Course News

Course Update – June 16, 2026

The wet weather pattern continues early this season.  Since the big storm that started this rainy weather last Tuesday night we have received just shy of 7 inches of rainfall on the golf course.  This amount of rain has created challenges with course care and product application.  It has also created challenges with grooming and mowing turf consistently across the property.  This weather has not been ideal for the game of golf.

Cart restrictions when the course is at field capacity are required.  This amount of water can cause turf health issues that are magnified by cart traffic.  This decision is not one that is taken lightly.  The goal of the Turfcare team is to provide the membership with great golf conditions.  When these scenarios happen, while frustrating for all we have the experience and knowledge that when this pattern breaks we will be a better golf course for it with minimal wear and repairs required. These decisions accommodate the majority of the membership and at the end of the day they are the right decision for the golf course.  

Grooming will catch up in time. We are doing what we can to maintain the rough with standing water throughout.  This week we have made the decision to mow through the poor conditions.  The challenge becomes waiting with long grass that now creates a scenario where the long grass creates an environment that takes longer for the ground to dry.  While these areas will be unsightly this week they will rebound when the weather breaks.  We also increased the amount of push-mowing on the property. We have been mowing all rough around tee sites with the push mowers to aid in staying on top of as much turf as we can.

Greens continue to be soft.  It is the time of year where we would like green speeds to be at the summer expectation.  We are currently running about a foot behind the pace we would like.  This will continue to be a challenge as long as we continue to see rain.  Ball speed on greens has a direct link to moisture in the ground.  When we regain control of moisture, greens health will allow us to get the speed we desire.  With the moisture rolling of greens has been minimized so we do not create compaction and health problems for the summer ahead. 

The yield continues to be high across all playing features.  We expect that late day golf will see slower conditions.  We have made a long overdue regulator application to greens.  It has been two plus weeks since the sprayer has had weather conditions conducive to application.  Hopefully moving forward we will be able to stick to spray programs in turn assisting us in providing the conditions desired.

Flower planting continues across the property.  This has also been challenged with the abundance of rain.  We will continue to push forward with planting when conditions allow. The establishment of the prairie grassland on hole 5 has also impacted.  We have yet to be able to seed this area.  Hopefully this week a window will present itself.

From an abnormally slow start with winter type weather well into May followed by 10 days in the mid-30’s and now over a week of significant rainfall.  It has been a great challenge this spring to deliver the course as we desire.  Despite the challenges we are confident that when this pattern breaks a great 2026 summer awaits.  We thank you the members for your support and understanding through this difficult start and look forward to sunny days ahead for the game of golf and course care.

Course Update – June 10, 2026

A heavy thunderstorm on Tuesday delivered 4 inches of rainfall to the golf course.  This volume of water is significant and will take some time for the course to dry out.  We did also incur some tree damage and had to remove a couple that fell throughout the storm. The implications of the rain event will be felt for a period of time as we will fall behind on grooming practices.  More than likely mowers will not be back on the property until Friday depending on the weather which is forecasting more rain.  This will create a challenge with rough more than anything.  The rough has been growing rapidly as has all playing surfaces on course.  The spring flush of growth will filter out in time and we will regain control of growth.  Patience will be required for the next week while we clean up and catch up on the entire property.

Course Update – June 2, 2026

May 31^st and June 1^st the Turfcare team completed aeration practices to the greens.  This process was needed and will set the stage for a successful summer ahead on greens. With this process taking place later than normal we can expect our greens to take a little longer to hit the summer conditions expected.  We applied heavy water with fertility which will initiate a flush of growth.  Over the next 7- 10 days the evening golf conditions may be slower as a result. 

We will continue to aerate fairways this week with the hopes of completing that program.  Collars and approaches we hope to aerate Thursday morning ahead of golf.

The property is dry and we are watering at full capacity each night with the exception of greens. This has begun to create wet spots which are a result of the irrigation system lacking single head control.  We will protect the wet areas through this stretch of weather and hope that we see a slight reprieve in temperatures to aid in turf health and minimize watering requirements.

