It has turned out to be quite a winter thus far, colder and snowier than any of the last several winters. We have been limited in our outside work time, but we are ready to get back at it, and we have started a few projects that will continue over the next few weeks.
First, we have started the process of refilling bunker sand
in greenside bunkers. Last year, we refilled
fairway bunker back to a consistent depth across the course. So far, we
have only finished a few holes- we are dealing with having to schedule loads of
sand on days when it won’t freeze to the inside of the dump truck! - but we
will work to catch up on any lost time. For now, we are working on getting the
sand into all the bunkers and quickly spreading it out. We have not thoroughly leveled
every bunker and compacted the sand yet, but those steps will occur. The
temperatures are slowly climbing out of their lowest point as we aim for
spring, and we will have more workdays available coming soon.
A second, longer-term project we are slowly working on is cart
path edging. This is another process we have completed in the past, most
recently in 2021. We have tried edging in the winter, spring, and summer.
Each time of year has its pros and cons, winter avoids most golfers, summer is
better weather, but sometimes we must do the work when it makes the most sense.
We would have normally wanted to wait a little later into spring before
starting, but with so few other projects available because of the cold and
snow, we started edging a little earlier this year. Nevertheless, the edging
process was interrupted by the cold too- we had 2 different days we had to stop
work because the ground was frozen so solid our edging machine could not cut
into it.
Cart path edging is a slow process considering that just the
basic stretch of cart paths that a golfer would use to navigate the course is over
4 miles long. That does not take into account the sections that are more just
for maintenance access or any other paths around the property. We will work on
this project as time and weather allow.
It won’t be long before we are back into a more regular
routine of course maintenance. Until then, we have plenty to keep us busy if
the weather allows.
Etiquette Reminder of the Month
Please avoid walking through overly saturated or puddled
areas on greens if possible.
Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve
course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course
etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:
Ball
Marks - How to properly repair
See you on the course!
Joe
jvillegas@bwrc.org
