Shawn Major

Course Update – May 1, 2026

As we are set to open the golf course tomorrow May 2^nd we would like to provide you with some information as what to expect with this abnormally slow start to the spring season.

Greens:

• Have been cut twice only.  They will remain slower than expected even for opening.  We do not have water to manage turf and we are still dealing with less than admirable weather conditions.  We are happy to be in a position to safely provide golf but we will not be chasing green speeds until the temperatures warm up and we can charge the irrigation system.  Opening weekend will only see the greens receive a roll on Saturday and Sunday.
• The greens are healthy a few of the bentgrass greens are still waking up in areas.  Some consistent heat will have them green up in time.
• Over the past three seasons we have been working with Brett Young, the PMRA and MOGHU Research Center providing trials with the Poa Cure product they developed.  This product is one of the most revolutionary products we have had come through for turf science.  This product targets poa annua and kills it slowly over time.  In an effort to preserve Niakwa’s investment in bentgrass we made applications for the trial to the 1^st green last fall.  As you play your first round you will see that the poa which was beginning to invade the stand of bentgrass on hole 1 is dead.  Over the next few weeks as the bentgrass begins to grow we will see it creep into these poa voids assisting us with poa management and protecting our investment.

Bunkers:

• There are still a few bunkers on course that have frozen drain lines and are yet to dry out enough to be prepared for the season.  These will be played as ground under repair.  Left greenside bunker on hole 14, right green side bunkers on 16 and the last fairway bunker on hole 18 are still frozen at this time.
• Bunker rakes will be placed outside the bunkers this season.  This will assist in preparing our team for the September event.  Please ensure you are raking bunkers when you play your round of golf.  Not raking is unacceptable and lacks the etiquette expected at a private golf facility.

Irrigation:

• For the first time in 8 years we will open the golf course without irrigation.  We are hopeful that we can begin to push water as early as Monday May 4^th.  Once we have water we will have a critical tool to allow us to begin getting the turf in order for the season ahead.
• Please be aware that when we do charge the system we will have random irrigation heads popping up throughout the day and it may affect your early spring golf round.

Tees:

• Will very little recovery this spring we will manage the tee decks accordingly.  We have many that need time to heal so we have grass to play on this spring.  For the foreseeable future your tee blocks may be located in non-prime tee locations as we manage the early season wear and protect our turf.  Spacing may also be slightly reduced to aid in this.

Bathrooms:

• On course bathrooms will not be open to start the season.  We do not have water for this yet.  We do have a portable washroom available on course.

Traffic:

• We will have traffic control setup throughout the property.  It is expected that all cart users follow and avoid areas with traffic control.  We do have areas on the property still soft and wet and we do not want to set back any areas of the property by poor travelling choices.  Keep carts well away from green sites and utilize cart paths at tee sites keeping all tires on the paths.

Weather/ Frost:

• It looks like a great weekend for opening.  We do have a setback in temperatures next week and we will deal with frost delays it looks like for at least another week.  The goal for the Turfcare team after a frost delay is to get golf going as soon as possible.  With the lack of good weather to prepare the course some days these delays will be longer to allow the Turfcare team time to apply practices required for the season ahead.  Please be patient as frost impacts all of us and the day’s events.

Turfcare team:

• A very large turnover this season means we have significant team members to train for the season ahead to be successful.  Please be aware of your pace of play in the morning as we need time to get all new staff accustom to the tasks and property.  With the poor spring conditions from a weather standpoint we have not had the usual couple weeks of grass mowing to train this team.  We have cut features on the property only once vs 5-6 times ahead of a more standard spring opening.
• With a new team we can expect some mistakes and details to be missed as we go through the training process.  Our goal will be to have the team dialled in for the prime playing months beginning in June.

Overall:

• The course wintered well.  We have vole damage throughout that will take time to heal. Once we see what does or does not recover, we will begin to make repairs.
• There is still lots of general clean up required throughout.  We have done what we can in preparation of opening and will continue to work towards our goals in the weeks ahead.
• Hazard stakes have been placed on all holes with the exception of holes 10-13.  We will get the remaining hazard stakes out as soon as they arrive they have been back ordered but should be here soon.

We are happy with how the course wintered.  It was a harsh winter that lingered well into spring.  Just two weeks ago we still had temperatures in the -10 range.  With all these variable we are confident in the course opening.  We need some patience and understanding as it relates to greens conditions this spring. There has been very little typical about this opening.

Here is to a great 2026 golf season.  We look forward to seeing all members returning and new on the course beginning tomorrow Saturday May 2.

