Here comes winter...maybe!?

Well, after an incredible start to our winter season we have seen it come to a screeching halt.  Just prior to the "warm up" and rain we got around Thanksgiving there was nearly 2 feet of snow on the golf course. As of yesterday there is 4-6" and a lot of turf showing out there.

We groomed the cross country track prior to losing all the snow and it looked like we were on our way for the winter.  As is stands today we need another foot of snow or so to continue our grooming efforts.  The property is still getting a fair amount of usage, however, it is incredibly "thin" out there and we are asking everyone to tread lightly and be sure to stay on or just adjacent to the marked track.  Unfortunately, it seems that since the melting has occurred we are having issues with users not staying on or near the track.  There are numerous tracks in areas not on or around the designated trail in areas that are closed for the winter (everywhere except the track itself).  If we are unable to get this under control through our signage and individual communication we will have to suspend access to the property until we get more snow..so please stay on the track when accessing the course and remember that all dogs must be physically leashed while on the property.  We allow dogs, in the winter only, on the track as an exception to club documents that prohibit dogs on property, unless they are assisting in your travels.  Please be respectful of our policy and don't abuse the privilege.

The wildlife around the course is definitely taking advantage of the thin conditions and loading up on exposed vegetation.  We have a lone random bison that has set up residence on the course so be watchful for him as not to surprise while on the cross country track.

There has been several bull and cow moose on and around the property, as well as, our local deer population that calls the area home.  I got the picture below just outside my back door on the south side of Spring Gulch Rd...one of the biggest bucks I've encountered this year.

With respect to the golf course itself, the rapid melt off we've had has not been detrimental to the greens, or course in general, thus far.  The snow came so quickly this year that the ground hasn't frozen solid yet so the course has drained pretty well and we haven't seen any ice build up.  Let's just hope for snow from here on out and no more rain until spring!








We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and blessed Christmas to come!   Keep an eye out for updates on the cross country track and again...please tread lightly out there.

Andy

Property update

Good afternoon everyone...it's been a while sine my last update.  Another great season is in the books, the course is winterized and ready for snow and seasonal staff is gone until next spring.  What a stretch of incredible weather we've had this last month.  Looks like that has come to end with a couple inches of snow on the ground this morning and dropping temperatures.  Last night we had a wind gust on our weather station of 47 mph!  Thankfully it looks like our tarps held up on the greens and we didn't lose any trees on the property.

I wanted to thank everyone for staying off the course this fall while we "winterized" the course.  As long as mother nature doesn't throw us any crazy curves this winter we should be in great shape for spring.  The elk have been moving in small groups this year and I imagine this cold/snowy weather will get the remaining herd moving.  We've had upwards of 6-7 moose that have been around the property recently and several families of deer..a couple of really nice bucks.  We have instituted our winter closures on the south side of Spring Gulch Road for critical winter moose habitat.  The rest of the property will stay closed until we have enough snow to start grooming the cross country course..we need at least 6-8" on the ground before we start that.  Below are some pictures of wildlife this fall.  Have a great week and stay tuned for further updates on the property, wildlife, etc.

Buck by #9 tee box.

16" Cutthroat trout taken from behind the shop

Bull moose #18, Sleeping Indian in the background

Well hello!  Behind the shop.

Bull elk across from #9

 

Saturday October 25

Well, another chilly morning and warm afternoon on the way, 25 this morning on the course with a high near 70!?!?.  It has been an unseasonably warm October, but that looks to be coming to an abrupt halt starting tomorrow, with highs forecast in the 40's.  Definitely more typical of late October.

We've had a very productive couple of weeks since the course closed.  We've been able to accomplish all of our typical shut down procedures: blowing out the irrigation system, getting the leaves up off the course, whipping the clubhouse area into shape and all the little things that have to happen to ensure the golf course goes to bed properly.  In addition, we took the advice of our USGA Agronomist visit, and removed a few trees on the course to enhance play and alleviate some safety concerns.  The pictures below are of #6 tee box area where we removed two large spruces so golfers can "cut" a shot into a back left pin position..couldn't do that before.  It also opened up a fantastic view from the tee box.  We also removed the cottonwood on #9 just before the cart path near the green as this tree was putting out roots that were encroaching on the green and competing with the turf around it.  One of the cottonwoods behind #12 that was leaning towards the green was removed, we determined it was a safety hazard.  Lastly, as we received comments from the Greens Committee and Advisory Board we decided to remove the large spruce directly behind #18 green to open up a new perspective from the clubhouse terrace.  It will allow groups and members to watch their counterparts come up #18 as they finish their rounds and enhance the overall views from the terrace area.  We will be planting 5 new trees in the spring to replace the ones we cut down.  The pictures below don't really do it justice.  Both areas have a fantastic new look and feel to them!

On the wildlife side, the elk are just now starting to move in small groups through the golf course.  The really large herd to the west, down in the Snake River bottom has yet to head towards the refuge.  I would expect them to start moving within the next week.  We have been in contact with Game and Fish monitoring their progress...looks to be several hundred, close to a thousand that will be migrating through or around the course shortly.  We still have several moose around the course.  Over the last week I counted 5 different moose...3 cows, a yearling and a bull. I believe there is another bull and cow to the east of the course that are floating back and forth.  We have not seen any bear activity or scat this year after the sighting near King's Hwy last month.  Be vigilant.. all the animals are active right now.

The golf course is going to bed as healthy as I've seen it since I've been here..the weather is a big part of that..but I feel really good about closing process.  As long as we get cold and turf goes dormant before the snow comes we should be good.  Have a great week!

# 6 tee box before tree removal

#6 tee box after tree removal

#18 from the terrace before removal

#18 from terrace after removal.

