Course preparations continue for the 2025 golf season. We are happy to report that the course has wintered well and is off to a very manageable start this season. The Turfcare team is busy working through many items to ensure a positive opening and year ahead.
The week of April 28th will see some final items that are required for opening take place. The most important of these items is the irrigation system. We have been busy spending many hours attending to numerous issues with the irrigation system that has prevented us from filling the lines. With the golf course being dominantly poa, opening without water leaves us with the inability to manage wear on the poa turf which in turn can be detrimental to our goals and long term success for 2025. For 6 consecutive seasons we have ensured that we have water available prior to opening and it has served us well with positive seasons of conditioning.
The bunker capital project continues to make progress. All green side bunkers will be completed and in play when the course opens with the exception of green side on 16. This bunker is undergoing renovations to improve drainage and aesthetics of the golf course. The reduction in size of this bunker will also provide a more economical maintenance bunker complex by reducing sand requirements up to 50%. Fairway bunkers will continue to be filled with sand when we are open. Please be mindful of the contractors working to complete the process. We do not expect this process to run much past the middle of May weather permitting. With this process continuing the back parking lot will be unavailable to members until the project is complete.
With the spring roller coaster of weather we have had some challenges completing some of the items on course we desired. Turf repairs to areas of the property have yet to be buttoned up. When we open there will be areas under repair waiting for sod. We are working to coordinate one load of sod which means the 5th green and 16th bunker complex need to be ready before sod can be ordered.
The 5th green resurfacing project is well under way. This Saturday April 26th our irrigation consultant will lay out the irrigation changes for the 5th green. Irrigation installation should begin sometime on Monday April 28th or when our irrigation components arrive. Our hope will be to have this green seeded in and around May 1st which should set us up to return to playing the 5th hole in the later part of July weather permitting.
While we are experiencing a very positive weekend ahead of weather we continue to have frosty mornings that delay course preparations. The forecast for the start of the week is wet with a -5 predicted overnight on Monday. We are still dealing with weather variables that have a negative impact on turf and preparations. We are hopeful that the overnights begin to stabilize in turn allowing conditions conducive for plant growth and the game of golf.
We are excited to get the golf course open for the membership in the week ahead. More updates will be provided ahead of opening to members with information on what to expect as the first rounds of the season are played.
Respectfully,
Shawn Major, AGS
Golf Course Superintendent