Hitting the Links
Matt Jenkins
The roller coaster weather pattern that has smacked New England this summer has made life rather interesting for Ipswich Country Club Golf Course Superintendent Grant Davey and his crew.
The daily rain that pelted the North Shore through the first half of the summer has given way to high temperatures and oppressive humidity, which hasn't allowed the brand new greens at Ipswich Country Club to breathe. Full play at the club resumed on July 31.
That means Davey, assistant superintendent Evan Heenehan and the grounds crew have been working overtime to keep the greens in the condition they'd like.
Last October, Ipswich CC began the extensive project of a complete greens reconstruction. All 18 greens, plus the practice greens, were completely excavated and replaced with new drainage trenches, sand and a new greens mix specifically designed for optimal growth in New England.
Of course, anyone with a lawn knows there's a lot more to growing grass than just planting seeds.
"The weather had us a little," Davey admitted. "We had 16.9 inches of rain through June and July. It was 39 days of measurable rain, and we came out of that in high dew points and humidity with temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s. We've had to balance our maintenance and the wear we put on the greens to not damage the turf itself."
While Davey and his staff certainly were hoping for better cooperation from the weather, they were prepared for anything thrown at them.
"The greens are still rolling nice and true," Davey said. "We did sustain a little damage from the weather, but we're working on repairing things in the coming weeks as the weather gets better."
Even though the greens aren't exactly where Davey wishes they were at the moment, the membership at Ipswich is already pleased with the results.
"Oh yeah, they're ecstatic about them," Davey said. "They're happy with how smooth and true they putt. They've been very understanding and cooperative with the weather we've gone through."
The transformation from a course set up with temporary greens to a full course has only increased membership's interest in playing golf.
"It's been busy," Ipswich CC Golf Pro David Sibley said. "Since we've opened (the new greens) it's like starting a new season, going from temporary greens to a full golf course. Everyone is excited about playing golf."
As the greens continue to mature, Davey expects to lower the cut, which will make for even faster rolls.
The grounds crew still has a lot of work remaining with the greens, but everyone expects the end result to be fabulous.
"As long as we continue maintaining them in the correct manner and being proactive in how we manage water and how we manage playability, then we're going to be fine," Davey said. "They will be good for years to come."
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Now that Ipswich CC is completely open, the tournament season has been heating up at the club. Team Canada (352.5 points) edged Team USA and Team Italy (337 points each) in the MGA Ryder Cup, while champions were also crowned in a WGA Member-Member tourney.
Melinda Birdsall and Denise Desautels captured the Augusta Flight to beat out Maryann Davis and Sue Flanders.
Other winners included Sue Block and Weezie Simonds (Oakmont Flight), Rona Lemelin and Stella Stella (Olympic Flight), Martha Hutchins and Tissy King (Pinehurst Flight), and Nancy Jarvis and Colleen Lefthes (St. Andrews Flight).
Jessica Thompson, Ann McCarthy, Betty Hurley and Erica Narath won the most recent "Sucker in a Bucket" competition at the club with a gross score of 80.
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They've been making up for lost time with holes-in-one also at Ipswich, too. Steve Coyle aced No. 5, Stan Feldman, Karen Kruck and Matt Cann each needed just one shot on No. 7, and Becky Daitch was perfect on No. 11.
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Ferncroft Country Club's Lisa Anderson turned in a top-10 finish at the 2009 Grace Keyes Cup last week. Anderson fired back-to-back 79s for a two-round total of 158, good for 7th place at Renaissance Golf Club.
Wenham Country Club's Diane Carter (18th, 90-84-174) and Ferncroft's Noreen Trudel (19th, 94-81-175) also placed among the top 20 finishers.
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It was nice to see Middleton Golf Club's Justin Sharaf finishing under par at the 2009 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship at Franconia Golf Club in Springfield. Sharaf tied for 15th with a two-day total of 141 (71-70).
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Some harsh summer heat wasn't enough to keep golfers away from the 10th Annual Steve O'Grady Open golf tournament, which was held Monday at Olde Salem Greens.
Tom Doyle, Pat Chasse, Jeff Lajoie and Ken Lajoie was the winning team with a 9-under par round. Steve Marsella, Mike Dellisola, Tom Lovasco and Brendan Fullerton (8-under) took second, and Christopher Pawlyk, Bob Venza, Anthony Consoles and Kris Olson (6-under) placed third.
Jeff Lajoie won the closest to the pin, knocking it just 10 feet, 8 inches from the 8th hole. Consoles and Sarah Chasse won the male and female long-drive contests.
Through the 10 years of the tournament, the Stephen M. O'Grady Scholarship Foundation has awarded 107 scholarships and donated over $103,000 to local youth in memory of O'Grady.
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Hitting the Links, a column on North Shore golf, runs each Friday during the summer in The Salem News. Contact staff writer Matt Jenkins at 978-338-2648 or by e-mail at mjenkins@salemnews.com.
