Monday Tree Work

 

This morning, Young Tree Service is on site working on 2 trees above the stone patio at the Clubhouse.  There is a large dead limb in one of the trees as well as unsightly sucker growth coming from a number of areas on the trunks of each tree.  Oak trees are notorious for this growth and about every other year, we make an effort to remove them from the key Oak trees on the campus.

Rain Totals for 2025

This summer has been very unusual.  The temperatures and humidity have been much higher than usual and rainfall over the past three weeks seems to be a daily occurrence.  Here is what the numbers say...

Year-to-date, we've had 45.6" of rain.  If you extrapolate that over the period of a year (assuming the trend continues), it works out to 78.17" of rain, which would be considered a drought year.  However, we still have the autumn months ahead and it always seems like historically, our larger rain events occur during that season. 

From a golf course perspective, it's been too wet over the past month.  Looking back over the season, our irrigation system got it's fair share of use but, the rain events we had during the early part of the summer were spaced out nicely, giving the perception that we've had plenty of rain.  But again, the numbers don't lie and we are in a slight drought.  An "average year" of  96" of rain, we would normally have an additional 10" of rain by now.  With the climate changing, there's no question that 'normal' or 'average' is relevant anymore. While the reason for the climate change is up for debate, Highlands weather is much different than it was 25 years ago.  The all-day rains and steady afternoon showers have been replaced with constant severe storms.  We still get the rain totals that designate this area a temperate rain forest, but the type of rain we get is far different from the past.  The temperatures speak for themselves.  Even some of the pest problems we see on the golf course are different today compared to 25 years ago.  

Great Photo of Our Osprey

 

Our resident Osprey scored a solid lunch this afternoon!

USGA Green Section Record

CLICK HERE to read the latest edition of the USGA Green Section Record

Pumpstation Work

I reported last week that one of our irrigation pumps went down because of a broken pump shaft.  The good news is, we haven't needed much irrigation water this summer and when we did, we still have two other pumps that can carry us just fine.  Today, we had a crane lift the pump out of the pumpstation, where it is being hauled off to be repaired.  In a couple weeks, it will be back and running like it always has!

Summer Weather

They don't call them the 'dog days of summer' for nothing!  2025 is going to go down as one of the warmest summers on record with extreme humidity and daily gully-washer rain events!  It has been a challenge for Superintendents everywhere and several that I've spoken to have said many Clubs are struggling to keep turf.  Armyworms, a pest that is rarely ever seen in the mountains, has been reported on several locations and it's not even August!  Many courses off the mountain, are even closing several days a week because the putting green turf is so fragile and can't withstand the traffic.

Practice tee divots are washed out again.

With the constant heavy rains, James is having to fill divots on the practice tee 3 and sometimes 4 times before we get germination.  Because of the humidity, our fungicide applications on fairways and in the rough are so short lived because the disease pressure is that high.  Today, we are spraying fairways again because I am seeing a lot of brown patch break through.  Our rough mowers are doing the best they can but as wet as it is, it's difficult to not leave a tire track here and there.  This afternoon, we'll have a team of 8 workers, armed with push mowers, mowing a lot of the rough on several holes that we simply cannot get to with heavier equipment.  These are a few examples of how the weather affects the work we do and you can see how weather patterns like this require more resources.  The good news is, we got this!  Before you know it, fall will be here and the humidity will drop, which allows us the ability to provide the best golfing conditions!

We lost a smaller size tree on #12 during last night's storm.

If you look closely, you can see two circles in the turf.  That is the beginning stages of brown patch.

7-Day Forecast

More rain in the forecast although the temperatures are trending in the right direction.

Last night we received 1.75" of rain.  The golf course is extremely wet!  It will more than likely remain cart path only through the entire day.  We reaching a point where the golf course can't take much more water!

Highlands News

During the first week of August, if you follow Highlands news by way of print media or online, you will see that after 14 years of serving as a town commissioner, I am stepping away from that role.  President Jackson and I talked about this and while this isn't a major news story, it's important to stay ahead of it for a number of reasons.  A blog post was one way we decided to do that.

Hilary and I are blessed to have Highlands CC as part of our life.  This Club has given me and my family so much and I'm certain we continue to give much in return.  We know this is where we want to be; this is home and we'll continue to be here well into the future.  Along those lines, we recently decided to purchase a new home in Highlands.  This home will suit our needs for many years to come and is even closer to the Club than our current Mirror Lake home.  We put our home on the market and it sold in the first week.  As you can imagine, this set this process into motion very quickly and now that the due diligence is over on both homes, the sale is pending.

Our new home on Mountain Laurel Drive, is just outside of town limits.  Elected Commissioners must live within town limits.  After August 22nd, we will no longer be living in the city limits and the reason why I can no longer serve.  Again, after 14 years, I know I served the residents of this community the best I could and we got a lot accomplished.  But I will still be involved by seeing the Playground Project to completion and also chairing the Town of Highlands Scholarship Golf Tournament in the future.  I also serve on the Highlands-Cashier Hospital Board of Trustees.  My involvement with those events and organizations will continue.  But in the meantime, we are very excited about this next little chapter in our lives!  

#16 Green Surround

One area of the golf course that's been a challenge this year is the turf behind #16 green, in the rough, where you walk from the cart path to the green.  Since the rhododendron were removed last winter, the water flow has changed a bit.  We built the area up with several inches of sand, which helped, but there is still too much water coming down that hillside.  We also discovered some gutter drains from nearby homes that are compounding the issue.  Because of this, we are putting in a French drain. The term 'French drain' is often misused.  A true French drain is one that the gravel comes up to the surface.  Our goal is to try to collect the sheet flow of water that's making the area so wet.  Once we know we accomplished that, we will sod over the drain lines after installing a basin or two to collect water.  Please be advised that this is a temporary fix to see if it is effective at drying out the back of the green complex.

Bear on #5 this Afternoon…

A large Black Bear spent the afternoon enjoying some apples along the 5th hole this afternoon. These photos where part of a video taken by one of our greenkeepers, Chris Chavez.

Lost Ball

Believe it or not, this golf ball was sitting 8' up in a Rhododendron next to the 9th green!  To protect the owner, I will not be releasing the initials on the golf ball for all to see! :)

Sunday Morning Sunrise

Michael Green, one of the key players on our team, took this photo of the Sunrise on #18!

Why do Tour Pros use a towel to practice putting?

CLICK HERE!  for a Golf Digest article on why tour pros use a towel when they practice putting…

Reusable Water Containers

Click Here for a brief video on new water container options at Highlands CC!  Great move by our Golf Professional Staff to do our part for the environment and also save resources spent on endless bottles of water that end up in landfills. 

Dillard Road Construction

From the Rabun County Historical Society, prison inmates prepare the road that would become Dillard Road, Highway 106 to Highlands CC!