Untitled Document

10/27/2011
The Golf Course Committee is seeking some new members for 2012.  
If anyone is interested, he/she should submit an application for Committee Membership
before year's end. 

It is a rewarding, fun, and interesting way to contribute to our wonderful community in 
general and the Golf Club in particular.  
We want you!  We need you!

The Golf Course Committee is always looking for ways to save water and decrease 
watering expenses, because of the frequent moratoriums and the continual rising 
cost of water.  One of the most important motions passed by the GCC, the 
Drill and Fill aerification and compaction relief system for the golf 
course fairways, was approved by the Master Board this month.  

The benefits will be that the salts and other toxic substances will be purged, 
and the grass roots will be able to grow deeper and receive more nutrients, 
water, and oxygen (the drill bits are over an inch in diameter and will go 
down about a foot). 

 Water will penetrate much further into the ground and excessive run-off will 
be drastically reduced.  The grass roots now are very shallow because of the 
hard soil, and much of the rain water or irrigation water is lost .  
The Drill and Fill is a very effective method of conserving and retaining water.  

This much needed project is slated for some time in December.  
The front nine will be closed for up to seven days, followed by the 
back nine which will also be closed for approximately seven days.  

Dates of the course closure will be posted on the website and at the golf casa 
as soon as they become available.  
A significant improvement should be seen in a few months!
October 7, 2011

Last week the three new trees planted by the mens' seventh tee were transplanted to the ladies' eighth tee area as planned. Many of the ladies are very happy to have some shade and protection by the bench there!

The recent varmint damage to several of the tee areas by crows, raccoons, and skunks has been curtailed by Glenn Foreman and his crew. Please thank them when you see them, because some of the turf was very badly torn up in spots.

A number of players have asked if the tournaments played on the temporary tees (in use now until October 24) count towards their handicaps; the answer is yes! There are still some golfers trying to complete their five official rounds by year end, and the games played on the temporary tees will definitely count.

There have been a few questions about the young trees planted between the second green and the third tee, because there are already several trees in that area. The reason they were planted there is to eventually replace the alders that have a brief life span. They will be filling in that space as the alders are dying.

At the last meeting of the Golf Course Committee the members discussed the recent priority list of the Landscape Committee as it pertains to the course. Two large out of play areas are on the list - the large turf area behind and left of the fourth green and the area behind and left of the sixteenth tee and green. Since we need to continue to conserve water, a number of drought tolerant plants are being considered for replacement of the turf.

The GCC recommends that water NOT be shut off in any of the out of play or out of bounds areas of the course. They will still be beautifully landscaped, of course, but will not require the large of amounts of water that the grass needs. The GCC also approved a motion to move the three newly planted trees that are behind the mens' #7 tee to the ladies' #8 tee and to replace a fallen tree behind the #7 green. These will provide shade and protection for the ladies at the "cage" by the #8 tee. This was the wrong type of tree to plant by the mens' #7 tee in the first place.

Quite a few golfers have commented about how great the course is looking in August! The aeration scheduled for this month was not needed because the salt levels are low and the greens are healthy. Many players continue to applaud Glenn Foreman and his men for proper cart sign placement, putting out the filled sand scoops on tournament days, and trying to keep up with the damage caused by crows pecking and tearing up the turf. The men are working to repair recent ruts near some of the tees and greens in the very soft areas caused by heavy watering and fertilizing. Single rider carts have caused some of the damage, and again we urge all of you with ANY carts to steer clear of the tees and greens as much as possible. And please don't pull or drive any cart between the bunkers and greens! It is easy to have fun out there while still protecting our course.

7/15/2011

There still seem to be some problems regarding the single rider golf carts. They are not permitted on the sidewalks near the golf casa or on the sidewalks behind the clubhouse. The reason for this is that there have been a number of close calls with pedestrians. All single rider carts must enter and exit the golf course from the end of the clubhouse parking lot near the mailbox. If anyone sees a cart on the sidewalks, it should now be reported to security with the name of the driver and/or the decal number if possible. And again, thank you to all the riders who follow the rules - it really does matter for the safety of others.

The additional 33 trees should be planted on the course this month, and will contribute to enhancing our beautiful facility.

The rebuilding of the number 1 tee and the number 5 men's tee is scheduled for August. We apologize for any inconvenience this may temporarily cause.

Glenn Foreman and his men have been diligent in placing the filled sand scoops out by every tee on any tournament day. This has been very helpful in prompting players to fill their divots, and should be very beneficial over time. Please fill your divots on the tee (and at least one other too)!

A number of golfers have asked about the new round white markers in the fairways on some of the longer holes. These are 50 yard markers to go along with the red 100 yard markers. Many players have found them to be very helpful in trying to judge their approach shots to the greens.

The Golf Course Committee approved three motions for bettering the course: adding an additional 33 trees, improving the first tee area and the men's fifth tee, and performing a drill and fill on the fairways to improve water penetration and retention as well as allowing the grass roots to grow deeper. The Master Board will make the final decision on the motions.

The first set of new trees have been planted and are doing well. If your ball lies near one of the new plantings, be aware that you get a free drop away from the new tree (just as if you were in a tree well) if you can't swing without hitting the tree. Please don't damage the young plants.

The driving cages are being assessed for necessary upgrades, as a number of players have made a few suggestions for improvement.

The Golf Club and the Golf Course Committee have requested that players be more diligent when leaving the tee area. Many players forget to make the effort to use the sand scoops to repair divots on the tee. PLEASE take a few extra seconds to fill your divots, and just as you should on the green: repair yours and one other! If you leave a full sand scoop by the tee, the players behind you are more likely to use it when needed. If you are playing in an early group, it would be especially helpful to put out the full sand scoops next to the tees - and a BIG thank you to those of you who already do this!