Respectfully,
Shawn Major, AGS

Course Update – April 28,2026

As we get set to open the course for the 2026 golf season the following information will provide you with some insight as what to expect early this season.

The course has wintered well.  We have some bentgrass greens that are still waking up from a harsh winter of heavy winds.  All greens are in good standing and ready for product applications to assist in setting the stage for the season when the weather conditions allow.

Tees, fairways, rough and bunker surrounds have all been hit hard by vole damage in many areas of the property.  Many of these areas will recover in time.  We will need to be patient waiting for temperatures to drive growth.  Once we see some recovery or lack of recovery we will begin to address areas in need of repair.  This process will play out over the entire month of May and well into June.  We did have two greens impacted by voles being greens #14 and the putting green.  We have made the repairs to 14 green taking 208 plugs to complete.  The putting green will be attended to once all items on course are ready for the season.

Greens will not be quick on opening day.  We have not cut greens as many times as we generally would ahead of opening.  This is all a result of the weather and factors beyond our control.  The goal will be to lower heights through the month of May hitting our stride as we enter into June.  Between now and then you can expect inconsistencies at times and variable greens conditions from day to day. We have many agronomical check marks to achieve before we can begin to push these surfaces. The weather simply has not been conducive to turf practices. As of this report we still have some snow lingering in pockets and we are still dealing with frost in the ground.  There are drains that have yet to flow but we hope with the forecast these will get moving this week. 

Heading into winter we had a record setting amount of rain in the month of October.  This abundance of moisture in combination with a harsh winter where we froze deep has seen a lot of drain lines collapse and land movement.  This repair work will take place as soon as we can.  Please be mindful of this while playing your round of golf.

The Turfcare team has some significant changes this season.  We are heading into the season with approximately 80% of our team being new staff.  With the rollercoaster of weather this spring we have not had the usual window of time available to train our new staff on mowing and course setup practices.  This will take time for all new staff to become comfortable and skilled in the tasks required. We will ensure that pace of play is acceptable and not to fast when we open while we go through this critically important aspect of spring.

The difficult spring will also impact course improvement projects that need to take place.  We have stump holes and other details that we generally like to complete before opening.  These types of items will take place through the first month or so of the season.  We have contractors who will be on sight painting pergolas, refurbishing the bridge and scoreboard through the month of May when temperatures are supportive to the work required. 

The target green on the driving range continues be covered with a growing blanket.  We utilized these covers when we grew in four greens back in 2022. We sodded the range green in fall.  With the abundance of ball marks this green takes over the years the turf was filled with mosses and algae from the inability to repair ball marks.  Again the weather has not been ideal for establishing this green this spring so we are hopeful the blankets will aid in escalating the establishment time line.  The range nets will be climbed out we hope in the week ahead.  When we do lock in the climbers the range will close for this process and open immediately after.

We are looking forward to getting the game of golf going this season.  A challenging spring means that some patience will be required throughout the start of the season as this year looked a little different for the preparations of the property than usual.  

Course Update

April 20, 2026

On behalf of the Turfcare team we would like to welcome all members back for the 2026 golf season.  As should come as no surprise given the weather, we are waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate so we can begin to prepare the golf course for play this spring.  It has been a challenging start with the weather.  We are still hanging on to snow in many areas of the property.  Frost is still in the ground preventing any consideration in preparing turf for the season ahead. 

Early indications are that the course has wintered acceptably.  While it is not the greenest start color wise, the turf appears to be alive and ready for some assistance to get growing.  We have had minimal windows to inspect the turf through the weather rollercoasters but beginning this week we will begin to remove tarps and hopefully begin our initial steps in course preparations. 

Voles had a negative impact on the property again this season.  While we do not have the scale of damage experienced last spring to greens, the large acres including fairways and tees have been decimated by these pests.  Greens #3, #14 and the Putting Green will all have some recovery work required from the voles. Large acres will need time to recuperate from the damage and will require a combination of repair work and patience this spring.

The number one question being asked is when the golf course will open.  Last season we were able to provide golf on May 1^st.  Needless to say we are well behind where we were last year at this time.  The Turfcare team is ready to move as soon as conditions allow and we will communicate a potential course opening date when it presents itself in the next couple weeks.  Weather permitting we are hopeful to provide the driving range later this week.

Course Update – October 14, 2025

On behalf of the Turfcare team we would like to thank membership for the support throughout the 2025 golf season.  It was one of the better summers on record with timely rainfalls, lots of sunlight and one of the best falls we have experienced for the game of golf.  Weather only impacted course availability one time this season with a closure in late fall due to heavier rainfall.

