#18 pond bank

A portion of the pond bank near #18 tee eroded into the water reservoir for the golf course. Last week we addressed the situation by adding crushed concrete into the void, covering the weak area with a landscape cloth and covering the entire bank with rip-rap stone. This should prevent any further damage.

Shade

Each spring we suffer  from shade issues in certain areas of the golf course.  Typically #5 fairway, #6 Fairway, #10 Approach and #13 Fairway are the last playing surfaces to green up in May.  These "weak" areas of the golf course don't receive the same quantity of sunlight through the winter months and the consequence is delayed spring green-up.  Here are a few pictures to depict these examples:



#6 Fairway...shade to the left

    

The angle of the Sun is flattened in the winter. It's peak is much lower than that of the Summer time.



#10 Approach...shade on the left

#13 fairway...shade on the right.  Notice how the shape of the Live Oak, mimics the shape of our weak area! 

Please compare the 11th tee with the above pictures.  This is the first place to green up each spring!

More on this to come in the future!



Venting

The weather has been mild this winter and we have been taking advantage of the increased temperatures.  Typically the spring time is the best time of year to grow roots in our putting surfaces.  One way to do this is by venting the greens and adding nutrients.  On Monday we vented greens, and today we are adding nutrients.  The increased temperatures will help develop new roots so our putting surfaces will be strong deep into the summer months.  The below pictures will show tiny holes that have little affect on the putting surface.

1/4" solid tine holes that let oxygen into the soil profile

The ball roll is unaffected by our venting practices

Welcome John Wilson

We had the pleasure of hosting our Greens Committee Chairman, John Wilson to our facility yesterday for the third Meet and Greet Session. John had the opportunity to relay his thoughts on the golf course and how we can improve an already great facility. We appreciated his candid responses and thoughts. The golf course maintenance team was engaging and we had a great conversation with him. Thank you Mr. Wilson.

Meet and Greet with Gary Beck

We had another Meet and Greet with Vice President Gary Beck on Thursday. Gary was able to relay his thoughts about the golf course and future of the Princess Anne facility. We had another great chat and we appreciate Mr. Beck's time at our shop.

Meet and Greet

Your Golf Course Maintenance Team started a new program to break down some of the barrier between the Membership and our Team. We invited President John Gibson to our facility and John had the opportunity to reflect on the importance of our daily tasks and what they mean to the golfer. After John portrayed his thoughts, our Team had the opportunity to ask John about issues that concerned the golf course, membership and the future of the Club. It was an informal way to hopefully bridge the gap and create a personal relationship. We appreciate John's time and candid reply to our questions. We will continue to bring Members into our facility for these relaxed sessions in order to further relay to our Team how vital their everyday tasks are to the Princess Anne Members!

John Gibson relaying his thoughts

Our Team listening to John's reply.

No sand yet.....

Yes...... getting the sand into the bunkers has been a "unique" experience!  Our backhoe is still down and currently in the shop getting fixed.  I sincerely apologize for this delay and I will keep you updated as I know more information.  Please contact me directly if you have any concerns!  Thank you for your patience!

Team Awards

Each year Team Members at the Princess Anne are recognized for achievement in their respective departments.  This year two people from the Golf Course Maintenance Team received recognition for their outstanding achievement.  They are as follows:

JASON PAGE

Iron Man Award

Jason can be seen each summer pulling a hose reel securing the integrity of our great putting surfaces.  He takes extensive pride in the moisture control and quality of each of our unique putting greens.  Jason is also proficient in hole location set-up, he is a spot on Greens mower, distributes essential nutrients to the putting greens, and can operate any piece of machinery we have.  Jason is into classic Rock and Roll and enjoys living near the oceanfront. Congratulations to Jason for his contributions!

CRAIG GREY

Behind the Scenes Team Player of the Year

Craig is one of two Team Members that keeps an eye on our Club grounds and surrounding areas.  He can be seen spraying weeds, trimming plant material, watering, and putting the extra touches on our facility.  Craig is originally from Jamaica, married, has a teenage son and most recently had another son this past year.  Congratulations Craig, we appreciate your efforts!

As our leader I appreciate ALL of the efforts of ALL of our team.  The Princess Anne is fortunate to have such caring people in this department that take such great pride in this facility.  The economy has not been kind to anyone, especially the golf industry, but our crowd has stayed strong though the ups and down of this time.  I feel honored to lead this group and know we will continue to raise the bar!  If you see one of our team members and feel inclined to say thank you.. please do so, it will go further than you think!  By the way, we have started a new "Meet and Greet" Program in our department..more to come later in the week.



Frozen ground

Unfortunately we were unable to mow greens this morning....... a couple of the greens were still frozen and we could not put the mowers on them due to the frozen ground.  I apologize for the inconvenience but we are only protecting your investment!  There will be fresh hole locations on all 18 greens today.  Enjoy your round!

Afternoon stroll...

Here are a few images I captured on my walk this afternoon throught the golf course.

#3

#5

#8

With the warmer weather this afternoon the ground was thawed enough to start setting hole locations for tomorrow's players.  We will also be able to mow greens tomorrow for the first time since the weekend.

Winter work

When the weather turns cold, we take time to power wash and wax all of our equipment to give it a clean look. This process also protects the equipment and insures it for future use....

Still green grass?

It's cold now but it has been a mild fall and early winter. The grass is not fully dormant yet..... We still have 8 weeks of winter weather, but if the warmer temperatures continue, it could make for a great spring! Let's hope mother nature cooperates.