Memorial Weekend

The summer golf season is officially here. We always see the golfing start to pick up this weekend every year. The course is in great shape. This past week we received over 2 inches of rain which was a relief considering the week before we had very little rain and 90 degree days. I guess this is a relief as far as growing grass but not for golfing. The flowers have been put out and we are hoping that there will be no more late season frosts. Our flower lady has been working very hard and putting in some long hours to get them done for this weekend. Other than that we haven't done any major changes mostly due to just trying to keep up with all the grass. Hope you will stop by again. Thanks for reading.

Aerating Monday & Tuesday

It is that time of year again for us to aerate our greens. We will be aerating the front 9 on Monday and the back 9 on Tuesday. Those holes will be closed on their respective days. This past week the grounds crew was busy just trying to keep up with mowing. We also got quite a bit of fertilizing done so the grass should really take off here shortly.

Getting into the swing of things

Things are really starting to get rolling here for the grounds crew. The irrigation system has been patched up and is running smoothly. We have started a couple new projects out on the course. Some of the tee boxes are being renovated. They took a beating from being open late into the fall and early this spring. During those times of the year, the grass does not recover since it is dormant. Also, the old walking bridge that connects 15 and 16 has been taken out. It was becoming a hazard to walk across so we will be building a new one shortly. Other than that, we have just been mowing and getting the course ready for the busy summer golf season. Also this past weekend, we lost our female swan. She was snatched off of the nest by a predator. We are assuming some animal like a badger, wolf, coyote, bear or mountain lion. There are some theories going around the grounds crew that it was Sasquatch, but of course no proof exists. Thanks for reading this week and as always if you have any questions or comments, drop a comment on this blog or send us an email bbpgrounds@wcta.net

This is more like it

We all knew that we couldn't go through March and April without snow. Yesterday we received 1.75" of rain and last night it changed to snow and we received 2-3" of the white stuff. So for now the golf course is closed. This picture to the left is of #8 green. I would guess this snow will be gone tomorrow some time. For those of you who have been out here lately, you can tell that we have been working on the irrigation. We have been experiencing a few leaks here and there. Nothing too serious. Other than that the course has been in great shape especially considering that it is only April 16. Thanks for reading. Check back soon.

Back to reality

This week has been significantly cooler than last although I guess we shouldn't complain too much since this is considered "normal". Around there we have been keeping busy getting mowers ready to go and hand watering greens. Some of our holes on the course are built on top of a swamp/bog so the frost hasn't gone out yet. So that requires us to hand water with tanks. It is very time consuming but it is much better than fixing irrigation pipes. The course is overall in good condition and we are looking forward to this weekend that promises highs in the 70's.

Greens are mowed

We have set another record here at Blueberry Pines. Greens were mowed yesterday ( March 20), which is the earliest greens have ever been mowed since the course opened in 1991. They are growing well and the rain on Monday night couldn't have had better timing. We received 3/4 inch and it is very noticeable. Everything seems to have greened up significantly in the past 24 hours. Overall the course is in great shape and we are starting to get busy here on the grounds crew so if you make it out please watch out for us, but we should for the most part be staying out of your way as much as possible. Thanks for reading. Check back next week for another update.

Opening Tomorrow

The course has cleared up quicker than expected so we will be opening tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1pm. The snow is almost all gone with only a few piles around the greens and in the shade. If you do make it out to golf this week, the grounds crew would like you to stay on cart paths as much as possible as some of the holes are still fairly wet. Thanks for reading and the off-season is almost over!

Opening Soon

Well it is that time of year again for Blueberry Pines to open. The snow has disappeared faster than anticipated. I would say we are around 85% clear with snow hanging around in the shady spots and in the piles from plowing greens. We will be working the next couple days to knock down the piles and get everything else prepped for opening. Currently, we are planning on opening Thursday, March 15. This will be the earliest we have opened in the history of the course. Call the proshop to book a tee time. (218) 564-GOLF

Melting continues....

The melting process is in full force right now. All of the greens and tees were completely free of snow this afternoon. The fairways have a bit to go before they are clear. I would say they are around 1/3 clear. The pictures show above were taken this afternoon just to show how the snow melt is coming along. The first picture is #16 looking from the whites to the green, the second is the driving range looking from the tee, the third is #6 looking from the whites to the green, the fourth is #3 fairway looking from the whites, and last is #1 looking from behind the green towards the fairway.

Cleaning greens.....Spring is just around the corner

This week has been busy for the grounds crew. We have been plowing greens, tees, and the par 3 fairways. Currently, we have about 4-5 inches of snow on the course. With the oncoming temperatures projected to be in the 40's and 50's, rapid melting will be occurring. If everything goes well, there could be a potential opening late next week so check back here often as I will be updating quite frequently about course conditions. Thanks for checking in with us here at Blueberry Pines.