With the course closed the Turfcare team will focus the next few weeks on preparing the course for winter.  There are a significant number of check marks that need to be achieved to provide the property with the best possible chance at a successful winter.  This includes many product applications timed accordingly with weather and forecast.  We will topdress all tees and fairways with a layer of sand to assist in protecting the crowns of the poa plants through winter.  Accessories will be removed and ready for refurbishing throughout the winter.  Balancing the winter preparation items with continued maintenance and some small projects that we hope will improve the experience for next season.  When we are finished with these items the Turfcare team will flip into tree work and removal for the months of November and into December.  There are a number of trees in need of removal and this program will continue throughout winter into the New Year.

We hope all members have a great winter ahead and we look forward to welcoming you all back to Niakwa in the spring of 2026.

Course Update – September 30

The warm fall weather continues with near record temperatures.  This has been great for the fall game of golf.  The forecast is showing signs of changing patterns and it appears as we will begin to see some frosts in the near future.  Frosts are essential for preparing the turf for winter.  The more active turf is as we near snow fall the more concern there is with overwintering success.  Frosts slow down the plant physiology and assist in setting up the plant for winter success.  A reminder that when frosts do setup the goal for the Turfcare team is to minimize maintenance when possible to get members golfing as soon as we can.  Depending on the repetitiveness of the frosts some delays may be longer than others to accommodate late season product applications and maintenance.

Leaves continue to fall.  We have had a few repetitive days of winds that create challenges in keeping the course tidy throughout the day.  We are bowing all playing surfaces each morning into out of play or rough areas where they can be mulched when time and conditions allow.

This past Monday we completed aeration practices to all fairways and tee boxes.  We also took advantage of the maintenance window to apply a granular fertilizer to greens.  This product was watering in heavily.  Monday evening we received a half inch of rainfall through the night which in combination with the fertilizer application will have greens softer and slower to start the week.

Course Update – Bug Spray

A reminder that bug spray kills turf.  Pictured below is the 6^th green.  This application of bug spray has killed this area of the green and it will need to be repaired.  Bug spray damage does not recover especially on greens.  On higher cut turf such as fairways and rough it can take in excess of 6 weeks to recover from the damage done.

• Bug spray should only be applied on permeable surfaces and never on any grass

Thank you for your cooperation.

Turfcare management

Course Update – September 23rd

The unseasonably warm weather continues this fall.  This past weekend we were fortunate to receive 1.75 inches of rainfall on the golf course.  While this was a little more rain than we wanted the course benefited greatly from it.  To start the week greens will be slower and very soft.  With the forecast we hope they will firm up by the end of the week to provide the members with good putting conditions to enjoy during this warm fall run.  We have applied another regulator to greens this week to try and slow down the abundance of growth we are seeing.

 With the warm weather fall grass growth and golf course demands continue to be that of the prime playing season.  The rough, fairways and tees continue to grow with no sign of slowing.  The Turfcare team is doing their best to keep up with the mowing demands daily. Leaves are now falling at a steady pace.  We are busy with blowers each day pushing leaves into tree line areas where we can then mulch. 

Monday this week with maintenance day an herbicide spray was made to all rough and park areas on the golf course including the parking lot and clubhouse areas.  Fairways and tees received a fungicide application to deal with some late season disease pressure that is magnified with the fall weather we are experiencing. The signature Elm tree on hole 10 was pruned and deadwood removed.  These items took away from some grooming and mowing practices which we will work to catch up through the remainder of this week but it was a very beneficial maintenance day for the golf course.

The forecast looks excellent in the days ahead for some great fall golf.  A reminder that the last day for golf will be October 13^th the Thanksgiving Monday.  While the weather continues to be great, sticking with a hard closing date has provided Niakwa’s membership with excellent course conditions over the past number of years allowing the property to be ready for winter and giving us the best possible chance at successful spring conditions.

Course Update – September 16th

This past Sunday late afternoon and all day Monday the Turfcare team completed the fall aeration program on greens.  On Sunday cores were taken out of the older poa greens and the older bentgrass greens.  On Monday we completed a sand application to all greens followed by a deep tine vent.  Over the next few days we will battle the sand and poor quality of cuts on greens which will result in inconsistent and slower putting surfaces.  While we were able to complete the cultural program on greens we came up short of applying the fall fertilizer applications required.  These are scheduled now to take place next Monday in the maintenance window.  

