Dark Start

Getting the course ready for play each day is tough this time of year.  Last month, we could see what we were doing at 5:45AM.  Now it's after 6:30AM before we can find our way around.  We had almost 10 extra staff just over a month ago, but those guys are back in school now.  Another "bonus" we get in late September is leaves and pine needles.  We have to clean that stuff off of greens and tees before we can mow.  When the clocks roll back in early November, the morning daylight challenge will go away.  However, we will then be faced with regular frost delays and/or leaf clean up that must happen ahead of play.  Our goal is to try and stay ahead of a 3 hour round of golf.  That means asking the first group, or golfer, to pace themselves.  We are skimping on what we get done ahead of play right now as it takes everyone we have just to do the basics of mowing greens and course set up ahead of play.  Bunkers have taken a hit as they often do during this time of year.  When the zoysia stops growing it will free up some of our staff to focus on other things, like bunkers and leaves.  Staffing up would be a big budget challenge as would adding more equipment.  We hope you'll understand that we are working harder than ever, even though it may not always show.  It's a tricky time of year, but golf is great and we hope everyone plays a lot this Fall.   

Foggy start last Friday

Raking bunkers with flashlights and headlights from the cart

Last year we used walk mowers and had to wait much later to start.
The riding mowers let us start much sooner.  We start as soon 
as we are allowed....6:00AM

I don't know who this is or what they are doing, but it's about 6:15 AM 
and they are doing the best they can.