How Far We Have Come

Often, people forget what things used to look like “back in the old days,” and why we have done so much to renovate our course and clubhouse here at Cress Creek Country Club. I was going through some pictures recently, and thought I should bring back some memories that our longer-tenured members might remember and enjoy. And, show some of our newer members how much we have changed.

Welcome to Cress Creek Country Club

This was the view as you came up the front drive when I first took the job in 1994.

Once you arrived, the Pro Shop entrance was in the back.

I used to like to step back and really take in the beauty of the back entrance to the Pro Shop.

While members enjoyed the golf, they used to send their kids over to the pool. Yes, Coach Rob could be found there coaching some of his swimmers.

You will notice there are some swimmers in the pool picture. I remember how proud we were of the shade awning on the right.

One of my happier days was when we removed the snack shack. It was a shame to loose that wooden shade awning that the customers enjoyed.

While the work on the new clubhouse was going on, it became very apparent the drainage in the bunkers had stopped working.

Francisco Garcia was always willing to help pump them out.

People often complain today about clear shots to the greens; well we didn’t seem to mind them as much back then. Two of the bunkers that made me sick just to be near were the two fairway bunkers on the left on hole #2.

Not everyone wanted to change the bunkers. The ducks were always ready for fun.

You had to careful of falling trees as you played. Wind and willows don’t mix!

After a round of golf, you could always enjoy a good time in the men’s grill. People forget what a real card room looks like.

Our algae was so strong back then it could grow through the ice!

I have not included any “after pictures” because we know how things look today. Thanks to the men and women who made all of this possible.

Winter Work - Still a Busy Time

Over the course of my 15 years here at Cress Creek Country Club, I have been asked many types of questions, good ones, helpful ones and the occasional silly one. Without a doubt the number one question I receive is “what do you do during the winter.” While some think we play gin rummy all day, we really are just as busy as in summer. The nice thing is we may get a little vacation time in.

All the snow plowing for the Club’s winter events is done in house by the Grounds Crew. This can make for some late nights. We have been lucky lately with the snow falling mostly during the day.

Our days our filled mostly by repairing and rebuilding every piece of equipment we own, from equipment to ball washers, to the complete overhauling of a fairway mower. The mower below is getting a rebuild.

Below is a photo of Phil Kassinger getting a mower blade ready for sharpening. Our mowers are set to thousandths of an inch to give the precise cut needed for greens, tees, and fairways.

Below is a picture of Lalo Garcia sanding all the ball washers for Guadalupe Gonzalez to prime and paint. You will see we set up a temporary painting booth.

The past two winters have been extraordinarily difficult with tree removal. Last year we removed trees for the renovation of the golf course. This year we have been working on removing ash trees ahead of the emerald ash borer that is within one mile of Cress Creek. The effect of the ash borer can be seen in the picture below. The area is in front of the Jewel store on Ogden, across from the main Post Office.

Interestingly, I was the person who spotted the affected trees and notified the city. I had seen so many trees at “ground zero” in Michigan, that I knew the signs of an attacked tree right away. If you see an ash tree with dying upper branches or with a D shaped hole the size of a pencil eraser on the trunk at waist to neck height, chances are you have spotted an ash with emerald ash borer. There are 53,000 ash trees in Naperville. Soon, glorious trees in our area will be coming down on a daily basis. Our department has researched this subject aggressively. The reports vary widely. One professor from Illinois feels that there will not be an ash tree standing in North America in ten years.

Below is a log picker that hauls away the ash logs at no charge to us. Only certain companies are licensed with the counties and state to accept this wood.

Wes Munson (a member of the Grounds Committee) and I went around the course this fall and selected some key ash trees that could be treated, with the hope that they could survive this attack. Our hope is that, if we treat for ten years, the borer will do its damage in the area and have moved on. Additionally, this will give us time to plant other types of trees in key areas. Note that the cost of treating all the trees is prohibitive for us.

Below, Ted, our course dog, keeps a close eye on Andy Perry, (left) and Justin Kirtland (right) as they paint the tee markers before they go out later to work on the trees. Note the dedication, care and precision they are demonstrating!

We hope this blog will allow the Grounds Department to keep you up to date on things happening in our area and the course. Please feel to ask questions or comment on our posts.