January is rolling right along with some really nice spring like weather.  Our crew continues to prepare for the coming season but great weather shifts our focus to mowing greens, raking bunkers, changing hole locations, and rolling greens!  That's crazy!  No complaints here though as there is still plenty of winter ahead.  We've had quite a few guys sick the past few weeks.  In addition one of our guys broke his knee and will be out of work for a while so we are a little short handed.  With most of our crew taking vacation at this time an early spring could hold up some of our winter projects.  

Spring like temperatures are promoting some nice color in our fairways.

January 25th and daffodils are beginning to emerge.

Raking bunkers in January at the fifth green-usually the coldest spot on the course.

The new sod continues to peg down nicely with the mild temperatures.

Over an inch and a half of rain on Monday and we are playing golf on Wednesday-in January!  Lots of branches down throughout the course but no trees.

This fencing was put over the steep slope at three lake to prevent erosion until the sod has successfully rooted.  After the heavy rain everything was still in place!

Relocating tee signs and ball washers that will include memorial benches encompassed in the same mulched bed.

Crows have been a royal pain in the rear.  Here our headless hitchhiker scarecrow keeps watch near the first green.  

This guy reminds me of the scarecrows from the original Planet of the Apes movie.

Happy New Year! What a nice surprise we had today.  Seventy degrees on January 12th is an unexpected bonus and we were happy to see so many golfers enjoying the course.  We have been able to accomplish quite a bit so far this year.  Taking advantage of the frigid temperatures we contracted some tree removal on Monday and Tuesday before we thawed out.  Pond and creek work continues as well.

Part of our crew cutting back brush on the fourth hole.  We are well ahead of this work compared to 

last year.

Removal of a dead oak next to the sixth tee and pretty tricky with power lines and the tee nearby.

Finally some wood has been split from the removals.  Free to our membership it may be picked up in the woods near the twelfth green.

Monday was an "interesting" day where not much was accomplished thanks to losing power right at start time.  Without power and no heat our crew only worked a half day.  At one time we had nine Dominion Power trucks at our shop.  It was finally restored at 3:30.

The newly sodded areas are rooting in nicely.  Here nice white roots are beginning to peg into the soil at the 17th tee.

Crows have been a real problem recently.  Hundreds upon hundreds have descended on our property  eerily reminiscent of Hitchcock's The Birds.

Crow damage to the first green.