A Spring to Remember

It has been a few weeks since I had time to sit down and update the blog. The weather has been extremely cooperative and the many long-time members have shared comments that the golf course has never looked so good this early in the season. The warm spring and dry weather has the greens nice and firm, and we have finally been able to catch up on some of our early season maintenance.
We charged the irrigation system early last month and found numerous heads that had heaved and broken over the winter months. Leveling and repairing the heads has consumed a large amount of our valuable labor resources, and there are a number of issues that still need to be resolved before the hot weather arrives in a few weeks.
Spring clean up was a bit of a challenge due to the early arrival of spring. The warm weather in late March and early April coaxed the grass out of its winter slumber weeks ahead of schedule and forced us to mow on a regular basis when we would normally be wrapping up our winter projects. To complicate matters a bit more, there were regular wind storms that brought down limbs and debris and forced to clean up over and over again.
Finally we have been able to refocus our attention on the drainage project on the 7th hole. The sumps behind the green have been finished, and we hope to extend the drains in the approach starting early this week. We will be installing catch basins in the middle of the fairway to collect runoff and drains extending across the approach into the rough to improve the condition of the area in front of the green. Finally we will provide surface drainage for water that used to collect in the trench left of the approach in the rough. Sod will be installed over the trenches on the left and rear of the green. The next priority will be grinding the stumps on the 4th, 7th, and 8th holes. I hope to rent a machine in the next week or so and cover the scars with sod left over from the drainage project.
Looking forward we will be discussing future projects to be funded by the “Bunker Bash” scheduled for later this season. Potential projects include installation of drains in front of the 3rd and 8th greens, purchasing a truckload of sand to repair the practice bunker and replenish the bunkers on the 1st and 2nd holes. Larger projects such as the 4th fairway and the hill on 6 remain high on the priority list but require more money and labor than we can afford at the present time. We hope to use smaller projects and improvements to inspire future investment in the large scale projects that will likely require outside contractors for planning and completion.
We have an exciting golf calendar in the next few weeks and I for one am looking forward to shifting our attention from completing projects to improving playing conditions throughout the golf course. The greens are playing nicely and the fairways are nice and firm thanks to the warm dry weather. Soon we will be able to work on improving the smoothness that will restore the speed that will have even the best putters scratching their heads.
The guys have been working extremely hard this spring, and we appreciate all the positive feedback we are receiving. Your continued support and participation will serve as our inspiration to keep improving the golf course and maintain a positive outlook for the future. If there are any issues you would like me to address in future updates, or projects you would like us to consider, please feel free to post a comment on the blog or share your thoughts with a committee member. Thanks again for your continued support, and we hope to see you on the golf course soon.