TCCC Grounds Blog

Overnight on Monday, July 27th, another storm came through the region. This one brought down a lot of white pine limbs along the property line left of #8.

Unfortunately, the 480 volt, three phase power supply for the underground pump station on #16 weaves through those massive trees. It's been a problem here at The Club for decades. Surge damage to the pump station, power outages and tree limb arching. Four years ago they wanted to remove all of the trees down to the ground. We had plans to put the power line underground with Consumers but we couldn't agree on the right time for both parties to take on the four week project.

At least two trees had small arcing fires in them with the cracked and broken limbs hanging across the wires.

White pine trees are a very difficult tree to trim and still have it remain looking good. Twenty-five years ago, Consumers came through and topped the entire row of white pines. They of course grew back and filled out all back into the power lines.

Davey Tree company worked and did their best to try and save what they could after trimming them down to below the lower consumers power line which supplies the homes along 8. Many look awful and will regrow over time, a few will die and they left what they could to still protect our neighbors from golf balls.

We were without power to the pump station for three days. They had four trucks working 10:00 - 4:00 each day.

Entire trees were required to come down next to power poles and transformers.

Our insurance claims adjuster will be on site next Monday. Consumers and Davey are not required to remove the down trees and brush since it was storm damage related and not routine maintenance.

Thank you so much to Tom and Jana Rockne and John and Linda Kuipers for hosting the 2.0 Grounds Brat Feed last Monday! They brought the brats, potato salad, chips, cookies, brownies and even a small electric pot for the sauerkraut and all the fixens.

I loved the sign, "#1 Grounds Crew, Hammy's Horde." The sign is hanging on our wall of history.

Traverse City's own Root Beer from Northwoods Soda!

Down on the driving range.....while practicing your game, be sure to hit your shots in a line vs. the picture below of scattered divots.

Scattered divots remove over 200% more turf vs. a line of divots.

Two weeks ago during another overnight storm this 1/2 of a tree came down on 5.

Luke and Brian here on five green, have been adding sand to the high traffic bunkers. All three bunkers on 5,8 and 9 were completed.

Had to get a photo of this one!

Working on the construction damage behind 17 green. We are getting to these areas one at a time in the afternoons when we can.

Momma taking her chicks on a morning walk away from the water on 16.

A new world record and hall-of fame divot on 13. The divot was put back, but after it caught my eye, I had to get a photo.

Thank you for making it to the bottom of this long blog post!

Steve :)

Last Saturday five new families arrived at The Club, not the families we normally are encouraging to come to the Club. The nighttime blinking orange list doesn't seem to work well nor does the strobe green light deter the families from leaving. The geese also seem to be friends with our two fake coyotes now.

I counted 32 geese on Saturday and did you know that an adult goose can created 2 pounds of "mess" a day?

I have tried the single line of string as well as the double line with no results. On Tuesday we installed a three foot chicken wire fence around the entire lake on 16. I am hoping this will eventually make the families take their kids elsewhere to live, maybe the Boardman Lake?

As of Thursday morning, one of the five families had left, really hoping this works before they can fly in 7-8 weeks.