 

Saturday update

Good morning everyone,
We have 26 at the shop this morning and a slow warm up on the way.  Looks like we will be around 10:30 AM for our first tee time.  Aerification of the greens is complete, we will be touching up some areas this  morning but all 18 holes are back open for what should be a really nice weekend. 

We have continued to have to ask people/photographers to leave the course this past week.  The two bulls that are taking up residence are very feisty right now.  Myself and a gentlemen I was asking to leave the moose alone were charged on Wednesday near the pond on #2.  Another friendly reminder that the golf course is private property and wildlife has the right of way, so please refrain from walking or seeking out wildlife on the golf course.

The weather looks fantastic for the rest of the week.  We will be working on leaf clean up and begin winterizing the clubhouse next week.  In addition, because of all the rain last week we got behind on verticutting the back 9 so that will take place next week as well.

Please keep a close eye out as you navigate the course over the next week as the elk are starting to move.  Give wildlife plenty of space and don't hesitate to contact the pro shop if animals are close to greens, tees, etc.

Have a great weekend!



Bull moose headed for the river on #11

 

October update....

Well after a weekend that saw nearly 1.5" of rain and even a little snow down to the valley floor (had a couple of flurries yesterday) we are back to some decent weather for the week.  Looks like frost every morning coming up but into the 60's for afternoon highs after today. 

We started greens aerification yesterday and closed the front nine.  We had a rain shower late morning that set us back several hours on our anticipated schedule.  Therefore, we are keeping the front 9 closed today to get those greens in as good a shape as possible and will close the back 9 tomorrow for those greens.  We should have no issue having the entire course back open by Saturday.  We appreciate everyone's patience as we work through the weather challenges and get the greens ready for that long winter's nap that's coming. 

The animals are starting to move around the course, as is typical this time of year.  There are at least 2 bull moose, 2 cows and a yearling that are setting up residence around the course.  In addition, there are 2 very nice buck mule deer and several females that are frequenting the course.  The elk haven't started their migration in earnest yet, however, it will be coming soon.  I'm sure everyone heard about the incident at the Gros Ventre Campground that caused NPS to have to put down a young moose.  This is one of the many reasons we don't allow walkers, photographers, dogs, etc. on the course.  The animals feel safe here and we have provided a habitat on the course that allows them to move about freely without interference from individuals, other than the golfers and our staff.  Please remember the golf course is off limits unless you are golfing and have checked in with the pro shop.  We have had to ask numerous persons to leave the course in the last couple of weeks that were out trying to get pictures of the moose. 

The course is still on scheduled for an October 12th close date.  After that it is a "mad dash" to get the course winterized and this is a critical period for us to put the course to bed.  After closing, the course will be off limits to everyone until the first significant snowfall and we get the cross country track groomed.  We have had some input from the membership to stop allowing dogs out during the winter and we are going to evaluate that policy this winter.  The concern is for the wildlife, the safety of others
on the track and the  damage that is caused by paws and digging on the track.  Another reminder, according to club and membership documents dogs are prohibited on the property at any time unless they are assisting you in your travels and we make this very special exception in the winter time.  We will keep everyone abreast of when the course is open for cross country skiing. 

Have a great rest of the season and continue to check back on any upcoming activities.

Andy

Buck near #9 tee box

The end in near....

Wow..what a great week of weather.  I don't think I can remember a stretch this nice in late September in recent years.  That being said it looks like it is all coming to a screeching halt over the weekend with rain and 50's/30's on the way.  We are going to have to amend our greens aerification schedule if the weather plays out as predicted.  Instead of Tuesday-Wednesday front and back nine closures it looks like it's going to be a Wednesday-Thursday or Thursday-Friday schedule.  It all depends on when the storm wraps up and we get some sunshine.  We truly appreciate everyone's patience with the process and will complete it as quickly as possible so we can have a few days of good golf before the closure on the 12th. 

The course is in some of the best shape of my tenure here at Golf & Tennis and I can't be more proud of the job Jeff Jensen, my Assistant, and the seasonal staff has done this year.  I look forward to putting the course "to bed" and getting ready for a great 2105 season.  Next year will be our 50th anniversary here at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis and we are on track for something special.  Have a great weekend and enjoy the last few hours of summer?!?

Andy

Note the clouds...say goodbye to summer!?

 

Weekly update

What a great stretch of September weather we had last week.  We had a fantastic week on the course.  It was one of our busiest weeks of the summer with groups from the Wyoming Restaurant and Lodging Association, our annual Service Industry Cup,  two day Wyoming High School tournament and a slew of smaller outings.  Yesterday was our annual Fall Classic and we couldn't have asked for a better day to let the members have the golf course to themselves.

We have finished aerifying tees and approaches and the process went really well.  I am excited about our more aggressive agronomic plan for approaches to help increase firmness.  We are starting our fairway maintenance this week and will be vertical cutting starting on #1-2 today and continue in order around the course with plans to have them all verticut and cleaned up by Friday.  It is somewhat of a messy process but we will do our best to keep it clean and playable.  We got nearly 1/4" of rain overnight last night and it is continuing to rain today, so it will be soft out there. 

The moose are on the move and we have at least 5 around the course right now: 2 bulls (one very large one), two cows and a yearling.  They are pretty feisty right now so keep an eye out on your travels around the course.  Look forward to a great week before we start aerifying greens next Monday afternoon after the Big Money Monday group.

Andy

Saturday delay...

Good morning..looks like 25 here this morning.  We will shoot for 10 AM start for the member challenge.  Have a great weekend!

Andy

Brrrrrrrrr............

