Time flies when....

Many members have been gone for months, some are just leaving and still others are here year-round and playing the course. We should be in the dead of winter dealing with snow and freezing temperatures etc. This week we had our first real brush with winter. The temps were in the teens and things really locked up. It allowed us to start machinery preventative maintenance and catch up on year-end paperwork. but thankfully was short lived; yesterday was in the 40's and breezy so many greens thawed out on their own. Night time temps above 35 and predictions today of 50 so the beat goes on with this wacky mild winter.
We have had a tree company on property over the last couple weeks doing work for landowner views. Sometimes we get lucky and a tree that they are topping or want to remove will benefit us as well.

pines near yellow and white machine

pines were just to the left side blocking water

new location for material storage bins notice bright stumps

The pictures above do not do the view justice but you can see the light colored stumps in the photo showing the new site for material storage bins which we will move from the end of the first hole. This is being done over the coming weeks and will be a great improvement to the storing of materials. The current bins do not have a hard surface (concrete) under them so we constantly fight contamination of stones migrating up into our bunker sand, topdressing and divot mix. Some of the bins now are too small for large deliveries and we end up contaminating them just moving them into the bin. This new area will be close to our shop area and farther away from neighbors and the course itself. We were right on top of the second tee in it's present location. So now I am hoping this weather holds out long enough to allow us to prep this area and pour a concrete pad.
While the tree guys were here we contracted them for one day to clean up a couple trees on the edge of the roads that had become hazardous after a storm. We also took down some limbs on the right side of the first green. Odd to type "limbs" without a visual to appreciate this little project. Looking up into the air they are limbs hanging over the bunker and blocking the right half of the green on approach. Picking up the firewood left behind and needing the bobcat to lift them and filling the dump truck a couple of times gives a better indication as to the size of these "limbs or "branches".

look right behind worker in bucket. this is "before"

cleaning up the right side approach to the 1st green "During"

Again the pictures do not do the change justice. For anyone who has been on the right side of the fairway trying to get close to a pin on the right side of the green you will thank me the next time you play. Of course you may have forgotten this shot because you have spent the last few years avoiding the right side at all costs due to the degradation of that bunker and the awful lies you would get under "the lip". I believe the two changes (see here) will make a big difference as to how the first hole plays.
A couple of other exciting events over recent weeks was the delivery of two new mowers to test drive. Our business is unique in that we can take delivery of a piece of equipment worth anywhere from $10-$50,000 and keep it for a few days to run on the course and see how it performs. Try to get a BMW and Mercedes for a week to run them through their paces. We ran a straight up "Bobby Flay" style throw down where Kevin took one piece going backwards and I took the other going forwards. We met in the middle and then switched reversing directions so I cut the same things again with the other mower. I was impressed with both machines and found things I liked and disliked on each. Never an easy decision and one we do not take lightly when spending around $30,000 for a mower we will have for at least 7-10 years.

Deere vs Toro for green/tee surrounds

Another change to our equipment fleet came when Kevin's beloved Yamaha work cart gave up the ghost. I say Kevin's because we have switched to Clubcar Carryall maintenance carts but Kev asked that we keep one of the old Yamaha's as he finds them more comfortable. Luckily for Kev We had the last of the personal golf carts kicking around that it's owner, Gray Bryant, donated to turf maint. when he was required to get rid of it a few years back. We had been letting Chet use this cart as a beverage cart on the fourth hole the last couple summers. Will mounted the bed and decided to keep the sun roof on so now Kevin can limit his sun exposure as well as stay in his comfy Yamaha.

Will adding the bed to "Gray's cart"

On a personal note the word from Burlington VT, where "the boy" is continuing his employment with Nectar's this time in the original nightclub and not our famous MV locale (former Hot Tin Roof), is that he must be doing something right as he was named employee of the month. Many of you have watched Josh grow up so I thought I would take this opportunity to embarrass him while I still can. And since the picture they used on the poster is in front of the clubhouse deck during the first Obama visit.

Josh liven the dream