As winter shifted to spring, the turf on the golf course required attention that pulled labor away from the many projects and improvements we've been working on this past winter. Now that we are in full growth mode, there is very little time and labor available for extra projects. However, there are a couple projects that we will be finishing up in the next week. Here is an example of 2 of several projects.
Above, on #16, we are going to better define the creek the runs through the wildflower meadow. The log that lays across this area, allows sediment and debris to collect, often times clogging up the creek causing the area to flood. We will be cutting out a section of the log where the water flows and then defining the creek itself. It's my hope that it visually enhances the area and also allows it to function better.
Below, on #17, we cut back some rhododendron to expose the ditch that runs down the left of the hole. This ditch is vital because it catches all of the water coming off of Moorewood Road. The water runs down the ditch and into a culvert the runs under the 17th fairway. However, the ditch has always been an eyesore. We needed to cut the rhododendron back in order to clean it out. If the ditch isn't cleaned out annually, each time it rains, sediment and leaves spew across #17 fairway. I developed a solution. We are going to extend the 15" culvert in to woods also install a 'T' on the culvert allowing us to run it up the hill to the top of the hill and collect water there, rather than the bottom. This will allow us to fill the entire area in and grass it. It will fix this eyesore once and for all. 100 feet of 15" pipe and fittings are scheduled for delivery, tomorrow.
Thank you for your patience while we finish up these small projects. To me, these are the types of details that continue to make HCC a better golf course. With a current staff of 17 people, most team members are focused on the day to day necessary maintenance of the golf course. I can't pull them off the golf course to work on other projects without the golf experience suffering. Therefore, we work on these types of tasks as time permits. If staff and resources were unlimited, I can assure this would have been done long ago.