It's cold out there today..we have 19 at the shop this morning.  That should really slow things down out on the golf course from a growth perspective.  We could realistically be looking at a 10:30 start this morning.  They are calling for mid to upper 20's tonight so we could have a delay beyond 9:30 for tomorrow as well.  Looks like warming temps next week, back into the 70's!  Have a great weekend.

Andy

Mondy morning update

What a great weekend we had..just beautiful weather.  We have 35 at the shop this morning so we are looking at 9-9:30 start times.  Have a great day.

Andy

Frosty...

Yesterday we had some technical difficulties with the blog and I was unable to post our first hard freeze of the year.  We ended up with 27 at the shop and had almost an hour and half delay. 

Today we are currently sitting at 32 so we will be some where around 9-9:15 for first tee times.  Looks like a little warmer overnight temps (upper 30's to low 40's) until mid next week when we drop back into the low-mid 30's.  Tis the time of year.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Monring update.....

Frost is going to be close this morning.  Currently 37 at the shop and the sun hasn't come up yet.  Generally drop a degree or two right before the sun hits us.  We will shoot for 8:30 tee times this morning.

There is already a freeze watch posted for tomorrow morning calling for lows between 25 and 30.  If we get down into the 20's we will be looking at 9:30-10 AM start times for Thursday morning.  I will update again in the morning with a more definite time.

Frost...

Good morning..we hit 32 this morning at the course.  Will be at least an hour frost delay.  We will shoot for 9AM start on tee times this morning.  Looks like we will be frosting pretty regularly from here on out so keep checking the blog for updates.  Have a great day!

Andy

Frost update.......

Good morning,
Looks like about an hour frost delay this morning.  We have 33 currently at the shop and the sun is just coming up so we will drop another degree or two.  We got .22" of rain on Saturday.  That definitely puts us into a near record rainfall month.  I will continue to update the blog when we have frost.  Have a great Labor Day!!

Andy

Monsoon comes to an end....

Good morning,
Looks like maybe a little more rain today with temps in the 50's.  The standing total at the golf course for the last 3 days is just short of 1.25" of rain.  We suspended carts on the course yesterday due to standing water and are asking that everyone is conscious of the wet areas in their travels around the course today.  That rain total is actually just about the average for the entire month of August here in Jackson.  We should see things dry out in the coming week with warming temperatures..keep your fingers crossed.  We got a good test of our drainage project by #1 tee box and it help up nicely.  We will have that area cleaned up by Labor Day.  I will be updating the blog in the coming weeks for frost delays so stay tuned..they are coming!

Andy

Rainy days....

Good morning,
After a stretch of great weather we've gotten some much needed rain and cooler temperatures this last week.  Since Sunday we've gotten nearly .60" of rain here at the golf course and we've been in the upper 60's to low 70's for highs.  That .6" of rain is half of our monthly average for August in the last 4 days!  That being said, it is soft out there and we are monitoring traffic, moving ropes and stakes and trying not to limit carts. 

It's also been a busy week with the Strutting Grouse Tournament on Tuesday.  We had nearly 130 of the valley's avid lady golfers out to raise money for JH High School scholarships and St. John's Hospital.  From what I've heard thus far it was a tremendous success..the rain even held off until they were done on the course.  Last week we also had a new "first" at the golf course.  Due to a tremendous amount of planning from Gabbrielle Cruz, F&B Director, and paperwork we had a wedding with the groom parachuting into #18 and surprised the wedding party.  It went off without a hitch and he hit his target perfectly.

Should be a great weekend coming up with warming temperature and plenty of sunshine. I hope everyone has a great week and I hope to see you on the course.

Andy Erskine, GCS

Frost delay

Good morning. Looks like a second consecutive frost delay. Currently 35 degrees at the shop so we will see 33-34 when the sun comes up.  We will shoot for 7:40 first tee time.  Have a great day.

Possible frost...

Currently 35 at the shop and the sun hasn't come up yet.  Looks like a short frost delay this last week of July.  We will shoot for 7:40 tee times.

Weekly update

What a great week we've had.  The golf course is starting to get busy.  July 4th weekend generally starts off the summer in full swing with many members arriving in town and it is apparent on the course. 

The mom and baby moose are still kicking around the property although with the warm temperatures they are not as active during the day.  The little one is really growing and is not so "little" anymore.

Every Tuesday night after the Ladies League goes off for their 9 hole outing we do course maintenance.  Every other week we verticut and topdress (sand) greens and on the alternate weeks we only topdress them.  Last night we started working on approaches.  Behind the greens, these and surrounds are the highest priority areas with respect to scoring and playability so we try and give them extra attention.  We got out our large verticutting unit, mower with vertical blades, that cuts grooves and removes thatch (dead grass and other organic material) and went after the approaches.  We will do this several times before the end of the season. This allows us to put down sand in the grooves and work on firming up the surfaces.  We will do the same to tee boxes in a couple of weeks.  It does not affect the playability of the course and most golfers won't notice it's even been done.  That being said it is one of the most effective agronomic tools we have, next to aerification, for maintaining healthy, firm surfaces.

Verticutting #4 approach



 

We have finished the tee box renovation on #6 and are finishing up the stair rebuilding this week.  It came out really nicely and will open up additional teeing opportunities once it heals..10 days or so and it should be ready for play.

Have a great day!

Summer is here?!

Summer in Jackson Hole generally starts around the 4th of July and it looks like we are going to be right on cue this year.  After some cool temperatures and rain last week we are slated for 80's finally  by the end of this week.  I think we are all ready for it!

We had our semi-annual cattle drive go by the golf course on Sunday.  The Lucas family does a great job of communicating and thanks to efforts of our staff and his "hands" we avoided any cattle on the golf course once again..see them in the fall on their way back to the Lucas Ranch.

