Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University

Each tag starts with the number 50, which is an area number designated for the golf course. Each area of campus has its own unique #. The second numbers represent the year it was ID'd or planted and the final number is the inventory number for the golf course Since arriving just before summer in 2015, we have been aggressively removing dead and diseased trees and replacing them with new varieties in better locations.  My predecessor, Mike Rayman, began the process years before and deserves tremendous credit for his efforts.  We also owe thanks to our University Grounds department and their tree specialists.  Many years prior to my arrival at Weibring GC, they began planting/transplanting trees into a little used space adjacent to the golf course. We refer to this area as the tree nursery (located just west of #3 tee box) and in total we transplanted 35 trees into the golf course.    Dr. Kopsell and a number of his horticulture students here at ISU have been tremendously he

        Over the past couple weeks we have been working with a local photographer and drone pilot, Jim Finch, to develop content for marketing, recruiting, and promotional purposes.  It has been a fun and educational process.  With plans to use the footage as part of marketing and promotional campaigns, we were required to seek permission from the Athletic Dept. and ISU before beginning.  The use of commercial drones is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.  You are required to hold proper licensing and certificates before operating a drone for commercial purposes.  In other words, don't try this yourself.          With Jim's help we have been able to acquire videos and still photos of the golf course from angles and elevations never before seen.  The amount of footage is overwhelming.  In total, we will have between 500 GB and 1 TB of files to edit and produce.  This is a great winter project for the golf course that will be aided by our professional video sta

We have begun the initial planning stages of a complete bunker renovations here at WGC.  Timing, scope, and logistics of the project are still in the works, but I have confidence that the project will get off the ground in the near future.  There will be a scrolling summary of the project on a flat screen in the Pro Shop throughout the remainder of the season.  I will also be holding narrative presentations to accompany the slideshow.  The first narrative will be held Friday Oct. 27th from 1-3PM in the Pro Shop.  If the weather permits we will also tour the course to answer any questions.  I will repeat the narrative a couple more times this fall.  Come by this Friday or check back for updates on future dates. Below is the complete slideshow being presented in the Pro Shop.   The Cost of renovating The investment comes at a cost. For our project we are looking at a figure of over $200,000. There are certainly ways to lessen than cost, but only by sacrificing important

Weibring Golf Club  @  Illinois State University  Agronomic Update-Fall Aerification Many golfers are aware that a golf course must aerify.  Here at Weibring GC, our fall aerification practices are set to begin Monday Oct. 16th.  H ere are our plans for aerification, followed by a brief explanation of why we aerify. The Plan:  Greens- Back 9 on Monday, Front 9 on Tuesday.  Putting Green will not be aerified until on-course greens heal enough to roll smooth. Every green will be topdressed with sand before aerifing; aerified with a half-inch solid tine, followed by another topdressing, brushing, fertilizer, and water. Greens with excessive black layering and black algae accumulation at the low points will be core aerified in those trouble areas only.  Fairways- 4 inch vertical slice offset at 1 degree, brushing, verticutting, and aggressive mowing. We will solid tine the fairways in the Spring, a practice we started this past spring and received better results.  Tees-