7-Day Forecast

 

Wednesday

 

On #8 green surround, we are removing a good amount of sod and reshaping the area where settling has occurred over the years.  This area abruptly dropped off from the edge of the cart path, making it an awkward area to traverse and access the putting green.  In addition, it's been a common place for golf cart traffic and mower traffic to get back on the cart path.  Therefore, it has always been compacted and worn.  This season, we are expanding our 'pushmow' areas to avoid heavy equipment having to access and mow these narrow areas.

Tuesday

We have a grading contractor on site helping us 'rough-in' the area on the far side of the pond on #10.  This was an area that was majorly impacted by Hurricane Helene.  By cleaning up the pond banks and removing the stumps and other debris, we'll sod the area, giving it a nice park-like setting that you'll be able to safely fish from.  

While excavating the tree stumps, we woke up this big fella!  He was moved to another secure undisclosed location where he'll be able to feed on other people's fish and not ours.  Oops. Did I type that?  

Path work continues between the new employee lodges and the farm.

Today we planted 5 trees in a couple different areas.  Three were planted on #10 on the far left of the approach to seal off the area that was also opened up after Hurricane Helene took down a couple trees during the September 2024 storm.  The view that was opened up across the stream is less than desirable and while this doesn't fix the situation immediately, it will in a few years.

Brush Mower

This coming season, we have a goal off keeping up better with weed growth, in the form of briars, on the edges of the golf course.  A recent purchase we made was this brush mower that will make that much easier for us to stay on top of them throughout the season.  We're using the new mower on a project we are working on today- creating a walk path from employee housing to the farm, so staff can safely walk to the Club without using the shoulder of the road.

Happoldt approves of this purchase.

USGA Green Section Record

 CLICK HERE to view the recent edition of the USGA's Green Section Record.

Friday

 

It's great to be back out on the golf course today!  On #11, we are cutting back Rhododendron that are taking over the stream on the left side of the cart path.  As you know, this has been a big effort of ours to keep our many water features from  becoming hidden due to excess shrub growth.

Below, we are installing silt fence according to plan to get ready for our dredging project to begin.

A Little More Snow and Ice...

We woke up this morning with the ground covered with snow and ice.  That doesn't stop Happoldt, who will chase his ball in all sorts of climatic conditions!  This minor snow event was unexpected and hopefully will be gone once the sun pokes through the clouds.  

Wednesday

Dredging (Club lake portion behind the LEC and Tennis courts) is still going to happen this winter!  In fact, equipment will start rolling in here Monday of next week.  Below the Hudson House, we created this 50' x 20' level gravel pad for the dredging equipment.  The large machine the dewaters the sediment and separates the material, will be parked on this gravel pad, leaving the asphalt parking lot open to hold the sediment before it can be hauled off site.  Tomorrow, we'll be installing two row of silt fence according to the plan and permit.

You can see what is left of the snow we received on Saturday.  Warmer days and a tenth of an inch of rain last night helped get rid of a lot of it, thankfully.

Above, we have a handful of trees we need to get off the golf course.  As mentioned before, we have our tree contractor but the tree on the ground and then our team cleans up the limbs and hauls off the trunk.

This week is the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, FL.  While I wasn't able to attend as planned due to the weather, Highlands CC's presence was there on this advertisement on the trade show floor.

7-Day Forecast

 

Warmer weather and a 70% chance of rain tomorrow will ensure a majority of the snow will be gone by the middle/end of the week!  That's a good thing because we are ready to be back out there!

Storm Totals

Saturday’s winter storm dumped about 8” of snow on the golf course. Saturday and Sunday were spent clearing roads and shoveling walkways around the campus. On Monday, we continue to do the same. The wind picked up Saturday night and so by Sunday, 3’ drift piles were common on some roads, particularly on the higher elevations like lower and upper brushy face.

Winter Storm Update

 

What started as 1-3" of snow prediction a few days ago, is now 5-9" of snow!  Looks like it will be an interesting weekend in Highlands.  Our plow is hooked up and ready to go and all club roads have been pre-treated with salt.

Dillard Road Guardrail

 

This morning, additional guardrail was added along Dillard Road, behind the 18th green.  This past season a Club member brought up the concern that golfers could potentially be in harms way because there was a 250' section of roadway that did not have a guardrail behind #18 green.  This section of road did not have a guardrail because the NCDOT has strict guidelines on what roads require guardrails.  They look at things like the slope off the edge of the road and whether not a vehicle could stop if it's driver failed to stay on the road.  The Club asked me to pursue this and I started with a contact I have at the DOT.  After the DOT approved the projects, I worked through a private contractor that works for the NCDOT, we were able to get this installed.  This spring, my team is planning to paint all of the guardrail along the Highlands CC corridor, black forest green so your eye isn't drawn to the reflective metal. 

Value of a Master Plan

 

Great piece on the value of a master plan written by Donald Ross author, Bradley Klein.  If you click on the image, you should be able to zoom in and read the article without any issues.

Snow Forecast

 

The forecast is calling for several inches of snow starting Friday evening into Saturday.

Winter Storm Watch

 

Another potential east coast snow event for this weekend.