Merry Christmas! As the prime rib cooks I thought i'd give a final 2016 update.  Seventeen tee is done and just in the nick of time.  The complex turned out beautiful and makes the course more playable for all.  Our crew is just about sodded out as the last bit was installed on maybe the coldest day of the coming winter last week.  We have an new lawn around much of the clubhouse which should add to your enjoyment during summer activities.

A brand new lawn to be enjoyed in 2017.

An almost completed 17th tee.  Added length from the gold and shorter from the forward tees should be appealing to all. 

In need of golf balls?  Check out the newly cleaned creek on seven and eight.  The guys wrapped this  up on Friday before Christmas.

"Winter Red" deciduous hollies starting to show their berries for the first time since installation.

Winter arrived early and slowed down some of our projects.  Weather permitting the construction of the 17th tee and coinciding lake work will be completed this week.  Cold weather has shut down greens 3,4 and 5 for the season.  These will be covered next week.  Final fungicide applications to all greens, tees and fairways were applied last week ending any mowing until next spring.  The course is finally moist from the recent rains so the irrigation system has been drained and will be winterized soon.

The end wall form is set and ready for concrete.

Placing topsoil around the new tee.  Irrigation will be installed Tuesday followed by final grading and sod installation.

Our staff adding some long overdue drainage by the 7th green tee.

No more puddle!

Blowing leaves from fairways before spraying.

The last major leaf work of the year on Monday.

Temporary green and leaves!

Rain and cooler weather have finally arrived.  Most of the leaves are down so we hope to wrap them up this week. Haha! It seems the leaves are never done.  Windy conditions have tested our staff as well as a welcome rain event.  We laid almost half an acre of fescue sod around the weather.  The 17th tee project is going well.  With rain forecast for much of the coming week it will be interesting to see what gets accomplished.

Before tee construction began we chose to relocate the birch tree to the other side of the pond.

Sod from the 17th tee now on the 4th forward tee.  This will be covered for the winter and remain closed until spring.

Tee construction underway.

The majority of the soil for the tees was generated from the 4th hole.  A new concrete end wall will be added to the existing drain pipe.  This entire area will be sodded and maintained at rough height.

Preparing for new rough on the 17th hole.  Weather will dictate how much more we can do.  So far we have laid nearly two acres!

Leaf work is a daily chore.  The wood chip areas are ideal for moving leaves into and then mulching.

Ducks have arrived in our ponds but no sign yet of you know who.  I'm gonna give Jack credit!  I counted 36 mallards and nine hooded mergansers the other day.