John changing the hole location on hole 5

It was nice to see the sunshine again this week. Multiple players that traveled from the valley were especially happy to see the sun, as foggy conditions have been the norm for them during the last week and a half. The forecast for next week is looking pretty good as well, so book your tee time soon, as they may fill up quickly.

Jerry spiking/rolling 13 green

This week the greens were walk mowed (with groomers) and rolled (with spiker). The tees were mowed. Hole locations were changed a few times. The bunkers were raked. Portions of 7 and 18 approaches were aerated (areas that were soft during wet weather). Fairways on holes 1, 6, and 12 were sliced. The water spigot that serves the driving range shack was repaired and relocated closer to the building. Cart path edging was continued. The stumps on hole 4 were removed, and the area was capped with sand. Hazard communication training took place during our monthly safety meeting.

GCSAA Press Release

A few months ago I applied for a spot in the inaugural Melrose Leadership Academy Class. The Melrose Leadership Academy supports the professional development of GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America) member superintendents by providing individuals the opportunity to attend the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. While at the education conference, class members will attend sessions hosted by golf's industry leaders. They will also have the opportunity to network with GCSAA leadership, industry leaders, and certified superintendent peers.

The Melrose Leadership Academy was established in 2012 by Ken Melrose, retired CEO and chairman of the board of The Toro Co., and is supported by a $1 million gift to the EIFG (Environmental Institute for Golf) from the Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation.

I was one of the lucky 17 superintendents selected for this years Melrose Leadership Academy Class, which includes an all expense paid trip to the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. This years conference will be held in San Diego on February 4th-8th. I am really excited about being selected, and I am looking forward to representing Sandpines.

Jim mowing 3 green

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week. There have been frost delays daily, but that is a small price to pay for playing golf in the sunshine in the middle of January on the Oregon Coast. The course is really playing nicely right now. The forecast is showing plenty of sunshine, so come on out and enjoy a round during this fabulous stretch of weather.

Jerry slicing 18 fairway

This week the greens have been mowed and rolled, and are rolling great. We changed hole locations and moved tee markers multiple times this week. The collars were mowed. The bunkers were raked. Fairways on holes 3, 7, 9, 10, and 18 were sliced. We have exposed some more stumps on hole 4, and will be removing them soon. We are continuing to work on our MSDS audit during frost delays.

Hole 11

I have been hearing great things about the food at Tavolo, which is the restaurant at Sandpines. I can't hardly make it through the clubhouse without hearing about how great the food is from one person or another. Chef John is fairly new at Tavolo, and already he has been impressing a lot of folks with his creations. I have included the new Sunday Brunch Menu and Thursday night Karaoke Menu below to give you an idea of the type of food being served.

12 green getting some sun

It has been nice to see the sun today. The extended forecast is looking really good. Lots of sunshine, but a little cool at night. There will likely be some frost delays in the near future. Once the frost is gone however, the sunshine should make for some great golfing weather.

This week, the only mowing that took place was on the greens. The greens and approaches were fertilized.. We also changed hole locations a couple times, raked bunkers, raised a few low sprinkler heads, edged some more cart paths, removed a couple of stumps on hole 4, initiated our annual material safety data sheet (MSDS) audit, installed slicing knives on our pull behind aerator, and installed new 150 yard markers on the par 4's and par 5's.

New 150 yard marker on hole 7

14 green soaking up the sun this morning

The weather has been fantastic this week. Clear days this time of year tend to begin with frost delays, which was the case earlier in the week. However, today is the nicest day of the week, and play started on time. The high temperature for the day has reached 58 degrees so far (with no wind), which is just right for golfing.

Jim cutting 2x2's for traffic stakes

The frost delays earlier this week allowed us to complete some tasks in the shop. We worked on making more traffic stakes for the golf course, which are particularly important this time of year. We have also been prepping the rough mower decks for painting, which will make them last much longer. The rain gauge was cleaned up and had new batteries installed. Chain saws were sharpened. Bags stands for the driving range were stripped and painted.

View of hole 17 from behind 10 tees (zoomed in slightly)

On the course this week, the greens were mowed on Monday and rolled today, hole locations were changed daily (with the exception of Thursday), bunkers were raked, cart path edging was continued, cart paths were blown off, approaches were fertilized, tee divots were filled, and traffic stakes were moved as needed.

View from 7 green looking north

Thankfully, the weather forecast is looking pretty good for the next couple of weeks. I have a feeling there are many folks that have been waiting for some better weather to get out and play some golf. Looks like the wait is over. Come on out and enjoy a round.

Toro Workman in the shop for service and repair

This week, the greens have been mowed twice and rolled once. The grass growth has really slowed down, which is typical for this time of year with the short days and cooler temperatures. The bunkers were raked twice (except for those that are below the water table). We made some more progress on the cart path edging again this week. Traffic stakes were moved in order to vary traffic, which helps to minimize turf damage caused by maintenance equipment and golf carts. The power issue at the fuel island was resolved this week. We had been using a temporary solution in order to fuel equipment. A broken wire ended up being the cause of the problem. Peterson has the Toro Workman in the shop for servicing and repairs. Some of the items being addressed include: shift and brake cable replacement, corrosion removal, corrosion prevention, chassis cleaning, and brake system flush.

Buck on hole 13

This week on the course: the greens were mowed, cart path edging was continued, a few dangerous trees were removed, needles were blown off greens, branches and other tree debris were cleaned up, Ropes to control traffic were put up on holes 7 and 12. In the shop, Peterson has been working on replacing bearings and seals on the rough mower.

Steven cleaning up tree debris on hole 3

Tuesday, the annual Sandpines Christmas Party was held at Holiday Bowl. Its always fun to watch lousy bowlers (like me) and great bowlers (like Don Sloto) show their stuff. We enjoyed great company and food, which are the ingredients for a great party. Thanks Michael and Nancy for putting on a great party again this year.

Andrew rolls a beauty

Jerry mowing 8 green

If you were golfing at Sandpines on November 6th or 7th, you may have noticed a film crew out on the course. They were shooting video footage for some brand new Nike rain gear that has not been released yet. Most of the filming took place on the 7th hole. I was able to get some pictures of the filming process, but was asked by the producer not to post them until now. It is unclear whether or not the footage will be used in an actual television commercial. The main purpose of the shoot was to provide training materials for the Nike sales team to communicate the advantages of their new product. As I understand it, the product will hit the market sometime next year. If you see a commercial for Nike rain gear over the next year or so, take a close look and may just notice that it was filmed at Sandpines. There is more involved in the filming process than I would have imagined. It takes more people and time than I would have guessed. The pictures below give you an idea of what the filming process looked like.

Friday night, my wife and I hosted the annual Sandpines agronomy staff Christmas party. We look forward to the party every year. It gives me a chance to thank the agronomy staff for all their hard work throughout the year. It has become a tradition that I put together a slide show of pictures I have taken throughout the year and play them on a loop on our television. I think the guys really enjoy it. It also gives us a chance to show our spouses what we encounter out on the golf course. We also enjoy a potluck style meal with good food and drinks. The white elephant gift exchange always provides a lot of laughs, which we can usually thank Steven for. Below are a couple pictures from the party.