Won't be long now

This was a strange week with both Chris and Will off on vacation. Luckily I am just as adept at talking to myself as anyone else so all was well. Whenever I would ask Simon about his habit of talking out loud to himself he would say "yes well I like to talk to really smart guy" and, I did, in fact, Skype with Simon while he was in Oxford, England this week. He was supposed to be wrapping up his work at a mini cooper plant and heading home yesterday. He hopes to get yet another visa for this country and start work on a Target distribution plant similar to the Walgreen's one he worked at in CT. I also had a couple conversations with Ellen and together we hashed out a great plan to incorporate the new forward tees. I ran the initial idea by the architect who is helping us construct them and he thought it was a good one. We then took it to the next level and actually set up the course on paper and gave each tee a corresponding yardage, of course some were estimated, and sent that off to Mark for approval. I will then propose it to the Committee and see if it flies


8th Tee



4th Green

Another example of why trees and grass do not mix

3rd Green see article HERE

As you can see in the pictures above from this week we still have snow in spots even after more than two inches of rain since last Friday. I was able to spend some time cleaning up the place and managed to get all greens blown off. I spent a little extra time on the par threes and other green surrounds as well as the 9th fairway. Yesterday I changed cups and rolled the greens getting the place open for business. Barry is in today, Saturday, to run through whatever bunkers do not have snow in them. The boys will be back next week and they can put a dent in some of the worst areas left so that by next weekend it will really look like a golf course again. I bailed to take advantage of the few remaining weekends we are not working and will start the clean up here. Next week is the New England Regional Turfgrass Conference and Show held annually in Providence, RI. I have seminars on Monday then Tuesday is the USGA, key note speaker and opening of the trade show. Will and Chris will come on Wednesday for a day trip and I return Thursday afternoon. So the focus for the next coming weeks is to get the course cleaned up and then try to get the next set of forward tees constructed before the real season of mowing etc. begins. Oh, in the picture of the third green there is a link to a blog post from Minnesota where Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh discusses the break of dormancy of annual bluegrass that I read this week and when I blew that green off it made me take a picture of a perfect example. I hope the picture captured the extreme color change of that back right corner which sits in the shade because of trees. Another example of why trees and grass do not mix.