Making the Most of a Beautiful Fall

The weather certainly took a turn from our last blog post! The summer heat finally subsided, giving way to beautiful fall weather throughout October. Although it was a bit on the dry side, with only a half-inch of rainfall for the entire month, October turned out to be a great month for turf recovery and getting the course back in shape (click here for a NWS October summary).

Aeration

The grounds crew has been busy completing aeration across many of the course’s playing surfaces over the past month. Greens were completed in early September, followed by tees, isolated fairway areas, approaches, rough, all fairways, and practice tees. These maintenance practices are essential for relieving compaction, improving soil conditions, and promoting healthier turf as we recover from this past season and prepare for winter and spring. While the process left some playing surfaces muddy for a period of time, we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. Aeration may temporarily impact playing conditions, but it plays an important role in maintaining the long-term health and quality of the golf course.

Aerating 1 fairway

Aerating the south tee

Aerating 14 tee

6 approach after core aeration

Draggin in the plugs on 4 fairway

Fairway Recovery

The condition of the fairways has been a hot topic throughout this past golf season. Although conditions improved considerably from 2025, we still saw additional areas of dead turf develop this summer, particularly from late August into September. We slit-seeded many of these areas in early September, and by the time of this writing, many have nearly healed in. Our new Vredo slit seeder has proven to be a great investment, allowing us to get seed into the ground at the right time and achieve much better results.

My biggest takeaway from this season, and what gives me a positive outlook moving forward, is that despite another hot and humid summer, the fairways held up much better in 2026 than they did in 2025. (See my previous post for a recap of this past summer.) The difficult conditions of 2025 exposed some of the course's weaknesses, but the drainage improvements in problem areas and the introduction of new bentgrass varieties into our heavily poa annua-infested fairways have helped us move in the right direction.

It's also important to remember the timing of our seeding efforts. We purchased the Vredo slit seeder in late October 2025, just about two weeks before our first snowfall on November 10. That left us with a very short window for germination, followed by an unfavorable late-fall and early-winter period. Much of the new seed had only the spring to establish, and some areas simply didn't have enough time to mature before facing another challenging summer. This year, we were able to seed throughout September and early October, giving the new grass a much better opportunity to establish before winter.

Another important piece of this story is that these older fairways had gone decades without any significant reseeding. Sure, we seeded an occasional spot here and there during aeration, but the majority of the fairway acreage had not received interseeding. The summer of 2025 essentially reset the table and showed us where improvements were needed. Now, with nearly a full year of new seed incorporated into the fairways, additional drainage installed in problem areas, and better timing with our seeding efforts, I feel good about the direction we're heading. We still have work to do, but I'm optimistic that these improvements will continue to pay dividends in the seasons ahead.

In addition, in the areas where Bermuda grass has become established, we have also been slit-seeding perennial ryegrass to provide winter coverage. Ryegrass is a good fit for these areas because of its quick germination, ability to establish relatively quickly, and considerably lower cost compared to bentgrass. It also competes better for winter coverage, helping maintain a more consistent playing surface while the Bermuda is dormant.

4 hillside 2025

4 hillside October of this year. Much better!

Bad fairway spot on 1 in early September.

Another bad patch but seeding starting to germinate.

Same area after core aeration and slit seeding. Almost completely healed in early October.

Vredo slit seeder on 6 fairway valley.

Slit seeding 1 fairway.

Seed germinating in the back of 18 green.

Perennial ryegrass germinating in a bermuda patch beginning of 6 fairway.

So, What's the Game Plan Moving Forward?

One of the questions I have heard from many members is, "What's the game plan for the future of our fairways?" Considering the age of the WHCC fairways and the challenges that come with maintaining older golf courses (click here for a previous post on maintaining older courses), how do we keep them from declining during the summer months? I believe we have three options moving forward.

Option 1: Continue with our current approach.

The first option is to continue down the road we have been traveling over the past year and a half. As I discussed in the previous paragraphs, we are just beginning to see the benefits of our overseeding efforts. The biggest drawback to this approach is that we aren't necessarily addressing the underlying issue of having so many different grasses and varieties accumulated over several decades. Our fairways are currently made up of several different turfgrass species, including five varieties of older and newer bentgrasses (German bentgrass, Penncross, Authority, L-93, and S1), Kentucky bluegrass from overseeding efforts in the 1980s, poa annua, Bermuda grass, and some perennial ryegrass.. Maintaining this combination of grasses presents its challenges, particularly during the heat of summer, but it is manageable. We have had success with this approach in the past, and continued improvements in drainage, tree management, and overseeding should help us build on that progress.