We are also working #6 tee renovation this week and should be completed by Friday and then it's just a waiting game until it heals and we can mow it down.  We appreciate everyone's patience while we complete this project.  It will be well worth the effort as we will increase our teeing area significantly, especially from the white tees which see the most play.  Aside from that the course is playing really well and we, maintenance staff and crew, are getting into our summer groove.  Have a great day and 4th of July weekend!!

 

 

Frost delay...

Good morning..we have 35 degrees at the shop this morning and frost setting up in the rough.  Will have at least a 40 minute delay.  Have a great day!

Frost delay...

Looks like about a half hour frost delay this morning... 34 at the shop.

Isn't summer less than a week away....

After an incredible stretch of weather in late May and early June we have returned to more "spring like" conditions for Jackson Hole.  Cooler temps and nearly a 1/2" of rain has softened the course a bit and given us a reprieve on hand watering greens.  With the exception of Sunday morning, 29 degrees, we have avoided any hard freezes.  Our planting around the clubhouse have held up under the cool temperatures and as long as we avoid any mid 20's type temperatures I think our annuals and perennials will make through this cool stretch.  We did have a brief snow shower this morning and the mountains have picked up anywhere from 2-6" above 9K ft.

The mom and calf moose that have set up residence on the course have recently been near #1 green and pump house area.  The mom has been a very protective of her little one, so if you are walking or even driving, keep an eye out as not to surprise them.  We have a busy week with the some large group outings starting this afternoon..luckily they are Wyomingites so the variable weather won't be a surprise to them.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Mom and little one behind #1 green..4-5 weeks old now.

 

Moose calf...

We had a moose born on the golf course this last month.  A member spotted the pair the first time about 2 weeks ago.  I got these pictures yesterday next to #10 tee box.  Hope everyone is having a great start to the season. Course is in great shape.  Happy golfing!!

Mom and new born by #10 tee box.

 

Frost delay....

We had 32 at the course this morning..short delay.  Not sure on the timing..close to 8-8:10.

Frost delay...

Looks like an 8:20 start time this morning.  32 degrees as of 6 AM.

Season is ramping up.....

We are finally into June and normally I would be saying something like.."stay patient, the warm weather will come and things will really start to grow."  This year, however, we have had one of the better stretches of weather we've seen in many years.  Memorial weekend was fantastic with plentiful sunshine and temps in the 70's, the last several have been cool and rainy/snowy.  The weather has definitely helped with the recovery of rough areas and the few greens that had a little ice damage.  Green #5 still continues to grow after seeding, verticutting and sanding pretty consistently over the last several weeks.  The only downside to #5's recovery is that we are seeing consistently busy conditions and with that comes foot traffic and more activity on the green, which will slow recovery somewhat.  That being said we are on our way and will continue to give that green some extra attention.  The course is playing really well right now and I couldn't be more pleased for the first week of June.  Starting today as well we will update this blog in the mornings by6:30 AM if there is frost delay.  If there is nothing on the blog we'll be good to go at our normal start time which is 7:30 right now.

Those of you that live around the course, an update on the water/river situation.  The last several weeks has been a real struggle managing the flows in our ditches around the course.  We had several days last week that the river was flowing at historic rates.  That being said this last weekend the river shifted pretty significantly, flooded the bike path east of the highway and caused our intake to get cut off from the flow.  We spent significant time and money creating a new diversion to re-establish flow from the river.  There is still a lot of snow to melt, however I think we have passed the big push that comes with the early warm up.  Hopefully we will see a nice even run off from here on out? 

On a wildlife note, we had antelope on the golf course yesterday.  I have to say in the 8 or so years I've been here this is first for me on the golf course.  I have seen them in the area, but further north and east in the park sage flats.  A nice addition to our wildlife inventory.

Antelope on #10 green

 

Sunday May 18th

First off, my apologies for not updating this in over a week.  It has been a mad dash to get the course in shape for the coming season. 

The course is coming around really nicely.  We were able to verticut and topdress the greens last week and that helped them so much with respect to quality, ball roll, etc.  They are still a little slow as we are taking our time bringing our height of cut down due to some of the areas that were affected by ice over the winter.  We will be progressively step the heights down starting on Monday and should have speeds closer to were everyone wants them by next weekend.  That being said, the greens are coming along wonderfully, as is the rest of the course.  We will have the bunkers in shape this week as well.  The weather has slowed us down, as it normally does in early May, but we are making really good progress.  There are no "cold" storms in the forecast so we should see progressively better conditions from here on out. 

I want to thank everyone for following our signage and staying away from high traffic areas and green surrounds.  I attached a picture below that illustrates how compaction not only affects conditions during the playing season but the affect is has on winter kill.  It is easy to see on #2 were golfers leave the cart path early, and consistently, how much more damage we sustained from winter kill this last year.  So again, thanks for honoring our directional signage and ropes.



An update on the goose that took over the osprey nest on #11.  This morning the mom kicked the young out of the nest..literally.  The little ones are pretty resilient considering they fell from nearly 30 feet.  I have never seen anything like it!?!  I got some pictures once they were all together on the ground..pretty cute!  Be aware that they may be around the bike path the leads past #11 for a while.

 

Successful opening to our 2014 seeason!!

We had a great opening week for the golf course.  We opened the course for play on Wednesday the 30th and have had great weather for the last 5-6 days..a little windy over the weekend but beautiful non the less.  We opened with the bunkers falling under our local rule due to the fact that they need cleaning and conditioning before we put rakes out.  The driving range is opened and the tee deck is restricted to the mats for another week or so until we get more active growth going.  So no irons on the grass, only drivers.

