Out on the golf course as of March 10th everything has come through the winter in fairly good condition. We have not had a tremendous amount of frost penetration into the ground so it should not take to long for what is there to leave and allow the soils to drain. Unfortunately, Mother Nature seems to have decided that now it is time for winter to make a final push into our area. We will need to see what the next week or so brings before we can make a decision on when we might be able to open for play.
We have been doing many projects that were recommended in the report that was provided by the visit we had during the summer by the USGA’s David Otis and John Harvey a golf course architect. We do not have the resources to take on all of the recommendations at this time but started on the few that we could do. In particular we have removed trees behind the first green in an effort to get better air movement in the area and morning sun. We have also done some work up behind the fifteenth tee opening up the area to the left of the tee to again allow for better air movement and more sunlight. The island of trees between the fifteenth tee and the eleventh fairway has been thinned and had the underbrush removed.
Moving on to the fifth green area, John Harvey and our staff have done an extensive site survey and he is in the preliminary planning process. This project will be very complex and require some permitting as the pond is in close proximity. There are a number of irrigation adjustments which will have to be made depending on what grades are called for in the re-grading plan. I think we are most likely looking at a fall of 2018 for this project. We will have to see how the permitting process goes and what will be required by the Wetlands Commission to allow for the work to move forward.
The area provides a number of challenges. The difference in grade from the rear of the green to the pond level is twelve feet. The difference in elevation from the back of the green to the front of the green is six feet limiting as you know where the pin can be put. One might think it is a simple enough project just raise the front of the green and lower the rear to soften the grade. However, we need to keep in mind the topography around the green with the woods to the left draining out onto the surface of the green and running down to the front. This condition needs to be corrected. It is not an easy site to work and the work area most likely will go right up to the edge of the pond. Once we have a plan in place we will share it with the Pro-shop and pass it on.
-Mike Wallace-