Option 2: Gradually renovate sections of fairways.

The second option would be to kill off and reseed selected sections of fairways or renovate a couple of fairways each year. This would allow us to target some of the worst areas and gradually introduce more consistent turf varieties throughout the property. While this approach would help address individual problem areas, it would not completely eliminate the underlying issue of having so many different grasses throughout the course. On the other hand, it would be a less expensive and less disruptive alternative to renovating all the fairways at once.

Option 3: A complete fairway renovation.

The final option is a full-scale fairway renovation. If expectations for fairway conditions continue to increase, this may ultimately be the best way to achieve the consistency and quality of playing surfaces that membership desires. Several clubs in the area have taken this approach with the help of a golf course architect and have seen excellent results. A complete renovation would also give us the opportunity to address other aging infrastructure throughout the course, including older bunkers, outdated tee boxes, and fairway shaping, while establishing an entirely new turfgrass base. As you can imagine, this is by far the most expensive option and would also create the greatest disruption to golfers, likely requiring at least a year-long course closure.

Beyond the fairways

Regardless of which direction we eventually take with the fairway grasses, we are continuing to move forward with drainage improvements and tree management. There is no question that large trees have a significant impact on the health and performance of turfgrass, particularly on an older property like WHCC. Reducing shade and competition for water, along with improving air movement and drying conditions, is an important part of addressing the large amount of poa annua and the summer turf loss we continue to experience. We are scheduled to remove additional trees this winter, and I will provide an update on those plans in a future post.

Ultimately, there isn't one simple fix for the challenges facing our older fairways. Each option comes with its own advantages, costs, and level of disruption. Any decisions regarding the future direction of the fairways will involve working closely with the Green Committee and Board to evaluate these options and determine what makes the most sense for WHCC in the long term. In the meantime, we will continue working on the improvements already underway while keeping an open mind about the best path forward.

Sodding and Horticulture Work

The crew has also been busy with several sodding projects throughout the course. The area behind #1 tee continues to take a beating from the foot traffic between the pro shop and putting green. We resodded the back portion of the tee with fescue and made an effort to reclaim the remaining area with bentgrass.

We also addressed several bunker edges that have taken a beating over the years from the constant impact of sand being blasted out of bunkers. The #18 green bunker, left bunker on #12, right bunker on #3, and the fairway bunkers on #10 and #13 all received new sod in worn areas.

In addition to the turf work, we have planted several trees in proper locations around the course. October Glory red maples were planted along the fence on #7, replacing the white pines that were removed in August. These were positioned farther away from the teeing area and closer to the fence to provide better spacing. A Southern magnolia was also planted to replace the weed-infested holly tree to the right of #10 tee.

Finally, the crew has started planting more than 5,000 tulip bulbs throughout the clubhouse grounds. Looking forward to another great spring display!

Demolition work behind 1 tee.

Finished product.

Fixing 18 bunker

Finished product

October glory red maples by 7 tee.

Southern Magnolia 10 tee.

Planting tulips.

Still to go!

Instagram Account

Finally, taking the advice of our new golf professional, Mr. Motley, that there is no such thing as too much communication, below is a link to our new Instagram account. For those who may not have the patience to read through an entire blog post (probably just about everyone who has ever read one!), this will give the Grounds Department another way to share quick updates on daily course conditions, maintenance activities, and ongoing projects.

Follow the WHCC Grounds Department on Instagram for more course updates and photos!

The fall weather really has been spectacular this year, and with a strong El Niño forecasted, we may be in for a warmer-than-usual winter. We'll continue to provide updates as we head into the holiday season, but in the meantime, try to get out and enjoy the course before those beautiful fall colors fade away!

Brad Piecuch

Grounds Superintendent

Mother Nature, Let’s Cool It!

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

On June 30th of this year, Josh Ward took aerial photos of the golf course. Those photos showed a course that had almost 100% recovered from last season’s heat wave monsoons. As we progressed through July and into August, the golf course, especially the fairways, seemed to hold up pretty well despite some thinned-out areas. At that point, I mentioned to the crew that I felt we were over the hump and had nothing but recovery periods ahead of us.

It was at that time, sensing my optimism, that Mother Nature basically said, “Hold my beer!” and proceeded to pound us with some of the hottest and most humid late-summer/early-fall conditions I have ever experienced.