The course is coming along slowly but surely.  Conditions are still reflective of early season but things are greening up and filling in.  We have been concentrating on getting the mouse/vole damage cleaned up first so we can get seed out to fill in those areas.  We will be starting on the bunkers this week and focusing on greenside first then make another lap to address fairway bunkers.  The greens are coming along and will be improving daily.  Our goal is to have them up to expectations by the 15th or so. 

We also received our new golf cart fleet yesterday and are so excited about that!  On that note please be respectful of your travels around the course and adhere to our signage and ropes.  This time of year is typically wet and things are just starting to grow.  It is more important than ever to not drive on approaches, around greens, tee decks and other "playable" areas.  We are going to be seeding and aerifying (punching holes) in high traffic areas, cart path ends, etc. over the next several weeks and our ropes and signage are in place to help us recover those areas more quickly going into summer.

There are bison on the course, as is the case this time of year, so we caution everyone especially walkers to be vigilant of them.  I hope everyone has a great week and look forward to seeing you on the course this summer.

Andy Erskine, GCS

Bison hanging out on #9

Spring clean up

We've been trying to stay as busy as we can considering the weather.  The weather has not been very cooperative as we have had about 6 goods days of weather since the course really cleared of snow in mid-April.  We are about 1/2 way around the course with mouse/vole damage cleanup in the roughs and haven't yet touched the bunkers.  We will have a local rule in place for opening designating the bunkers as hazards..more so than they already are!?  We won't put out the rakes until we have a chance to clean them up.  We started our greens aerification yesterday and it has been slow going.  We picked up a quick inch or so of snow this afternoon about 4:30 or so and put a stop to our day.  The front 9 is finished save a little brushing and cleaning up.  We will start rolling the front 9 tomorrow and working them back into playing condition.  It will definitely be early season conditions out there on Wednesday and again we appreciate everyone's patience as we work in conjunction with mother nature to get the course in shape.

If you haven't driven by the course in the last couple of weeks, a goose has take over the platform nest from the osprey on #11.  The pair of osprey tried to get the goose out for about a week and a half before deciding to start another nest several poles southwest down Spring Gulch.  We called LVE and worked with them finding a spot for an additional pole and they've already put it up.  It's only been 3 days and the osprey have the makings of good nest started.  It also looks like one of young that got fledged last year is back and building a nest on the platform on the southwest corner of the property behind # 12 green/13 tee area.

Have a great week..see you Wednesday.

Jeff aerifying the practice green

Nest started on #11

Recently added platform nest for osprey on #11

 

Opening date set!

The opening date for the golf course has been set for Wednesday April 30th.  The course will be in early season condition and the bunkers will have a local rule applied to them as some will still have snow in them and others won't be cleaned up yet.  We are working diligently to get the course in shape, the weather has not been very cooperative as of late and it looks like more rain/snow over the weekend.

We have had a small herd of buffalo on the course the last several days, so please be vigilante if you come out to get a view of the course.  We are excited about the 2014 season and certainly appreciate everyone's understanding that as May arrives we are still just barely removed from winter and the course will reflect that.  Look forward to seeing everyone out next week and right now they are calling for 60's by Wednesday...yahooooo!

Andy Erskine, GCS

Buffalo #3 tee box

Happy Easter!!

What a beautiful day to celebrate whatever it is that Easter means to you!  To me it's a new beginning, a day to be thankful for all that we have and family to share it with.

We've had some decent weather in the last week and the golf course is 90% clear of snow.  That being said 90% of the bunkers still have snow in them.  We started cleaning up the mouse and vole damage early in the week then got a little snow Tuesday/night and nearly a 1/4" of rain on Friday.  That really slowed our efforts.  We spent yesterday pulling the tarps off the greens and got them all mowed for the first time this season.  As far as how we wintered, the fairways and tee boxes came out fantastic!  I couldn't be happier.  No snow mold and very little mouse damage in the "short grass".  The roughs have some snow mold damage and our typical allotment of mouse and vole damage..which is a lot..but nothing out of the ordinary for us.

Now the greens.  As was mentioned in earlier blogs, and for those of you that were around in February, we had a weekend in the middle of the month that we received nearly 1.5" of rain and it fell on 12-16" of snow and a frozen ground underneath.  This created a tremendous amount of ice on the golf course.  We found areas on greens that had as much as 2-4" of solid ice.  We were proactive and blew off greens early this year, put out black sand and physically removed the ice with picks and shovels.  It's a mixed bag out there on the greens.  The POA Annua (creeping bluegrass) that lives alongside the Bentgrass on our greens was really hit hard by the ice.  There a few greens that cleared more quickly than others than turned out OK and will recover quickly.  There are 2-3 greens that almost all the POA was killed and it's going to take some time and seeding to get them back.  That being said, we are going to aerify the greens this spring, as we discussed with the Greens Committee last fall.  This will allow us to inter-seed the greens that are struggling and promote some lateral growth.  We will be doing this before we open the course so it looks like we are on pace for a May 1st or 3rd opening, depending on the weather. Keep an eye out as we may try and open the driving range this upcoming weekend.  I attached a couple pictures of the better looking greens to get everyone excited.  Thanks for everyone's patience with the opening date and please don't succumb to the temptation to "poach" the course early as damaged caused from play this time of year takes twice as long to heal, more so on the greens. The greens need time to heal and we will putting out fertilizer to jump start them, so please stay off of them.  Happy Easter!!

Mowing #12

#13 Green after mowing

Wake up call...

My girls and I woke up to this greeting at breakfast today.  Mom and yearling checking us out! 



