Golf Course Update
Our staff has been very busy cleaning up tree debris after a tough winter. Not only did we lose 14 trees in the 3 day windstorm; we also lost a lot of branches after the 8" of wet snow. It was quite disheartening so see the course when everything melted and it was covered with new branches that snapped off because the snow was so heavy. We have worked our way around the course and have removed almost all the large branches, and are well on our way cleaning up the smaller debris. Thank you for your patience as we work through another curveball thrown by Mother Nature!
Here are some (not so fun!) facts about our clean up efforts. It has taken about 4 weeks to remove the large limbs and trees from the course. In that time, we have filled seven 30 yard dumpsters with logs alone from the trees. We had to buy a new set of forks for our skid loader, because the weight of all the logs broke our old forks! The clean up of the larger debris cost well over $18,000 for the windstorm alone, not to mention the snow. I want to give a big shout out to our staff, who has tackled this herculean task, and also to our management at ClubCorp, who have provided the resources to get the course back together in a timely manner. It really takes a team to get things done, and there is no better team than ours!
On a better note, greens aerification was a huge success. We did have light rains which slowed the process down, but the sand was spread quite evenly throughout the greens. Once the weather warms up the greens will heal quite quickly. Tee aerification is scheduled for April 16th and 17th. We will core aerify, topdress, and seed tees this spring. Players may see a few temporary tees on the days we are working, but otherwise the impact to play will be minimal. We will solid tine fairways, approaches and chipping areas this spring. Solid tining is a simple process that creates a hole without disturbing the soil. It is still effective though core aerification is always preferred, but has virtually no cleanup, and will help us catch up on our work from all the tree damage we had this winter.
On a better note, greens aerification was a huge success. We did have light rains which slowed the process down, but the sand was spread quite evenly throughout the greens. Once the weather warms up the greens will heal quite quickly. Tee aerification is scheduled for April 16th and 17th. We will core aerify, topdress, and seed tees this spring. Players may see a few temporary tees on the days we are working, but otherwise the impact to play will be minimal. We will solid tine fairways, approaches and chipping areas this spring. Solid tining is a simple process that creates a hole without disturbing the soil. It is still effective though core aerification is always preferred, but has virtually no cleanup, and will help us catch up on our work from all the tree damage we had this winter.
As we start the spring season, it is always humbling to realize the impact the great game of golf has on all our lives. For our employee partners, golf brings members together, providing our livelihood and a fantastic place to work. For members, golf reaffirms our old friendships, introduces new friends and valuable business opportunities to better succeed and thrive every day. One of the most beautiful facets of our game is when someone new falls in love with golf. Two years ago, two junior players joined Norbeck and started the game with their father. Evan (11 years old) and Owen (7 years old) began by walking 4 holes in the afternoons on weekdays and weekends. Last year Evan got his first birdie on Hole #6, and this year Owen got his first birdie on Hole #16! Norbeck will always be a special place for these two young gentlemen, and we are so proud to have been a part of this landmark in their lives. Way to go, and keep playing boys!