With the time of year we will begin to raise the height of cuts on greens this week.  We will make an incremental increase for the time being.  With this increase in heights green speeds will begin to slow down.  While the weather outside continues to be superb it would be a critical error to continue to chase greens speeds and performance this late in the season.  For the remainder of the golf season the focus is on plant health to ensure that we are in the best possible position for a successful winter.  Please continue to repair ball marks and fill divots as the turf has begun to slowdown in growth and recovery time is also reduced with the shorter days. 

Tee and fairway aeration began on Sunday with the greens program.  We have completed the first 8 holes on the property.  This program will resume over the next 7 to 10 days until we have completed all items.

We would like to thank the membership for the time to complete these programs which in turn provide Niakwa with a healthy property for the game of golf. 

The leaves have begun to fall at a more consistent pace.  The strong winds to start the week have them littering the property.  The Turfcare team will continue to send blowers each morning to clear the leaves off the prime play areas.  Once we have completed all prime play areas we will then blow the leaves further into the rough and tree lines where they can be mulched.  On days of heavy wind please note it will be difficult to keep play surfaces free of leaf debris.

Course Update – September 9th

Our first fall frosts have hit the property this past weekend.  Frost delays have long been a part of golf.  The goal for the Turfcare team when we have a frost delay is to minimize maintenance and get the game of golf going as soon as possible.  There are factors that affect the decision as to how fast we can get game of golf out.  Repetitive frosts will most certainly lead to an occasional longer delay.  We can only minimize maintenance so many days consecutively.  We are also in the time of season when product applications become difficult to fit in around frost and windy days. These applications during the fall are critical for successful wintering of the golf course.  If we need to apply a product and have not had cooperation from Mother Nature this is another scenario that can cause a longer delay.  We know that traffic on frost covered grass will cause death that can take 6 plus weeks to recover.  This time of year it will not. Please refrain from walking on turf when we are in a frost delay this fall.

Range deck will return to mats next Monday September 15^th.  This will be setup during the course closure for aeration.  Reminder that the course is closed Sunday September 14^th in the afternoon and all day on September 15^th for aeration.  The greens are in desperate need of these cultural items and we hope the weather will cooperate.  Fairway and tee aeration will begin on these days but will not be completed.  The aeration process of fairways and tee’s will continue until completed this fall.

On the other side of aeration we will begin to back off on height of cut on greens as we move towards our winter heights.  While the forecast is decent for the next 10 days we will stick with our program of backing off this time of year to assist in setting the plants up for a successful winter.  Daily mowing will no longer take place we will alternate mowing and rolling practices dependent on ball roll and growth.

With the two light frosts we expect the battle of leaves to begin shortly.  We will do our best to blow all prime play areas in the morning.  Leaves will be blown into tree lines and rough areas then we will turn around and mulch them throughout the day.  At times there will be heavy masses of leaves in tree lines.

We continue to deal with fox damage each morning to greens and bunkers.  The repairs of the greens will be priority in the morning and we will attend to bunkers when time allows.

Course Update – September 2nd

The month of September is a challenging one for the Turfcare team.  With the return to studies the staff has seen a reduction in size of over 50% daily.  Keeping up with the details and the expectations of the course will be difficult.  On a daily basis to prepare the prime playing surfaces we rely on having a minimum of 15 team members.  This does not include other items such as spraying, watering and mowing rough.  On any given day for the remainder of the season the Turfcare team will be lucky to have 12-14 staff available.  Many items will become reactionary and our main focus for the remainder of the prime playing days will be to care for the greens and work our way out across the property from there.

This is a good time to remind the morning golfers of the pace of play policy in place to allow the small team size time and room to prepare as much of the course as possible for all members.  We will continue to hold members who are playing the front 9 quicker than 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Waiting on the game of golf for maintenance moving forward will not be efficient and with the reduction in team size we need as many efficiencies as possible to keep the conditioning acceptable. 

Bunker raking has been reduced to one or two days per week.  With this knowledge members can assist the conditions by simply taking your time to rake a bunker if you have played in it.  Not raking bunkers is an unacceptable practice that continues to take away from the property this season.  The condition of bunkers for the remainder of the season will fall heavily on the membership to care for.

Greens while the focus are beginning to see a reduction in rolling with the staffing numbers.  We will continue to mow greens daily until we see frost and growth slow.  Green speeds will fluctuate daily depending on if the rollers are able to go or not. 

We would like to thank the team members who have returned to studies for the help this summer and wish them all the best.