This blog is intended to inform Prairie Highlands patrons with information regarding the course maintenance.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Path Only for Saturday
By my calculations, we have been on the path more this year than any of my previous 3 years combined. I must inform everyone that we will be on the path again today, and probably tomorrow. Thank You.
Austin - thanks for your hard work over the last year getting the course in better condition, the greens have definitely improved. As a member for 4 years that plays 3-4 times a week, I would like to relay some comments/concerns that I and quite a few other members share. Some are very minor things, but could make a big difference in how the course is perceived. 1. I know you’ve improved several of the traps, but the majority of them are still in terrible shape. Most have a very thin layer of sand on top of mud. This isn’t a huge deal for the fairway bunkers, but it makes it nearly impossible to play out of the greenside bunkers. I know this is a “long term” project, but it would be nice to know if/when improvements will be made. Short term, it would be nice if the trap on the practice green could get some new sand, as right now it’s unusable.
2. We would like to see at least one of the putting greens mowed first thing in the morning. (And rolled if you’re doing it that day) Right now, we usually have no indication of how the greens are rolling out on the course.
3. Please fill the water coolers in the morning. The past 2 weekends all the coolers were empty until 10 or 11am.
4. Some of the holes/cups on the course are in really bad shape. Some of the holes are an inch deeper than others, and poorly cut. And there’s literally ¼ of paint built up on the top of the cups.
5. The black tee boxes don’t seem to get much attention. They’re really rough and uneven. Can they be rolled/filled in with sand to make them more level?
6. I know we just got new GPS systems, but that doesn’t help those of us who walk and use rangefinders. The current pins are difficult to pick up more than 180 yards away. It would be great if you guys could get the pins that have the built in prisms, they don’t seem to be very expensive.
7. On 10, the grass under the temporary fence along the cart path needs to be mowed. The way the fairway slopes the ball ends up there quite often, and it’s so tall/thick you can’t find it. That would also help to speed up play.
8. I used to play the course a lot when it first opened, and the native areas were actually native grass – which looked awesome. Now it seems to be mostly weeds. Have you thought about doing controlled burns in the early spring to get the native grasses back? We did this with our fields out in Western Kansas and it makes a remarkable difference.
Once again thanks for all the improvements you’ve made. I think as players we see the course through a different set of eyes than those that maintain it, I hope some of these comments help.
Austin - thanks for your hard work over the last year getting the course in better condition, the greens have definitely improved. As a member for 4 years that plays 3-4 times a week, I would like to relay some comments/concerns that I and quite a few other members share. Some are very minor things, but could make a big difference in how the course is perceived.
ReplyDelete1. I know you’ve improved several of the traps, but the majority of them are still in terrible shape. Most have a very thin layer of sand on top of mud. This isn’t a huge deal for the fairway bunkers, but it makes it nearly impossible to play out of the greenside bunkers. I know this is a “long term” project, but it would be nice to know if/when improvements will be made. Short term, it would be nice if the trap on the practice green could get some new sand, as right now it’s unusable.
2. We would like to see at least one of the putting greens mowed first thing in the morning. (And rolled if you’re doing it that day) Right now, we usually have no indication of how the greens are rolling out on the course.
3. Please fill the water coolers in the morning. The past 2 weekends all the coolers were empty until 10 or 11am.
4. Some of the holes/cups on the course are in really bad shape. Some of the holes are an inch deeper than others, and poorly cut. And there’s literally ¼ of paint built up on the top of the cups.
5. The black tee boxes don’t seem to get much attention. They’re really rough and uneven. Can they be rolled/filled in with sand to make them more level?
6. I know we just got new GPS systems, but that doesn’t help those of us who walk and use rangefinders. The current pins are difficult to pick up more than 180 yards away. It would be great if you guys could get the pins that have the built in prisms, they don’t seem to be very expensive.
7. On 10, the grass under the temporary fence along the cart path needs to be mowed. The way the fairway slopes the ball ends up there quite often, and it’s so tall/thick you can’t find it. That would also help to speed up play.
8. I used to play the course a lot when it first opened, and the native areas were actually native grass – which looked awesome. Now it seems to be mostly weeds. Have you thought about doing controlled burns in the early spring to get the native grasses back? We did this with our fields out in Western Kansas and it makes a remarkable difference.
Once again thanks for all the improvements you’ve made. I think as players we see the course through a different set of eyes than those that maintain it, I hope some of these comments help.