The new tees on #13 and #16 are growing in and looking like they've always been there. In the next 2 weeks, we will be aerating the tee boxes with new sod on them. The goal is to get some of the sod layer out before the season really gets going.
The quality of golf course is largely dependent upon good infrastructure. We are blessed with a great 1928 Donald Ross golf course but unfortunately, with age, comes the need to replace infrastructure like irrigation, drainage and culverts like the one you see above. A lot of these projects have to completed, but it's often a hard sell because it's not a fun new project, like building a new tee or a practice facility renovation that directly benefits the membership. I like to think of it like putting a new roof on your house. No one gets excited to do that project but if you don't, bigger problems will persist down the road. We have a number of holes with drainage culverts like this one. This pipes could have been installed as early as the 1940's, and time has not been kind to these steel culverts. When they rust like this, the ground above begins to cavitate and it's a recipe for someone getting hurt by stepping in a hole. On top of that, water is no longer contained in the pipe and ultimately will follow the path of least resistance. At the Club, holes #2, #5, #12 and #15 all have culvert pipes that are in similar or worse condition than the one in the photo. The Green Committee is working hard to prioritize golf course projects for the next five years and they will likely include a mix of "fun" projects identified on our Ron Forse master plan and these "not so much fun" infrastructure-like projects. By balancing the two types of projects, we'll be sure to meet our objectives over the next few years.
The Bluets along pond and creek banks are putting on quite the show right now! This photo was taken below the bridge on #13, below the tees.