Progress on #16 Green

( 2011_04_05 - #16 Green )

( 2011_04_22 - #16 Green )

Here are before and to-date snapshots of #16 green, we seeded and covered on the 13th of April. While we do not see a lot of seed germination taking place, the weather even with a cover has made it difficult, the good turf under the cover has become much more vigorous then anything left open. We'll keep you up to date...

In The Shop

With the temps hovering around 1 degree we are busy inside taking care of things. Most of the course supplies: ballwashers, tee markers, stands, cups, and clubwashers have been sanded and prepped for painting. In the next couple of weeks we will have the paint booth up and begin putting new coats of paint on all of it. This keeps things looking new year after year. Eventually, however, the paint layers get so thick that items start to look a bit shoddy. When that happens we choose what's best for the club, either purchasing new or having the items professionally stripped and powder coated. Often times the stripping/re-coating is the way to go since course supplies are so expensive. To give you an idea of some of the costs we face with outfitting the course here are some examples...

Tee markers = $17/ea. (approx. $2,500)
Ballwashers = $180 (approx. $4,500)
Ballwasher Stands = $85 (approx. $2,000)
Metal Garbage Cans = $50 (approx. $1,500)

Those are just a few examples of what we have out on the course, and if we were to purchase new tee signs or benches they would be in the $300-$400/ea. range. Needless to say we try and refurbish everything we can and for as long as we can to save money. However, we will always have high standards for the condition of our golf course supplies no matter what the cost.

Staying Busy

As I go forward with this journal I hope to keep the membership and public informed of what is going on around the golf course on a regular basis. I won't promise daily updates but a few each week should be enough, especially during the golfing season. There will be pictures, explanations of various maintenance practices, project updates, and anything else relevant to the golf course.

So what keeps us busy during the winter months? I am glad you asked. There are a lot of things to keep us busy during the few months that the course is closed. Just to list a few... All the course supplies, such as tee markers, garbage cans, flag sticks, cups, etc... are sanded and painted. Every piece of equipment is cleaned and serviced. Mowing units are sharpened. Plans are laid for the upcoming season after we review the previous season and determine what needs improvement and adjustment. But, I will be the first to say things are much more relaxed and save the occasional impact wrench or reel sharpening, there is a nice quiet that lingers around the shop. And so we prep for the coming season...

Here's to making 2008 another great golf season at IVGC.