Wear areas are evident throughout the property.  We kindly request that rickshaw’s not travel on the collars of greens.  We are struggling with turf health on a number of collars and much of this is due to the additional traffic they see every day.  It is easy to take the most direct line to your next hole location but if we can follow the traffic control in place and be aware of our travel, course presentation and playability will benefit.

We have made a final glyphosate application to the area beside 5 green.  We expect this to be seeded next week.  Please stay off the soil until the area is established to assist in a successful project.  This area will play as a naturalized area meaning mandatory relief once it is established.

We have been finding a lot of sunflower seeds throughout the golf course.  Sunflower seeds are not permitted on the course.  They can actually create mechanical issues with the reels of mowers getting caught in turn dragging across a green and scaring.  Please refrain from the use of sunflower seeds on the golf course.

Course Update – May 26, 2026

Finally some weather that we have all been waiting for.  It is exciting to see the sun and have some warm temperatures for the game of golf and course care.

With the heat finally arriving we will see an impact to the course.  We would expect greens to slow up a bit for the next 7-10 days.  We are now able to complete some much needed product applications and this in combination with heat will see a flush of growth.  Some of the applications require water to set the product which is turn also slows greens.  These applications are necessary, well behind and will take precedence over other applications and items on course.

Aeration is scheduled to begin this Sunday.  We will be coring a number of greens that afternoon and evening beginning with the practice greens at 3:00pm.  Monday will see all greens receive a sand and vent program followed by fertility.  Our goal will be to have greens at summer heights and rolling well by the middle of June once they recover from the aeration program.

Beginning this week we will start with fairway aeration.  This will take place in the morning ahead of golf and we will halt the process once golf reaches the program.  We would expect this to take all of this week, the aeration day and into next week to complete.  Tee boxes will also go through the same program as fairways once we complete those features.

Dandelions are beginning to pop.  We did make a large scale application in fall to the entire property.  With the log jam of applications required across prime play features and only one sprayer the dandelions will be evident for some time until we can complete the other programs and then lead into weed management.

From zero’s to mid-30’s for what looks to be the better part of the week.  We are hopeful the turf will be able to handle the early season heat stresses considering we have not had the ability to set the stage on all playing features for the season to date.

This Thursday two Ash trees will be removed from the 18 hole beside the driving range.  These trees have begun to impact the netting and when we see windy days the net catches and tears on the trees.  Once these trees are removed we will have the climbers in to replace the one torn panel.

Course Update – May 19, 2026

Some much needed rainfall fell across the property on the long weekend.  If the forecast stays true for the end of the week, this rainfall should have the grass finally growing as we enter the end of the month of May. 

Minimal mowing practices continue as we still do not see the spring flush of growth with the colder than average temperatures.  The overnights continue to sit close to 0 keeping soil temperatures down and soil activity minimal.

Stumps have been prepped throughout the property and are ready for sod in many areas.  The rain on the weekend has the sod farm at a halt and we are hopeful we can begin to sod these areas at some point next week.

We continue to battle irrigation challenges.  We have had the system pressurized for 8 days and had to shut the pumps down on Tuesday morning to make our 7^th break repair.  This break is challenging and we have been busy chasing it for a few days.  It is located in the swale on hole 18.  We hope we can get this repaired this week so we can pressurize the irrigation system again with hot weather on the way.

Greens will see a lowering of heights this week.  We are slowly moving towards summer heights but are still not mowing greens daily with the weather factors.  We are in need to apply fertility and set the stage for the summer which we hope to do in the week ahead providing we have the irrigation system pressurized. If the irrigation system is up and running then Monday May 25^th will be the first light sanding of the season on greens.

We hope to have the plywood sheets delivered this week to complete the repair works to the scoreboard on hole 18.  At the same time we are expecting delivery of more boards for the bridge. If the forecast holds we are hopeful that next week we will see the contractors in to begin painting pergolas and buildings on the property.

We made a repair to the white tee on hole 10.  This tee will continue to be out of play while we allow the sod to establish itself.  Tee markers will either be on the green or blue deck weather dependent.

Driving range will move to the grass deck on Wednesday May 20^th.  A reminder the target green on the range is closed while it establishes from a resurface last fall.  Until a flag pole is placed in this green it is closed. 

