A look in the Rearview

Friday, March 04, 2011

Number 17's new  'Island Green'

The past 15 months have been trying to say the least.  We have experienced many highs and lows and the year of 2010 presented many challenges and opportunities.  We have continued to push the golf course to create a fun, challenging experience for every member, guest, and tournament participant.  We experienced everything from flooding to extended drought and from record snowfall to record high temperatures.  Our management team wanted to share our experiences over the last year and our goals for the next few vital months as we prepare for the 2011 golfing season.

2010 Year in Review

Challenges

• In January of 2010 the golf course flooded.  The bottom nine holes all incurred significant flood damage and 19 sand bunkers were destroyed.
  
• Our staff removed contaminated sand and bunker liner.  We repaired drainage, replaced liner and sand in 19 bunkers damaged during the flood
• Additional flood cleanup was completed including the removal of silt from the seventh and seventeenth greens.  The greens showed no signs of damage during the summer of 2010.
  
• Record temperatures for June and July          
• 50 days of drought June-July        
• 96 degrees on September 24^th       
•  7” of rain Member-Guest Week        
•  2 Days 105 Degrees (3^rd hottest days on record)         
•  30+”of snow  (November 2009-February 2010)        
•  30+” of rainfall  (November 2009-February 2010)

      
 Accomplishments    

• The area between holes #9/#18 was renovated, drainage installed, and sodded            
• The area between # 3 Green and #4 Tees sodded to TifSport bermudagrass  
• Drainage installed left of cart path at ladies tee #9
• Drainage installed at #2 tee complex
• Drainage installed at #12 tee complex/fairway
• Tree and undergrowth removed behind #1 green to improve airflow
• Overgrowth was removed left of cartpath on #7 
• Trees removed, reshaped, planted Hollies right of #10 cartpath
• Trees removed, reshaped, planted Hollies right of #14 cartpath 
• Right of cartpath on #11 graded and sodded
• Surrounds of on-deck putting green reshaped and sodded
• Fescue was removed right of #18 and resodded to TifSport
• Irrigation pumps were extended 14 feet deeper in the pond in order to draw from deeper water 
• Cobblestone added to inside turns on cartpaths
• Began planting parking lot islands 
• Landscaped and sodded around the new tennis gazebo between courts 4/5
• Installed Hollies left of entrance road at parking lot
• Planted 8 parking lot islands
• Removed over 30 trees in-house 
• Renovated over 30 bunkers in house.
• Our staff installed 2.7A of sod or 13 tractor-trailer loads
• Our staff installed 1362 Tons of Bunker Sand or 55 dump truck loads

        Overall, we feel 2010 was a success.  Very rarely will we experience such challenges but it is important to know that the golf course can handle these variations in weather and our staff is strong enough to overcome anything put in front of them.  Over the next few months, we will be cleaning up from the winter, spraying winter weeds, core aerifying our putting greens, rebuilding bunkers, and applying a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weed germination.  We are excited about the 2011 golfing season as well as the opportunities and challenges it will present.