The newly seeded fairways from last season, for lack of a better term, looked really tired, and some areas simply gave up the fight. This led to more thinned-out and dying fairway patches.

We have begun slit-seeding many of these locations, and in the really bad areas, we have core aerated and overseeded. Hopefully, Mother Nature will finally turn off the tropical, Florida-type weather and get us back to our regularly scheduled program of great cool-season turf recovery weather.

Despite Mother Nature’s fury, I do think we survived this year’s summer weather much better than last season (click here for a 2025 July recap). As the images below show, turf health wasn’t perfect, but the areas that received new drainage and had tree removal fared the best. This continues to solidify what I believe is the solution to the problem: continuing to invest in drainage, decreasing the tree population, and continuing to seed newer bentgrass varieties.

However, as the great LeVar Burton famously said, “But you don't have to take my word for it.” The USGA agronomist who visited the course on July 24th had many of the same observations. Click here to read the USGA agronomist report from July 24th, 2026, and see what he had to say about the course conditions.

Also, click here for an informative video from the USGA about dead turf. While it may be frustrating to see, turf loss is something that can occur even on well-maintained golf courses, particularly when conditions become especially challenging.

Aerial photo of the golf course on June 30th 2026. The course was in great shape!

Aerial photo of #2 fairway on August 3rd 2025.

#2 fairway June 30th 2026. Fully recovered, with the tree removals over the winter definitely helping improve growing conditions.

Another view of #2 fairway in August of 2026.

#7 valley in August of 2025

Same area on #7 August of 2026. After drainage was installed.

#4 hillside in August of 2025.

Another view of #4 hillside in August of 2025

Same area on #4 hillside in August of 2026. Installing drainage has made a significant improvement.

#6 valley in August of 2025.

Same area in August of 2026. Again another area drainage was added.

#18 drain by the green in July of 2025.

Same area on #18 fairway in August of 2026.

Fixing #11 valley. The drainage installed in the winter was delayed due to the early December snowstorm. Consequently, the area did not have drainage installed until late April and the sod didn't have a chance to root in before the summer heat. Add in 6 washouts since the installation and you can understand why we are resodding.

Aerating #16 fairway. This was an example of an area that did well until the September heat wave thinned it out. Notice the dry turf underneath the tree canopy.

Using the Vredo slit seeder to seed #16 fairway.

The two north tees: The tee on the left is pure bentgrass, while the tee on the right is Bermuda grass. Both were in great condition before being thoroughly pulverized by practice tee shots.

What Happened?

A question I have had, and one that many other members have asked, is: What happened? The 2023 and 2024 seasons produced some of the best golf course conditions we have seen in recent memory, while the last two seasons have been much more of a struggle.

I know our agronomic practices and procedures have not changed. If anything, I feel they have continued to improve. But at the end of the day, the conditions speak for themselves.

That got me thinking, so I went back and looked at the weather data from those years and compared it to what we have experienced over the last two seasons. What I found pretty much answered the question. Once I started comparing the numbers, it became pretty clear why 2023 and 2024 were such good years for the golf course, and why the last two seasons have been much more challenging. The weather patterns were noticeably different, and several of those differences line up almost perfectly with what we have seen out on the course.

A few things really stand out when looking at the data:

• It is easy to see why 2023 was a banner year for the golf course. That year had the fewest number of days with daytime temperatures above 90°F and, by a wide margin, the lowest number of nights with temperatures above 70°F. The combination of fewer extreme daytime temperatures and less prolonged heat stress during the nights helped create much more favorable conditions for our cool-season turf.
• Poa annua and older-style bentgrass varieties really struggle when exposed to extended periods of heat. The weather data correlates closely with what the members have observed over the past four years. Our highest member survey scores came in 2023, and the weather data helps explain why turf conditions were so favorable that year.
• Nighttime temperatures are particularly important to turf health. When nighttime temperatures remain high, the turf has less opportunity to recover from daytime heat, heavy play, and daily maintenance. Also, hot nights increase disease pressure substantially. Looking at the past four years, the seasons with the greatest amount of nighttime heat have generally corresponded with our most difficult turf conditions.
• July is consistently the most challenging month for our cool-season turf, and that is clearly reflected in the graphs. The combination of high daytime temperatures, warm nights, heavy play, and summer weather patterns puts significant stress on Poa annua and bentgrass.
• The heat we have experienced this September is highly unusual. This year has already had more September days above 90°F than the previous three years combined. September normally provides some relief for cool-season turf, so the continued heat this late in the season has added another layer of stress.
• July 2025 was an extreme example. We experienced more nights above 70°F during that month than in any other month over the previous four years. According to the CVG weather records, Cincinnati also set a record that month for the greatest number of nighttime temperatures above 70°F.
• The temperature graphs still don't tell the entire story. In addition to the extreme heat and record number of warm nights in July 2025, WHCC received more than 6.5 inches of rain, with the majority falling within approximately one week. The combination of prolonged heat, very warm nights, excessive rainfall, and saturated conditions created extremely difficult growing conditions and contributed significantly to the deterioration of the fairways during the 2025 season.
• 2026 has been the second-most difficult year weather-wise. So far, we have experienced 27 days above 90°F and 33 nights above 70°F, with the season still ongoing. Considering the difficult weather this year, combined with the damage our fairways experienced last season, I believe the course has held up relatively well.

