3-25-18

This has been a very confusing week for Mother Nature.  The course was getting very close to being ready to open.  The frost levels were down close to 9″ prior to the snow.  The nice rainfall should have driven the frost even deeper even though the snow blankets the turf.  Once the snow melts we should be about ready to golf.

The course is in very nice shape coming out of the winter months.  I toured the golf course a couple of times this past week.  The greens look great and there is no puddling in any low areas.  We have experienced some erosion in some of the water quality improvement areas.  These areas will be cleaned up and sodded once time permits.

Our pumphouse is completed as far as the structure of the building.  A new door and stairway inside the building were completed by DeLoss.  I cleaned and organized the interior of the pumphouse in preparation for Pixler Electric to finish the electrical work.

Also, the plant materials, in the clubhouse landscaping, were all cut back and cleaned up to allow the new spring growth to come through (once the snow melts again).  Staff and myself will be adding mulch to the entire clubhouse surrounds this coming week.

Equipment maintenance has continued to be a work priority at this time.  I have gone through the majority of the equipment making repairs and adjustments for the mowing season.  The new week will also include more equipment maintenance.

I have two seasonal employees starting work on the grounds tomorrow.  We will be able to get a lot of shop work completed as well as outside work later in the week.

The clubhouse and cart sheds will also be opened during daytime hours starting Monday.  We have league meetings starting this Thursday and into next week.  Our liquor license is in effect and inventory is starting to arrive.  It was an exciting week even though the snow put a damper on the mood.

As the years go by in continues to be a creative way of thinking to gain more revenue in the golf industry.  I have already mentioned the fact I’m exploring a golf simulator for the next off season.  I am also looking into the golf course buying a used pool table to give our patrons another recreational option during rain or bad golf days.

The more opportunities we can provide to keep the crowd coming in, the more revenue we will produce.  The key is to gain revenues with minimal expenses.  Both options should lead to a crowd favorite in the clubhouse.

I was also able to complete the controlled burn at the Country Club on Tuesday.  Chief and I were on scene to ensure a safe and effective burn process.  I stayed on site with one truck for most of the day until the pile was down to smoldering.  Ryan Lux was also on site with a loader in case of a need for fire control.  It was an all around positive process.