Watch That First Step

With the floor sinking a little bit every year, causing cracks, a severe slope, and unsafe footing, we have decided to remove the concrete floor in the Ladies' restroom at #5 on the Lake Course to find a solution and make it safe and comfortable.  A crew from the CI Buildings and Grounds department was in yesterday with an air hammer making a lot of noise and dust.  Today we will inspect the sub floor to see if we can determine why it keep sinking on this side but not on the Men's side.  We will then remedy the problem, add a new sub base and pour a new concrete floor.  The floor will not be painted this summer as the concrete cures over that time, but we will add mats for safety.

In the meantime, please use the Men's room on the other side and watch your step around the building.

Early May Updates

We're still in the "Herd of Speeding Turtles" mode here in WNY.  All greens have been aerified and topdressed but recovery has been slow due to low soil temperatures.  We have finally crept into the low 50's for soil temperature and should begin to see the fertilizer kick in to accelerate recovery.

The bridge on #15 Lake is nearly complete with only the stone work, landscaping, paving and staining to be completed.  As part of the project, we were able to both make the bridge wider and eliminate the abrupt ramps on each end of the old bridge resulting in a quieter and more comfortable ride.

As we do every spring, we are renovating a few bunkers in advance of the NJCAA National Championship.  Assistant superintendent, Bill Peterson, has already completed #9 Lake and is currently tackling the greenside bunkers on #2 Lake in an effort to improve drainage.

If you have been out to play lately, you may have noticed some white lines and arrows on the paths.  These indicate sections of paths that are scheduled for repair and another coat of blacktop for a smoother ride.

Hmmmmmm, Something's Missing

With the nasty weather we've been having, you probably haven't been out by #15 Lake in the last week, but if you have, you may have noticed that the bridge is missing.

No, it wasn't stolen, nor was it swept away by all the rain and melting snow. We have been wanting to renovate it for several years, but the right time never presented itself. Thanks to a generous gift from the Connolly family, that time is now. Improvements will be a wider, flatter and much more aesthetically pleasing bridge as well as a wider pond bank on which we will be able to add some nice landscaping.

As with any project, there will be a temporary inconvenience. Our inconvenience will be a re-routing of golf cart traffic around the other side of the pond. When taking this detour please be considerate of people teeing off at #16 and be careful of the wet areas. We will have a pre selected route marked out for you, but it will still be a little wet regardless of where you drive.

Thank you for your patience during this and all projects. You will like the finished product.


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Off Like a Herd of Speeding Turtles

It has been an unbelievable start to the golf season in 2016.  Cups changed and greens mowed twice before April 1st for the first time ever.  Golfers have burst out of the gates and some had several rounds played by the end of March.  It's always great to see the course being used at normally slow times.

The turf, on the other hand, hasn't been told that golf season has started.  The soil temperatures are still cool and well under what the grass prefers for growing, just now starting to green up and grow a little.  And that growth is about to come to a screeching halt if the 10 day forecast holds true.  Highs in the 20's and 30's and lows down to the teens early next week.  This should serve as a nice reminder that it is only early April here in Chautauqua County.

Good golfing weather will be here again before you know it but, for now, we are just a bunch of speeding turtles going nowhere fast.

And so it begins......

Today we were able to get our first roll and mow of 2016 done on the Lake Course.  That would make it the second earliest first mowing during my tenure here at Chautauqua Golf Club, trailing only March 16, 2012.  I thought we might have had a chance to beat that mark but last week's 24 hour soaker set us back several days.  Today was the perfect day for it.  The season is coming upon us quickly.  Are you ready?