There are several reasons for that improvement. New drainage, continued tree removal, and the incorporation of newer, more heat-tolerant bentgrass varieties have all helped improve the resiliency of the fairways. While we have still experienced areas of turf loss this year, we have not seen the same level of widespread damage that occurred in 2025.

And there is one other important factor to remember: WHCC has its own microclimate. The weather station at the golf course gives us a much better picture of the conditions our turf is actually experiencing than data from CVG, Lunken, or even another golf course in the area.

Our goal is to continue addressing these problem areas and improving the overall resiliency of the fairways. If we continue making these improvements, we should be in a better position heading into 2027. Of course, a little help from Mother Nature would go a long way as well.

Bar graph of the hottest temperatures over the last 4 years. This year is still ongoing.

Temperature graph of the amount of 90+ daytime temperatures and 70+ nighttime temperatures. Notice how hot July of 2025 was.

Side-by-side comparison of the last four years and by each month. Notice how July consistently stands out as the month with the most hot days.

Aeration

Aeration of the putting surfaces was completed on September 8th, and we have now begun core aerating the tees and approaches.

One thing many golfers may notice is how quickly the greens healed after aeration, as well as the process of bringing up plugs on the tees and approaches. There is a reason for the difference. We conduct soil testing on the greens every year, which allows us to track changes in the soil profile and make adjustments to our maintenance practices.

Because of the amount of topdressing we have applied to the greens, we have been able to significantly reduce the organic matter in the upper 1–2 inches of the soil profile. Over the last two years, organic matter has dropped from 6.39% to 5.2%.

That decrease in organic matter allowed us to use 3/8" solid tines on the greens this year rather than pulling cores. We also verticut the greens as part of the process. Solid-tine aeration is much less invasive than traditional core aeration, creates much less disruption to the putting surface, and allows the greens to heal much more quickly.

So, while the greens may look like they barely skipped a beat after aeration, there is actually quite a bit of work—and a lot of planning and testing—behind that result.

Solid tine aerating #12 green.

Core aerating a thinned out area at the beginning of #1 fairway.

Member/Guest Week

The week of the Member/Guest tournament was a fun week, to say the least.

It started with trimming the pin oaks to the left of #14 tee. The goal was to improve the golf shots coming into the hole and allow us to use the left side of the green for pin placements without interference from the trees. We also removed two pine trees to the right of #7 tee that had begun to encroach on tee shots.

We managed to cram all of that work into one day, with the goal of getting everything cleaned up and ready before Member/Guest.

Then, the very next day, the derecho storm ripped through the golf course.

The storm took down a couple of trees and left a considerable amount of debris throughout the course. We were able to pile the debris outside #7 fence and have a tree service haul it away. This kept our normal dump area from overflowing and saved us from having to deal with an even bigger cleanup project.

The grounds crew did a great job putting in a significant number of hours to get everything cleaned up and the course back into playable condition before the tournament. It was definitely a busy week, but the crew stepped up and got it done.

Limbing up the pin oaks on the left side of #14 tee.

Limb falling out of the elm tree next to 18 tee.

The derecho storm ripping through #15 white pines.

Debris pile from the storm outside #7 fence.

Looking Ahead

As we head into fall, I think the rough summer will be in the rearview mirror and better germination days will lie ahead.

Although, if Mother Nature is listening, I’m officially waving the white flag and begging, “No más, por favor!”

Brad Piecuch

Grounds Superintendent