What are you looking at.........

I have definitely seen more moose activity this winter on the south side of Spring Gluch Rd.  We have restricted access this year to that area due to it's designation being critical moose winter habitat.  I feel justified in our efforts..certainly can't take credit for their travel habits or patterns, but I believe we have given them some "space" to navigate our harsh winters.

Mom and yearling working on the willows..

Hunting voles

I sat and watched this coyote jump and dive in the snow 3-4 times in a 10 minute period hunting voles on #9 yesterday.  He/she was successful at least twice while I watched.  Should be plenty out there to feed on based on what we usually see from vole damage every spring..I would put him on the payroll if I could!?!?

Happy hunting!!!!

April 1st

We have officially begun our "season" here at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club, even with snow still hanging on.  We had our first seasonal staff arrive today and began cleaning up from a long winter.  All greens are clear of snow and below is a picture of #7.  Looks really good considering it was covered in ice for the last 30-40 days under snow.  We are confident our efforts removing the snow, throwing black sand and breaking up ice this spring has left the greens in good shape.  Now we just need some decent temperatures to get it all growing again.

We have pulled the cross country signage around the course and we are closing the trail for the season.  There are areas that are free of snow and it is getting thin enough that we don't want to set any new tracks as we get into another freeze thaw cycle this time of year.  We hope everyone enjoyed the use of the track this winter.  The course will be off limits as the snow melts between now and the course opening.  This is the time of year, with a tremendous amount of moisture and standing water as the snow melts, that compaction becomes an even bigger issue than we already face with our 50 year old golf course.  We appreciate everyone using the bike path and surrounding neighborhoods to recreate and not venturing on the course.

Have a great day!

It's officially spring!

Well spring has officially arrived as of Thursday the 20th..of course we all know spring means different things in the our area.  Anything from beautiful warm blue bird days to cold snowy spring storms..let's keep our fingers crossed the snow stays up high and we can start really thawing out in the valley.  We have seen some pretty nice days, a little cool, but the sunshine has been fantastic.  It is really starting to melt the snow around the course and it is creating an impossible situation with the cross country track and our capabilities to keep it groomed.  That being said, please stay just adjacent to the track if you are skate skiing on the hard, early morning conditions. 

The snow melt on the greens is happening in earnest and we are out this weekend monitoring them and putting out more black sand.  We do have some concerns with a few greens and ice build up.  The ground is still frozen solid and with all the moisture we got in February some areas have significant ice and impedes the surface drainage on some greens.  We are being pro-active by carving out drainage areas around the greens and adding more black sand to facilitate the melt and give it some place to go.  We will be breaking up any ice areas and removing the ice by hand where it is overly concerning.  This could be a year where we do a lot of seeding and sodding due to ice damage in fairways and around greens.  We will all keep our fingers crossed and continue to be pro active with respect to the greens.

There are a couple of coyotes that have been frequenting the area around #3 and #4, must be a carcass somewhere getting their attention.  In addition, the mother moose that has been working it's way around the property with her little one is now in the #4, #7 area.  We are giving them as much room as we can as we travel around the course and address the greens.

Please get out and enjoy the property..we only have one more week before we close the course and cross country track on April 1st.  We will being bringing on staff and worknig around the property, cleaning up from a long winter starting then.

Coyote #3

Monday snow

Good afternoon.  We are headed out to groom the track again.  We are getting a little bit of a late start today due to some mechanical issues with the snowmobile.  We ended up with about 5" from yesterdays storm and certainly some areas that got blown in pretty hard.  We will be starting some more work on the greens over the next week to facilitate some snow melt, so the track will be getting used for our travels around the course.  It should firm up pretty well as we are supposed to get down into the single digits tonight. 

Based on our snow depths right now we have double the snow on the course versus what we had last year at this same time.  I feel like we are about 2 weeks later than last year on our snow melt, hopefully this won't translate into later opening dates.  April can certainly go either way with temperatures and moisture.  We are hoping for moderate temperatures for a slow, steady melt from here on out.

I spotted an injured deer on the property yesterday, but was unable to see where it was headed.  It was headed down #18/driving range area last I saw it.  Please feel free to contact the club if you spot any injured animals that need to addressed by Wy Game and Fish.  We certainly don't want to see any animals suffering around the property.

Have a great day!

Andy

First signs of spring...

There are all kinds of signs that spring is coming around the area...snow is certainly starting to recede, willows are getting some color, the robins have been around for several weeks, but today I spotted the first two mountain bluebirds (MBB's) of the season.  That, for me anyway, is a refreshing sign that we are turning the corner towards warmer weather.  The male mountain bluebirds, which have the striking powder blue color, show up 2-4 weeks prior to the females and begin looking for places to nest.  We have 12-14 habitable MMB boxes on the course, we will be doing an inventory of how they wintered and make sure we have 16 ready to go by April 1st.  We checked and cleaned all of them in the fall and had 10 active boxes, with 4-6 being used by MBB's and the others being inhabited by swallows.  Even though the holes in the boxes were sized to spec from Audubon Int'l recommendations for MBB's the swallows continue to take up residence.  It is an exciting time as we transition from winter to spring and I for one am ready to see some grass...even if it is dormant for another several weeks.

All that being said we may get a little snow tomorrow, NWS calling for a couple of inches.  If that happens we will groom the track again.  We ended up with 1-2" on Friday night so we groomed the track Saturday morning and it was just enough snow to create a good surface for both traditional and skate skiing.  Have a great week.

Andy 

Friday March 14

The sun couldn't have come at a better time.  We've finally broken out of our cloudy, wet pattern that lasted throughout February and into early March.  The snow on the course has really "set up" with the cold night time temperatures and cool days. 

