Monday, May 9, 2022

May 5,2022

How are we doing?

On Thursday April 21, 2022 the Green and Golf Committee sent out the following letter to the membership. Now we are a few weeks later and how are we doing as a membership? I do think the letter had an impact. Some golfers liked it, it bothered some but overall I think it had a positive impact on how we are starting to take better care of the golf courses. We are noticing less divots on the fairways and I see a lot of golfers bending over fixing their ball marks. One area we still need to do more work on is the Par 3 tees. Almost all golfers just fill the divot rather than retrieve it. If it is big enough to fly forward, please go get it and put it back. Thank you.


Dear Des Moines Golf and Country Club Member,

Every new golf season brings a different rendition of the Club’s Green and Golf Committee.  This year’s cast of members include a diverse set of individuals who have met a couple times now for regularly scheduled meetings.   Our goal is to provide the best experience for all members on the golf course.

The Green and Golf Committee primarily serves as a conduit between membership, the Board and senior staff.   Each of us being golf members and having many connections to others, things we’ve learned this early in the season include:

  • Like everyone else in the service industry, Scott, Rick and team are operating with fewer staff members.   Their focus is on tasks deemed critical like mowing, fertilization, weed control, etc.   “Nice to haves” are generally taking a back seat for now.
  • With the weather thus far, it’s no surprise that very little golf has been played.   Our round count for March came in at 134.   Even so, we’ve already seen (and heard) evidence that there are a lot of unrepaired ball marks, fairway divots and bunkers that go unraked. For whatever reason, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of tees lying around the past couple of years. These tees damage mower blades which also increases Club expenses.

We all agreed that members should take a proactive role in course care acting like owners, not renters.

  • Owners take pride in their club with an eye for small details. They respect other members and staff and take it upon themselves to care for Club facilities as if they were their own.
  • Renters are generally the polar opposite of owners. They think that caring for Club facilities is the job of someone else.

Moving forward, we owners need to do the following when it comes to golf course care:

  • Divots: replace all divots, especially on all Par 3 tees and fairways. Retrieve the divot, replace it and apply sand around the divot. If the divot is completely fractured, fill it level with sand.
  • Ball Marks: every shot that hits the green will leave some sort of ballmark. Search for yours and repair it.   Make it a golf to fix another while you’re at it.
  • Raking Bunkers: enter and exit bunkers on the the low side. Taking the steep route damages the turf. Rake the bunker smooth.
  • Tees: before leaving each tee box, look for extra tees lying around a pick up a couple.
  • Golf Carts: follow red stakes entering and exiting fairways. Cart path only on all Par 3 holes.

This will go a long way towards ensuring that we enjoy the best golf experience possible and have facilities that we’re all proud to show off.

Here a few video resources if you are unsure about what any of this means:

Your Green and Golf Committee will continue to focus on member care of the golf course.  Thank you and please do your part in making sure the entire membership can enjoy our fine golf courses.

 

Green and Golf Committee