Taking care of the course.

     The snow finally melted last week and we were able to open the course and play some golf. I was very excited to finally see some grass and I am sure everyone was ready to get out on the course and enjoy a round of golf. Unfortunately in this state of elation, most everyone forgot about proper course etiquette and doing their part as a golfer to repair any damage to the course. Divot replacement was  limited, and several times carts were driven off the path to hurry around their playing partners so they could save 5 or 10 seconds. Fortunately the greens were still frozen so ballmark damage was limited.
     I can not stress enough the importance of replacing divots and repairing ballmarks. Both of these practices take seconds to perform and have a huge impact on the conditioning of the course. Ideally I would love to see all divots replaced and then topdressed to seal the edges but we need to start with just replacing the divot. This is especially important this time of year when the turf is dormant. Getting into the habit of replacing divots now will lead to good habits for the rest of the season and will play a big role in keeping the course in good condition throughout the year.
      If you are one of the few that did your part thank you and keep up the good work. Also, if you see someone not doing their part give them a hard time. Make them aware of the impact on the course and get them going in the right direction. If you are reading this and you are one of the many that did not replace their divot or repair their ballmark there is still hope. You still have a chance to do the right thing and be a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Show some pride in your course and follow proper etiquette when playing golf here or anywhere else. If everyone takes care of their own divots and ballmarks the course will benefit and be in better shape for it.
     Hopefully we will see an improvement in this area and if you have any questions about the course please stop me on the course or shoot me an email at andy.tomlinson@ourclub.com.
 

SNOW COVER ON THE COURSE

     I wanted to update everyone on where we are with the snow melt on the course. I wish I had better news but we still have a significant amount of snow throughout the course. We were able to drive most of the course today but #15 still has too much snow on the path to get through. On a positive note we did see a significant amount of melting yesterday and we should see a fair amount today since the high temperature will be 54 and the low tonight should be around 43. I will keep everyone updated on our progress and with any luck we will be on the course very soon. Below are some pictures of the course I took today. See if you can pick out where the gas line is in the first picture.

#1 and #10 fairway.

#10 fairway and green.

Shot of #1 from tee to green.

Shot of driving range from the figure eight.

Shot of #18 from the figure eight. 

#18 from tee to green.

#17 looking back at the tee from the green. 

A look at #8 from the rock outcrop behind the professional tee. 

A look back at #7 from the professional tee on #8.

Looking down the fairway on #6. 

A look at #3 from the professional tee.