:00.000-06:002023-03-03T09:12:05.565-06:00Zoysia clean-up 2023 Over the past several years we have applied a combination of non-selective post-emergent herbicide as well as pre-emergent herbicide during the dormancy period of the zoysia. For years this process worked well. What we have found recently, however, is that we have developed resistant Poa Annua that is unaffected by even the highest rates of this herbicide. ThisSwope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-21696916330855797822022-09-28T07:39:00.000-05:002022-09-28T07:39:10.015-05:00Seed Corn Beetles Seed Corn Beetles on
Greens
Tiny mounds of sand on putting surface Seed Corn Beetles are the culprit!
We have had several golf patrons inquire about those pesky
little mounds that seem to appear Swope Memorial Superintendenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13504949870633490684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-50146080139315258922022-03-31T11:40:00.001-05:002022-03-31T11:40:19.297-05:00Spring Aerification Spring at Swope(Aerification on #10)The season is almost upon us, again. It was a mild winter, but a winter none the less. Now that average temperatures are starting to rise, our greens were ready for their bi-annual aerification. This process relieves compaction in our greens, creates ventilation to our root zone, and promotes new healthy growth of our green's turf.(Aerification on #10)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-72181151689425686772021-12-31T08:38:00.000-06:002021-12-31T08:38:05.242-06:00Winter has arrived December at SwopeIs it December, is it March, is it June....who knows?!First off, Merry Christmas and happy New Year to everyone, what a year it has been. I had completely given up on winter and started planning what my life was going to be like working year round with growing season weather. Luckily, I was able to quit planning. With this cold front coming in literally with the New Year, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-85419713401672718002021-10-29T11:46:00.000-05:002021-10-29T11:46:05.992-05:00October GoodbyesHappy trails to Sam!(Birdbrained)This blog will be slightly different than the ones I normally write. It also has a small sting to it. Swope's superintendent since 2017, Sam Bailey, has taken another job and is leaving us. Sam is taking the Superintendent position at Fred Arbanas Golf Course in Lee's Summit. Arbanas includes an 18 hole normal course, a 9 hole par 3, and a driving range, and no Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-21364676020403331322021-10-01T12:36:00.003-05:002021-10-01T12:36:48.396-05:00Swope's September Fall is here!(The mecca.)September gave summer it's last push, and it did a darn good job at that. It seems every year the heat lasts a week longer than the previous. This year was no exception. High 80's were present from the 1st to the 26th, making for a taxing month. However, as stated above, fall is here. 70 degree days, cool nights, and football. The course looks forward to this time Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-36262882201724509942021-08-31T11:32:00.001-05:002021-08-31T12:36:55.674-05:00August at Swope Summer's fading days(It's a beaut, Clark!)The end is finally in sight, and what a month it was to get here. August was brutal. The first and only rainstorm of the month, that has affected us, is happening as I write this on the 31st, and what a sweet sound it is. The course was beyond crispy, and our mental states were burnt out. Any precipitation we receive not only hydrates the turf, but Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-83259617761725015942021-07-30T14:12:00.001-05:002021-07-30T14:12:54.062-05:00July Heat Sprinkler Season at Swope(The worst employee of Swope, Abby.)Holy humidity. July finally showed the true colors of a Kansas City summer. The temperatures sky rocketed up to high 90's, and the humidity followed suit. Just tying your shoes outside would cause a man to sweat through his shorts. Luckily, most patrons took these days off to stay inside and avoid anything without climate control.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-84008946675655767902021-06-29T09:08:00.000-05:002021-06-29T09:08:07.777-05:00Summer Season Aaaaaaand we're back!It's been two months since we last spoke, and believe it or not, we don't have much to report on! May was nothing but rain and cool weather, then in true Kansas City fashion we were hand-watering greens in 95 degrees and full sun shine. Within a week, our course went from flush and green to crisp and yellow. After a month of drought conditions, here we are at the end ofUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-66170424247284868282021-03-31T11:58:00.000-05:002021-03-31T11:58:02.885-05:00Welcome Back to SwopeGolf season is back! (Drone photo of 18 - courtesy of Dimitri Lash)Hopefully this blog finds you all alive and well. The cold winter months are finally behind us and the sun is starting to be a normal sight again. That means Swope is back to business as usual. It's just the end of March and you'd think it was the middle of July with the golfers enjoying a round out here. Our greens are Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-65044209634965271242021-01-28T12:13:00.005-06:002021-01-28T12:14:22.488-06:00Winter is here January here and there (Big Sky, Montana)Winter, as always, is our favorite time of the year. There are no greens to worry about, golfers to keep happy, or sprinklers malfunctioning. The projects we day dream about during the heat of the summer can get started. Not to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-23085707997959041412020-11-30T07:53:00.000-06:002020-11-30T07:53:53.197-06:00Happy Thanksgiving November is finally here!(Bird hunting in northwest Kansas.)Fall has arrived. The temperature has dropped, along with all the leaves. The colder weather helps everything start to slow down, especially the grass on the course. Our zoysia fairways have turned straw yellow and entered into dormancy for the winter. The greens haven't completely shut down, but their growth has started to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-45145507810518940162020-10-27T08:44:00.001-05:002020-10-27T08:44:26.813-05:00Fall time October and SeptemberSummer has ended and fall work has begun. As we do every year, the course was aerified this September. Aerification includes layering the greens with sand, poking holes in the green allowing the sand to refill the hole, then rolling the green to smooth the surface and close holes. This promotes new healthy growth, increases ventilation to the roots, and relieves Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-75901896690540527542020-08-28T09:43:00.002-05:002020-09-02T10:45:52.090-05:00August SurvivalAugust brought the HEAT!! (14 fairway)Hello all, I apologize for not giving you the Swope content for the month of July. Sometimes a blogger needs a break. Not to mention this blogger was busy fixing breaks. The end of summer is always a challenge for golf course maintenance. Up until mid July and almost all of August, we had had a mild summer. The temperatures were hovering around 80 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-68195544140044973232020-07-01T10:42:00.001-05:002020-07-01T10:48:30.896-05:00Hot June
Surviving June at Swope
Once again, I'm sitting here writing a blog with 2 inches of rain out on the course. Maybe I should start writing these damn things 12 times a month? Throughout this month it's only rained twice, and I've wrote two posts....maybe if this drought continues into July I will try a rain dance blog. I'll keep ya updated. We might as well stay on this topic of water for thisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-69332564624171540022020-05-29T10:40:00.000-05:002020-05-29T10:40:24.027-05:00May
May at Swope Memorial Golf Course
(7's bunker back drop.)
Hello, all! I'm writing this blog update with wet socks, so apologies if it's short. Here at the end of May, we were in need of some rain for our newly sodded fairways, 6 inches of rain in 4 days later, the sod is watered in and I believe there is a catfish living at the bottom of Hole 4's fairway. On the bright side, the first Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3178726968935112003.post-3588402690635380282020-05-01T11:45:00.002-05:002020-05-01T11:46:32.930-05:00Springing into the May
Fast times at Swope Memorial Golf Course
(Drone photo taken by Dimitry Lash)
Corona season, golf season, what's the difference?
First and foremost, I hope everyone has stayed healthy and happy over these last months. As society has changed its every day routine, so have we. Our clubhouse is only open for use of the restrooms, booking is online, our course is open for walkers only, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0