It has been difficult to keep the track in good enough shape to skate ski and it seems that visitors are ignoring our signage and venturing all over the course as the snow has been hard in the mornings.  We are please asking that everyone restrict travels to the track.  This time of the year we are not concerned about damaging turf but more concerned about wildlife interaction and safety issues that come with leaving the track and skiing in areas that aren't marked.  There are so many ditches, ponds, bunkers and other hazards that get "soft" before the flats and can be dangerous to skiers that leave the track.  In addition, the hooved animals will break through the hard snow in their travels.  I recently read an article published concerning a moose that had to be put down because it got spooked, took off running and broke a front leg in similar hard snow conditions.  The picture below is of a mom moose and her yearling laying on #6 tee box today.  The cross country track is well away from this area and keeps the possibility of a negative interaction to a minimum.  This particular pair has been moving around the course and mom's with young are potentially the most dangerous animal you can encounter this time of the year.  Please stay safe and continue to use the property responsibly.  If we get the couple of inches they are predicting tonight we will groom the track tomorrow morning so it will be in shape for skate skiing as well as setting a track.

Mom and young on #6 tee box,  Teewinot in the background.

 

More rain......ugghhhhh

Looks like our warm end to winter is going to continue as they are predicting as much as 1/2" of rain between this afternoon and Tuesday.  It has created an interesting snow pack on the golf course and made grooming the track quite an adventure.  The snow pack continues to go pretty quickly and I suspect if we stay above freezing and get all rain the depths on the course will be under a foot by the end of next week.  Normally we would stop grooming the track and close the course by April 1st to begin our spring maintenance but that may happen sooner this year looking at the forecast.  We will remove our cross country signs and stakes once we make the decision to close the course to public traffic, so get out and enjoy while the opportunity presents itself. 

We are ramping up our hiring efforts for the summer season and preparing to start spring projects.  We will be rebuilding several of our walk bridges this spring, as well as, staining the bridge railings that were re-built last year.  If time allows we will also begin rebuilding some of the stairs on the par 3's, specifically #3 and #6.  It's hard to start thinking about those kinds of things with snow still on the ground but as the weather seems to be trending warmer a little earlier than normal we need to be prepared for the possibility of an earlier "spring".  I hope everyone is having a great winter and we can't wait to start putting back together the golf course for a great summer season!

March 5th

The track will get groomed again today..should be finished by noon.  We ended up getting 12" of snow on Saturday and another 3-4" last night.  We finished blowing our greens off just in time to get all that snow.  Looks like we will be working on them again next week depending on what mother nature has in store for us.  Have a great day.

Tuesday update

What a busy week we've had.  All the rain we got last week has forced us to shift our priorities to blowing our greens off.  The weather has just been crazy..it's like we're getting our "January thaw" in February.  I can't imagine we are done with winter just yet.  The cross country track is taking a back seat to our golf course priorities and with the warm temperatures the track will not get groomed until we see another significant snow event.  We are using the track, as we do every year, to get our blowers to the greens and it really beats up the track. Feel free to continue using it, keeping in mind that foot travel and dog prints will take a toll on the already questionable quality due to the warm afternoon temps.

I received a complaint over the weekend about unleashed dogs chasing elk and almost causing someone to fall on the course because the owners didn't have adequate control.  I sound like a broken record..please leash your pets and adhere to our signage.  Have a great day.
 

What a wet weekend!!

Good afternoon all..what a wet weekend we just had.  We registered nearly 1.5" of liquid in our gauge here at the shop over the last 5 days.  Granted some of that was snow..the fact that it was warm enough to get a reading is crazy for mid February.  The snow settled out on the course and we went from 16-30" on the course to as little as 6" and as much 24" in spots.  Even have some puddles in random areas.  We are getting into the time of the year when it warms during the day and freezes every night, so the snow goes from bullet proof in the morning to soft in the afternoon.(freeze/thaw cycle).

We are digging pits today on the greens to monitor the moisure/ice situation after so much rain.  The track will not get groomed again until we get another snow event..perhaps mid week.  It is in decent shap right now, again, hard in the morning and soft in the afternoon.  There are at least 7 moose on or around the course.  I have seen 3 this morning just in my travels around to the greens.  There is a mom and yearling that were on the east end of the property yesterday and momma is protective so keep your distance if you encounter any wildlife.  Have a great day.

Update

Good morning.  We got 6-8" of snow out of the most recent storm before we warmed up overnight.  We actually had a little rain this morning before sunrise which added to the moisture content and helped the snow settle.  It should make for a decent track with the added moisture and we will have it groomed within the next hour or so.  They are calling for more snow over the weekend with fairly warm temps so we expect the snow to settle even more and continue with increasing moisture. 

These are the kind of conditions that can really damage the underlying turf if bootpacks or tracks are set and it packs all the way to the ground.  This is when it can start getting into a dangerous freeze/thaw cycle.  Thanks for sticking to the track and not setting your own tracks.

Below is a copy of a letter the club sent out to homeowners around the golf course last week and I wanted to share with everyone regarding course access and general policies:

Members and neighbors of Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club:

Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club (JHGTC) would like to take this opportunity to reach out and share some thoughts and reminders to our members, guests and neighbors that live around the golf course and/or may not be associated with the club.  We hope everyone is having a great winter season and utilizing the cross country track responsibly.  We are so excited about what the 2014 season will bring and look forward to a great summer.

