Norbeck Country Club
Golf Course Maintenance
December 12, 2017
Although the growing season is coming to a close, we are quite busy at golf maintenance. This winter we are planning tree pruning, stump removal, sanding bunkers, and the never ending job of splitting firewood for the fireplace and fire pit! Additionally we will be working behind the scenes planning for the spring season, and freshening our maintenance facility to create an even better workplace for our staff. Who says wintertime is easy?
We are very excited to see the "Reinvention" progress moving along well. The upgraded dining experience is going to make a tremendous impact on all members, and the golf swing simulator is going to be top notch. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these members from the swift enjoyment of their appointed rounds, at least in the golf lounge!
Double cups are installed on greens to help reduce traffic when conditions are cold and we can't change pins daily. As you play each hole, instead of placing the flagstick on the green to putt out, simply move it to the opposite hole. You can then putt out and the green is ready for the next group playing.
Mike Barillo and I will be working together in the winter months to reach out to members and thoroughly explain cart rules and golf etiquette. As our member family grows, it is even more important that players know how to enjoy the course and take care of it at the same time. Remember, it is a long standing golf tradition to leave the course in as good conditions as you found it.
Here is an article written about the Short Game Practice Facility. Take a few minutes to read this and get an idea how to best use this facility to improve your golf game.
Short Game Practice
Facility
Opened – July 15th,
2014
Our SGPF is now open for its third year. Parking areas are conveniently provided to allow players to easily bring all their clubs to practice. The SGPF is designed to provide opportunities to practice every different shot possible around the green, whether it is a 10 yard chip, a 15 yard flop, a 30 yard pitch, or a full 60 yard loft wedge! Players can choose different angles to carry over bunkers and rough hollows. We have one low rough hollow with a 5 ½’ deep bunker, one large 2 ½” deep greenside bunker to practice your sand game, and one shallow rough hollow to practice those tough “up and downs” that make or break a players score. Three different fairway areas provide all the angles and lies you will find on the golf course.
Our Green
and Grounds staff will set up the SGPF each morning in the same fashion that we
are preparing the golf course. The “new”
USGA specification practice green will have one flag on each tier. The “old” practice green will have numerous
small flags to putt to. The upper and
lower parking areas will have a box with seed and soil bottles provided for
players use. Each parking area has space
for 5 golf carts. Range balls are now provided for the SGPF, in
small quantities (no more than 8). This
prevents players from hitting shot after shot from the same area, quickly
reducing our SGPF to a divot filled mess.
Players will have a better
experience using their own balls to practice. It is always better for you to practice feel
around a green with the same ball you play with.
When using
the SGPF, it is important to remember that this is NOT A DRIVING RANGE. This is
an area designed for dynamic play to give golfers a “realistic” feel of the
game to improve their scores. The SGPF allows a player to hit a few shots to
their target, and then play out each shot as it landed. Players are expected to
fill their divots and fix ball marks as they play. If you want to hit stacks of balls to the
same target repetitively from one place you should be on the driving range, not
the SGPF.
COURTESY is paramount in using the SGPF. There is no difference between courtesy on the
golf course and the SGPF. If you want to
work on bunker shots, understand that you will be preventing players from
working on their 60 yard loft wedges. If
someone wants to hit some longer shots in, practice a few bunker shots, then
move to a different area to allow them a safe angle to the green. After they hit their shots and go to collect
their balls, head back into the bunker and hit a few more. Alternating areas and angles will allow
everyone to get the practice they need.
The key phrase to remember is “Practice
As You Play.”
Here are a few tips from the golf channel to make sure
you are getting the most from your short-game practice:
• Short game is all about feel. Practice developing feel
by moving around and trying different shots in a short-game practice area.
Avoid the temptation to unload a pile of golf balls from one location to one
target. If you’re limited to a confined location, try the ladder drill in the
short game area. The goal is to land several balls in a defined area by making
each shot land just past the previous. If you mess up, start over.
• Play the “up and down” game when you practice. Take
nine golf balls and spread them around the practice green in various locations.
The goal is to get each ball in the hole in two strokes or less. But instead of
hitting all the balls on the green and then making the putts, play each ball
out one at a time to simulate a real round of golf. Challenge yourself by
keeping score and try to break your personal record.
• Create competition whenever you can. Drag your golf
buddy out to the short-game area and challenge them to the “up and down” game
or the ladder drill. Anytime you can incorporate competition in your practice
you will benefit greatly on the course.
Most importantly Mike
Barillo and his professional staff are the BEST source for how to improve your game by using the SGPF. They will be able to give great practice
drills, lessons, clinics and pointers for all levels of players. They can also answer any questions you may
have about courtesy on the golf course and the SGPF.
The SGPF is
a large area encompassing 2 acres that can accommodate a LOT of players! There are 27,000
square feet of fairway and 50,000 square feet of rough to use. The additional new green gives players options
when sharing the SGPF to work on all aspects of the game. With a little common sense and camaraderie,
numerous players can get full use of this area at the same time.
