green committee

Purpose: The role of the Green Committee is to provide feedback, input, and recommendations to Club Management with respect to golf course development, maintenance, and improvements. The Committee is also responsible to provide input and guidance in developing the long-range capital plan within the scope of the Committee.

The Green Committee has met twice this golf season, once on April 27 and once on July 13, to meet with the USGA’s consulting agronomist.

April 27 - Topics of Discussion:

• Changes to the Turf Care department’s organizational structure for 2023.

• Two potential safety issues related to golfers hitting into other groups on Raven #1 and Hawk #5.

• 2023 departmental Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s):

1. Root depth and density - improve green health as measured by root depth and density.

2. Green speed – improve consistency of green speed as measured by the Stimp meter.

3. Green clipping yields – improve greens health and playability as measured by clipping yields.

• Weekly golf course maintenance schedule and weekly maintenance gap program.

• Departmental communication plan.

• Needs for additional mid-season putting green aeration date to ensure putting surfaces were kept healthy and in the best possible condition.

• Issue of more than two golf carts per tee time and the negative effects on turf health.

July 13 - Topics of Discussion:

• The USGA Agronomist discussed his evaluation of the golf course and how putting surfaces had improved since 2022. The benefit of the added putting surface aeration was discussed.

• The committee and the USGA Agronomist discussed the long-range plan for putting surface maintenance. Pros and cons of re-surfacing the putting greens were discussed, and the USGA encouraged the philosophy of living with poa annua and suggested focusing on growing the best turf possible, whether bentgrass or poa annua.

• The benefits of enhancing drainage through the installation of slit drainage was discussed.

Greens Aeration

To ensure that our putting surfaces maintain the highest standard of performance, it is crucial to incorporate an extra aeration that was scheduled into July’s program. This additional aeration was designed to enhance the putting surfaces’ short- and long-term health and performance. Without this aeration, the putting surfaces would undoubtedly decline. Fortunately, the Turf Care team has an excellent aeration process in place, resulting in smooth, fast greens immediately after aeration and the aeration holes heal rapidly. The positive results of this aeration will outweigh the short-term inconvenience of members’ golf experience being affected by aerated greens.

Raven Front Nine Irrigation Renovation

The Raven front nine irrigation renovation will commence on August 14th. Please refer to weekly Member E-News and Member Central for updates for information regarding how this project will affect your golf experience.

Spruce Budworm Update

The two sequential aerial spray applications were made in mid-June to control the Spruce Budworm issue affecting golf course spruce trees. The application timing and weather conditions were excellent for both applications which bodes well for a high level of efficacy. The forestry management consultant will be inspecting golf course trees in late July to confirm.

James Beebe

Golf Course Manager golf committee

Purpose: The role of the Golf Committee is to provide feedback, input, and recommendations to Club Management with respect to golf operations including pace of play, tee time bookings, member and guest golf privileges, on-course dress code, course playability, competitions, leagues, Pro Shop amenities and services including Back Shop, and Practice Facility operations. The Committee is also responsible to provide input and guidance in developing the long-range capital plan within the scope of the Committee.

The Golf Committee met on Tuesday, June 27. There was a complete review of the participation of all member leagues and tournaments. All league participation is up over 2022 averages, but this could tail off as summer progresses. Member tournament participation has also increased; please see the chart below for 2023 thus far.

The Golf Committee confirmed and supported the mandate of the Handicap Committee that for all members to be eligible for league and tournament play, they would need to be keeping an active handicap within Golf Canada. This means, 80% of all starts are posted in Golf Canada.

Golf Operations suspended the one-time advance booking favour at the start of the 2023 season. There was a fulsome discussion on this, and the Golf Committee was in support of not allowing advance bookings outside of the normal three-day booking window for special bookings or match plays. Exceptions to this restriction include Sanctioned Association Match Plays such as Riley’s Best Ball, reciprocal tee times for our reciprocal clubs Seymour, St Charles, and Royal Ottawa, and other select times within Club policy or at the discretion of Management. The Committee’s feeling is that although the tee sheet is busy, there is still ample space for members to book with guests through the normal booking parameters. It is also important to the Committee that we strive to be fair and inclusive which almost any version of pre-bookings is not. Additionally, the administrative burden of managing hundreds of bookings that clog up prime-time tee times for members with guests over others was not a positive for the Club as a whole.

The Golf Committee reviewed & determined the current Policy Statement #4: Dress Code was acceptable. A further review will take place at the next meeting with Golf Operations preparing additional information from private golf courses in Western Canada.

Rounds of golf (ROG) were discussed. Rounds are up over 2022 (see chart below) which is interesting as the tee sheet appears to be more manageable on day-of bookings. The elimination of advanced bookings and perhaps less 6:45 AM panic to book tee times are contributors

The next scheduled Golf Committee meeting will take place this fall.

Pace of Play & Tag Marshal

The out-of-position alert was adjusted for 2023 from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. As a result, this has allowed us to identify out-of-position groups sooner. Our Golf Operations team has been more proactive in addresssing out-of-position groups. Raven has an expected pace for 2023 at 4:06, and Hawk at 4:04. Golf Operations maintains a KPI to have 85% of all rounds completed at or below this pace. Pace continues to be good but Saturdays still require improvement.

The use of the new displays in the Pro Shop has helped with the transparency of information available for members. Please click here for a link to our June results.

John Wilson