As you all know, JHGTC is such a unique piece of property; we have such an abundance of wildlife, close proximity to Grand Teton National Park and land designated as Natural Resource Overlay (NRO) by Teton County.  We have a designated and recognized elk migratory route that bisects the property; we are responsible for managing the Gros Ventre watershed that runs on the south side of the property and numerous ditches that run throughout the property.  We have a huge responsibility as land managers in this unique environment and it is so important to us that we are protecting the asset that is the golf course, not only for Vail Resorts but for our members, guests, community at large and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in which we find ourselves.  We have worked very hard to develop relationships locally and regionally with the Teton Science School, JH Conservation Alliance, Wyoming Game & Fish, GTNP, Teton County Weed & Pest, Craighead BerengiaSouth Group, Department of Environmental Quality, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, and others to partner with. We use these relationships to generate ideas on how we can better manage our property with respect to wildlife interaction and habitat development, while maintaining a quality golfing experience.  These partnerships are crucial to our success in an area that is so environmentally unique.  In addition, we are designated an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International and have obtained International Standardization Organization (ISO 14001) certification for environmental stewardship.  In our mind we are “guests” here north of town and our mantra in Golf Operations is that “wildlife has the right of way”. 

There has been an increase in construction recently around the course and several residences that have changed hands.  We also have a lot of new neighbors and seasonal residents that may not be aware of our policies regarding the golf course.  For those of you who have been living around the course for a while, perhaps even before the course was built, we want to assure you that we are not creating new policies or rules, but merely enforcing the policies that have been in place but have been disregarded in recent years.  All that being said, we wanted to share with everyone some of the more important policies regarding the golf course, access and some seasonal dates that are important.

Ø  First, just as a reminder, the golf course is private property.  Membership to the club and/or property ownership around the club does not afford unrestricted access to the golf course from your residence for walking or recreating. 

Ø  According to club documents dogs are not allowed on the property at any time, unless they are assisting you in your travels.  We do make exceptions to this rule during certain times of the year, please see below.  WHEN DOGS ARE ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY THEY MUST BE PHYSICALLY LEASHED.  ELECTRONIC LEASHES ARE NOT AN ACCEPTABLE FORM OF RESTRAINT ON JHGTC PROPERTY.

Ø  The native areas around the course serve as a buffer for wildlife/habitat, operational activities and designate playable areas for golfers.  Mowing any of these areas down or creating trails through them from a residence to the golf course is prohibited. 

Ø  Access to the course from approximately May 1^st to October 15^th, when the golf course is open for business, is restricted to golfers only, and you must check in at the pro shop prior to accessing the course.  Golfing without being a member and/or checking in at the clubhouse is considered theft of services and will be handled accordingly.  Walking dogs, running, etc. is prohibited on the golf course at any time during this period.

Ø  From October 15^th until the first significant snowfall the property is off limits to everyone as we use this time to “winterize” the course in preparation for snowfall.  This includes activities like blowing out the irrigation system, applying chemicals to large portions of the course, tree work and other tasks using large equipment.  All of which can pose a safety risk to anyone on the property during this timeframe and affect the quality of the course going into winter.

Ø  Once we have our first significant snowfall and are able to groom the cross country track the course will be open to public access under the following conditions:

o    Access is restricted to the cross country track only and creating “boot pack” trails or establishing your own ski trail is prohibited.  Setting your own track or boot pack can damage the underlying turf. The CC track is set along the native in the rough where minimal damage can occur so we ask that you limit your travels to the track only.

o    We ask that you access the course at one of the 10 designated entrances: at road crossings and/or the clubhouse and parking lot area.  Accessing the course from your residence through native areas, other private lots and across the golf course is not only detrimental to the quality of the underlying grass/turf but it sets a dangerous precedent with respect to access and our liability exposure from a safety perspective.  There are nearly 200 lots/residences around the course and it would be irresponsible for JHGTC as property managers and representatives of Vail Resorts to allow everyone unrestricted access to the course from their homes.

o    Dogs are allowed on the course during this time of the year but MUST BE LEASHED at all times.  This is so very important for our environmental certifications and safety initiatives.  We have witnessed, numerous times, unrestrained dogs giving chase to wildlife while on the course.  This can be incredibly dangerous to surviving the winter for many of our elk, moose and deer that set up residence in the winter.  In addition, unrestrained dogs pose a safety risk to others utilizing the track and can cause tripping hazards for those on skis when not leashed.

o    The south side of Spring Gulch Rd (holes #9, 10 and 11) is designated NRO by Teton County as critical moose winter habitat and there is no access to this area between November 1^st and April 1^st.

Ø  Bicycles or other wheeled vehicles are not allowed on the course at any time.

Ø  We recently have had numerous requests for removal of trees on golf course property in order to enhance views for residences, new and old.  Because our property has stands of old growth cottonwoods on and around it, and because those areas provide habitat for wildlife we do not remove trees unless they pose a risk to life or property.  Each request is evaluated on a case by case basis.

Our goal with respect to the policies above is to responsibly manage the property while allowing limited access to surrounding homeowners and members.  We have several environmental and safety initiatives and certifications that hinge on these policies being adhered to.  In addition, there is a certain amount of exposure with respect to liability that we incur by having people on the property when we aren’t aware of your presence.   Lastly, we invest hundreds of thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of man hours per year to create a quality product and protect the asset that is the golf course.   It serves as a backdrop to many of your properties and enhances the value of residences neighboring the course when we are able to maintain it per our policies.  It is important to our members, guests, neighbors and Vail Resorts that we enforce the policies put in place to ensure quality, safety and environmental stewardship at this exceptionally rare piece of property.

We truly appreciate you as neighbors, members and guests.  We would encourage everyone to reference our maintenance blog at www.jacksonholegolf.blogspot.com for updates on the course, wildlife updates and winter activities. 

Thanks and have a great day.