Rain Rain Go Away...

We added another 0.75" of rain to the golf course last night.  This goes with the 2.0" the night before and the 1.5" the previous Thursday.  Oh yeah, not too mention the 1.5" in the beginning of last week...  Suffice it to say, the golf course is saturated.  There were also some strong winds last night the wreaked havoc on small branches and twigs.  The grounds staff is spending the entire day today picking up debris littered all over the course.  And all this in anticipation of the next volley that is supposed to roll through late tonight.  But don't be deterred members and public golfers; The golf course is still very much playable and in great shape.

Wee Bit of Storm Damage

Well the storm rolled through last night and took down a tree or two on the golf course. As always there is/was a lot of little stuff here and there to pick up. A Oak tree between #15 & #17 broke off about 20 feet up, it was the one that grew up all twisted. There are a couple of other trees that took enough damage (one on #3 and one on #9) that the tree will most likely be taken down. There were also a few major branches that came down but do not warrant taking the tree out. All in all, not as bad as I thought it would be when I got in this morning. We will have it back in shape in no time... One good thing is we have had about an inch and a half of rain in the last three days, much needed for as dry as its been.

I met with the landscaper (same company that put the steps in on #16) last week to plan the steps for number nine tee. The work is planned for the week of Sept. 7th and should not take more then a week. It looks as though we are going to have a very busy construction period starting right after the club championship. With the work being done on #13, the steps on #9, and then fall aerification starts right around that time also... Busy, busy, busy.

Projects, Projects, Projects

Well we have a lot of this and that going on right now. Josh with Hartman is in for the day putting the finishing touches on the new 11th tee and also grading out the area for drainage. One of the directions we have started to go with tees and other construction type projects is getting the professionals in to do the job right. Not that we could not do the job in-house mind you, but there is added level of detail and finishing work that we can not do with our equipment. The laser level you see in the picture can make the tee perfectly flat, 1/4" slope one way or another, or put in any other slope you may want for surface drainage. The precision is a lot more exact then the simple level we use for our in-house projects.

All the sod we stripped from the area is being put to use on those eyesore spots around the cart paths and behind #16 green on the hill side. The areas we have left when we use up all the sod created will be handled with purchased sod or from the back of the driving range where we have been taking sod for various projects. The entire area around the 11th tee will be sodded along with the tee box itself, the sod coming from the beginning of the fairway.

Some of the bunkers needed a little attention so we are currently getting some weeding and edging done. Sand will also be added to a couple of bunkers where it is getting a little thin. We are also getting a much over due paint job on the #6 shack. We stripped all the loose stuff some time ago and have not had a chance to get the fresh paint on until now. When that building is done we will be moving on to the pump house and then perhaps the starter shack.

The area to the right of nine tee will also be getting a make-over soon. We need to regrade the area around the evergreens to get the standing water out of there, and also have plans for a set of steps to be installed. The current idea is to remove the planting and wall block and place the steps there where the path is already expanded. The flowers would be added to the area to the right of the path where we will be grading along with some hosta and perhaps other plant material.

There has been some talk about steps for the forward tee on #13. I would rather see golfers drive around the 12th green and past the water cooler to get to that tee. It keeps people on top of the hill rather then having to park below and climb up. We need to do a little tree trimming on the tree next to the teebox to open the area up a little, but I would guess the amount of traffic should not be a problem along the teebox. I hope this solves any problems associated with climbing the bank if it is wet and slippery.