Winter weather seems to be upon us, although it has felt as such for several weeks now. The golf course is covered in a light dusting of snow, and I’m impatiently waiting for more significant snowfall.
Last week we performed a solid tine aerification of all greens except for holes 3, 7, 8, 11, & 13. Those greens were not aerified because the ground was simply too frozen to do so. Our thought process here is that a late season aerification will offer a place for any water to move away from the crown of the grass plants during winter thaw events. We intend to perform our normal spring aerification as usual next season.
As of Friday December 5, all greens and tee boxes were closed for the season. I welcome and encourage members to head out and discover the beauty of the golf course this winter, but please keep any activity to the rough areas if possible. The property looks and behaves much differently during winter months, and it’s important that we all take precautions to make sure it comes through the winter as healthy as possible. Please avoid any standing water, shallow ice accumulation, or bare areas with little to no snow cover- as these areas pose the greatest chance for winter injury. And as in the past, some greens and tees will be roped off, so please be aware of this as you venture out onto the course.
If not already completed, all flagsticks, tee markers, rakes, ropes, signs, and other course accessories are in the process of being taken off the course. This is the time of year when our game plan for spring and summer is formulated- which includes all equipment maintenance, accessory repair, cleaning, scheduling, ordering, and planning.
Thank you for your membership at the Orchards this season. I hope that you had an enjoyable golfing experience, and wish to make 2009 even better. Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or stop by the shop so I can better acquaint myself with you and we can talk about the coming season.
Happy Holidays- I’ll see you in the spring!
Matt Streeter