New trees should be appearing on the golf course soon! Everyone has been looking forward to this for some time. The trees will not only help the course look more lush and beautiful, but will help provide shade at some tee areas, and also act as barriers for protection from errant golf balls in other spots.

We are also closer to a reclaimed water program at OHCC, although it is still a few years away. This will be of great benefit! Anyone with questions about this should contact Skip Hayden.

Recently there were some questions from some residents about two-person golf carts on the course. Although these are not allowed for regular play, they are used occasionally in the shotgun tournaments for transporting players to the outlying holes. Residents who live on or near the course should not be alarmed at these times but can always contact Security if there is a question or concern about a two-person cart on the course.

Single Rider Golf Cart owners are being reminded to observe the rules regarding where the carts can and cannot be driven. The Single Rider Carts are to be kept away from the greens, not driven between the bunkers and greens, and should avoid any "ground under repair" areas if at all possible. Entrance and exit of the golf course is by the path at the end of the clubhouse parking lot. Single Rider Carts are not to be driven on any sidewalks.

Unfortunately, some continue to abuse their privilege of access to the course. But many thanks to those riders who have been following the regulations for the safety of others and the preservation of our beautiful golf facility!

On thursday January 27 the Golf Course Committee met and discussed possible tree additions, especially in the areas where some of the trees have had to be removed. Any suggestions for the placement of new trees should be forwarded to a Golf Course Committee member as soon as possible.

There was also a discussion and recommendation for extending the concrete path from the golf cart parking area to the parking lot at the clubhouse. This area has become more and more traveled by the regular golf carts and the single rider playing carts.

Just to clarify rules violations on the course...any rules violations during tournament play should be reported to the tournament chair. Any safety issues should, of course, be reported to Security immediately. Other situations like carts on the greens or improper attire should be reported to HOA.

Everyone's patience is much appreciated with the many golf course closures. After more than ten inches of rain - and more expected - the course, especially the greens, is very saturated. Who has been wishing hard for water hazards?

Any Golf Club members with questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the golf course can contact Sally Palmer at (760)940-1321.

Recently there have been a number of comments about how good the course is looking - greens, fairways, tee boxes, out-of-bounds areas, etc.

Glenn Foreman and his men have been working hard with a little help from the rains! Thank them when you get an opportunity!

Just a reminder - any security or rule breaches on the course should be reported to the Home Owners Association. Report all pertinent information available, such as name(s), infraction, date, witnesses.

The Golf Course Committee met again on Thursday, after a 2 month layoff and several items were discussed.

Tom Hogan, the Landscape Manager discussed the Landscape long term plan and he believes the moratorium on planting will soon be over. Location and type of new trees to be planted on the course were brought up but decisions will wait until the go-ahead is given to start planting. The bare patches in the red apple hill sides should also be repaired when the moratorium is lifted.

Glenn Foreman, the course superintendant, explained the need for 6 greens aerations a year (1 x 7/8'' tine to depth of 12" with sand - and 5 x 3/8" tine to depth of 4"). The aerations take place from April to September and some take place only 3 weeks apart. Glenn was also asked that his staff trim the course perimeter and replace/re-align OB stakes on a regular schedule. This particularly affects holes 12 and 14.

Skip Hayden brought us up-to-date on the Landscape Committee and the fact that they had received revised information from Valley Crest and that the Landscape Committee would be discussing it in the near future. Skip is involved in the research to find much-needed ground water on OHCC property and diverting it for watering all over the community. An engineer has been hired to study the amount and viability of the water.

The rakes are being shortened to make them easier to handle. If that does not work, new rakes will have to be be purchased at a cost close to $1000!!

Now is the time to apply for the Golf Course Committee. Applications can be obtained from the Front desk in the Clubhouse. We need new members - please apply!!

We are working on the OB stakes being correctly aligned and out of the ground cover. Maintenance has purchased more stakes and locations will be monitored.

There should also be some improvement on the bunker to the left of the 9th green - clearer definition etc.

There has been discussion on purchasing new, lighter bunker rakes - should be resolved at next month's meeting. A reminder: Rakes should be replaced just inside the bunker - please do not throw them into the middle of the bunker.

Because of the planting moratorium, some ugly bare patches have been appearing in the hillsides ground cover, with no replanting in sight. Hopefully, that is being resolved and we may see some work on those patches within the next 4-6 weeks. New tree locations are a continuing discussion but nothing is concrete until the end of the planting moratorium! The landscape company advising the OHCC Master Board on the whole village landscaping (including the course) is still preparing its report.

Don't forget - Let a Golf Course Committee member know if you have any course concerns.

The course looks LOVELY because of all the rain! If you have not been out there lately to play, you are missing a treat!

Please Note: For maintenance purposes, the front 9 will be closed on April 1st and the back 9 will be closed April 2nd.

Water statistics: Since January 1st, Tom Hogan reports the course has received 6.98" of rain, well over the average. He also notes that when watering figures are quoted for the golf course, the amounts include the pool and the RV lot usage, sometimes as much as 25%.

Tee re-building: Look out for temporary tees on # 8 - men and ladies' tees and #18 - ladies' tee. Rebuilding of those tees should begin sometime during the month of March.

Air Hose: The air hose rack will be repaired and replaced, and perhaps a 'shelf' put there, where shoes can be placed while cleaning up.

The Landscape Committee, among many other non-course responsibilities, is looking at water retention sources on the course. Still in the discussion phase but will try and update with specifics when we know more.