WE ALL NEED TO STEP UP, BE INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE AND "PROFESSIONALLY ASSERTIVE" WITH TEAM MATES, PLAYING PARTNERS, GUESTS AND OURSELVES WITH REGARDS TO THE "CARE OF AND CARING FOR" OUR GOLF COURSE.
Since assuming the position of Golf Committee Chairman on January 1st, my #1 priority has been to personally find a means of encouraging, leading, or urging every FLCC member to take a personal interest in doing everything they can to take care of, repair, and prevent wear, tear, and damage to the golf course.
At every Golf Committee meeting this year, committee members have discussed, tried to thinks of ways to prevent, and remained frustrated with things like:
> players not staying on the cart path when parking adjacent to tee boxes or green look (next time you play, make a point of checking those two specific locations and it is very easy to see golf cart tracks and areas where the grass is worn away)
> players not entering and exiting the fairways at the designated markers and at 90 degrees (look at the tire tracks across the fescue rough prior to the entry marker and past the exit markers and soon as the hot weather remains, those tracks turn brown)
> players not filling divots from the tee box through the fairways (check the divots and also notice how many players don't use sand provided on golf carts or personal carts to fill divots or even take the sand out of the cart)
> players allowing partners, guests, or opponents to drive in the roughs (see the tire tracks in the rough or view some pictures provided on Dave Smith's Blog - http://flccturfcare.blogspot.com)
> sand traps not raked to repair foot prints, divots, etc. (pretty obvious around the course, so much so some folks wonder why we even bother leaving rakes out at all)
> players not repairing ball marks on the greens (see brown ball marks left not repaired; see fresh ball marks not repaired and obviously from partners, teammates, competitors, or players not to far in front of you)
We are entering the "prime season" for our course, it looks and plays great; almost through out the course except for the discrepancies cited above. With the heat we experienced this week and will experience throughout the summer, the fescue roughs especially get "fragile" and easily worn down and damaged by excessive cart use in the roughs. The grass of ball marks on greens left not properly fixed end up dead and brown within a day. The areas of no grass adjacent to tee boxes and greens get even larger. And with the higher volume of play, sand traps look like there was a 5 person brawl in them.
This topic has been (ad nauseam) addressed, broadcast, appealed to at Women and Men's meetings, and encouraged by the Pro's prior to tournaments. But here I am whining, barking, and appealing once again.
We are looking at getting stickers for our golf carts with reminders regarding these items.
We will continue to appeal for consideration and compliance.
WHAT ELSE?
My one suggestion and appeal FOR OUR COURSE is:
PEER PRESSURE and BE PROFESSIONALLY ASSERTIVE!
* Remind yourself and those you ride with if you notice your cart parked off the paths at tee boxes and greens.
* DON'T enter fairways early and leave past the exit marker; CALL your cart driver on it.
* Most likely guests, but possibly members, BE ASSERTIVE with them if you see them driving in the rough when they should be in the fairway or on the path,.
* PLEASE MAKE SURE THERE IS SAND IN THE CONTAINER OF YOUR CART - FILL IT BEFORE YOU TEE OFF ON #1; FILL YOURS AND A COUPLE OTHER DIVOTS ON THE FRONT NINE; REPEAT ON THE BACK NINE.
* RAKE THE TRAP AFTER YOU PLAY FROM IT; leave the rake outside the trap; and make sure those you are playing with do the same.
* Make finding and fixing your ball mark on the green a priority. If you are playing with John Doe and he doesn't fix his ball mark: "Hey John, I fixed your ball mark" and REPEAT until he gets the message. Fix a few marks left behind by others.
Please join me in making your #1 priority on OUR GOLF COURSE "...to take a personal interest in doing everything you can to take care of, repair, and prevent wear, tear, and damage to the golf course..."
Keith Armstrong
FLCC BOD, Golf Committee Chairman