A reminder for the early morning golf players that our expected pace of play is no faster than 3 hours and 30 minutes.  If you do catch the maintenance team it is expected that you wait and provide them time to safely complete their tasks.  These tasks being completed are important for the days experience for all members and it is important that we provide the time required for maintenance.   The Turfcare team begins work as early as they can considering the noise bylaws and good course conditions take time. At no point is an acceptable practice to hit your golf ball in the direction of staff working to provide you with the conditions you experience.

Course Update – May 14, 2026

The Turfcare team has made a repair to the white tee deck on hole 10.  Please be aware that this tee box will be closed for a few weeks while we allow the new sod to establish.  In the meantime the white tee blocks will be located on the either the forward tee deck or the blue tee deck dependent on the day.

We appreciate your patience while we allow this repair to heal.

Thank you,

Shawn Major

Course Update – May 12, 2016

As we enter the second week of the golf season we are still anxiously waiting for Mother Nature to deliver consistent heat.  We have begun to see some minor yield on the playing surfaces.  The growth and recovery is still minimal and because of this the day to day experience will still be variable.  We are not consistently mowing surfaces to protect turf health.  This will come in time as we await the arrival of warm grass growing weather.  As far as greens are concerned we have lowered the height of cut once this spring.  We will continue to move towards the summer heights as we see the weather improve with the goal of being in our stride as it relates to greens in earlier June.

With most of the opening details looked after we are beginning to address stump holes from tree removals.  We will prep all the areas in need and once we are ready for sod we will button these up in the coming weeks. 

We continue to train the new staff that have joined our Turfgrass team this summer. As we move closer to earlier start times we are hopeful to have the team comfortable and skilled in the tasks required.  Please continue to be patient as we work to acclimatize these new staff members to the property and details required.

The range target green continues to be closed.  Please refrain from hitting balls into this green to assist us in getting it established.  We are hopeful this process won’t take too long but much like everything we are waiting for good weather to aid in the establishment. We will continue to be on range mats for the remainder of this week and we will look to make the move to the grass deck by the weekend if the forecast holds.

Vole damage is beginning to recover.  We will continue to be patient with this damage as we are seeing positive indications that it will recover. 

Aeration was scheduled for this past Sunday evening and Monday May 11^th.  With the lack of growth, irrigation and weather challenges this process had to be pushed to the backup dates of Sunday May 31^st in the evening and Monday June 1.

Course Update – May 5, 2026

We hope that you had the opportunity to play a round of golf this past weekend while we had some spring type weather.  As we start the first full week of golf we are experiencing a weather setback with our greens currently under snow looking as if they are covered in tarps.  As this week progresses we can expect tee sheet delays with the overnight temperatures forecasted to reach -5 degrees as late as Wednesday night.  These temperatures can result in a frozen delay rather than a frost delay.  This morning with -2 the greens are frozen solid in the top portion where the crown of the plant resides.  We will at no point allow golf on frozen greens.  We can expect if the temperatures do get as low as predicted to have significant delays while we wait for the ground conditions to thaw.

We began to start the irrigation system on Monday May 4^th.  This process takes most clubs about 3 hours to complete and become operational.  We spent 11 hours with start up on Monday to come across two significant breaks that required us to shut down the system. With valves that do not function this was the only option to allow the repairs to take place. We are also experiencing electrical component issues that are preventing the system from being utilized once the system is pressurized.  Parts have been ordered and are being shipped so we are hopeful that we have water at our disposal by the end of the week.  Once we do have the ability to water we will be testing and running irrigation throughout the day and during your round of golf.  This is not ideal but is the only option we have to test the 600 plus head on the property ahead of the season.  The course is dry we have not had measurable moisture in some time and we need this system up and running as soon as possible.  Until we are able to irrigate and have this tool available course maintenance from a turf stand point will continue to be minimal. With the weather variables and the irrigation challenges we are starting this year well behind where a typical season would be and this will impact members experience early this season.

Here is to hoping for more positive weather conditions as we continue into the month of May for the game of golf and course care.

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.