January 23 and not an inch of snow on the ground. I don't know that any of us could of predicted it, but rest assured that even if you don't see us behind the wheel of a plow or the handle of a snow shovel, we are still hard at work.
The order of the season is maintenance, with or without snow. Every machine you've ever seen on the course (and even a few you may not have) must be torn apart, repaired, cleaned, and reassembled. Phil sees to this with confidence, determination, and no small amount of sweat! Meanwhile, all of the tee and green equipment (e.g. Pins, Ball washers and Benches) must be repainted or refinished, though not before receiving a dis-assembly of their own. And of course there's plenty of administrative work to be done, not the least of which being the ordering of all the products to be used on the course next year- which when done early can save Cress Creek a good deal of expense. Outside, we all pitch in for winter tree maintenance. I'm sure many of you have noticed the trees marked with pink ribbon scattered about the course. These trees have been chosen by the board for removal, and will all be coming down at some point this winter or in the coming spring. They were chosen due to poor placement for play, their impact on turf health, or their own waning health status. Which trees will be replaced with more suited varieties is a matter under discussion.
With another early start to the season seemingly on the horizon we've got our work cut out for us, but I have no doubt we'll be ready to welcome players back to Cress Creek for a celebration of it's fiftieth year!
Stay Warm out there!
Elliott Dowling
