The Canal Shores Grounds Committee spent the winter sharing ideas, from the blue sky big picture all the way down to the nitty gritty details. Spring has sprung, and it is time to get into action.
While our long-term Master Plan is in the skunkworks stage, we decided that we still want to move forward with making the cost-effective improvements that we can. We will, however, be making those improvements with the Principles for Greatness and ultimate vision in mind, so as not to waste scarce resources.
Our immediate priorities fall into 3 categories:
1. Tees and Greens – Our Superintendent Tom Tully and his team have made great strides in the quality of the two most important elements of any golf course for playability.
- Players can expect conditioning to continue to improve.
- We will likely be moving some tees and possibly adding Tee It Forward markers for kids and people who would rather play the course as a pitch-and-putt.
- Greens complexes will evolve to include puttable chipping areas, with the intention of increasing interest and fun.
2. Clean-Up – Due to years of neglect, the property has turned into a dumping ground for trash and debris. We will continue clean-up efforts, including beginning to progressively eradicate invasive tree species such as buckthorn and mulberry. Our “broken windows theory” is that the more we demonstrate care for the property, the less likely people will be to disrespect it by littering.
3. Outside-In Buffering – In Part 3, I shared our Principle of Mixed Use (vs. shared use). We will begin to segregate the property by establishing walking paths on the perimeter and buffer zones of long grass. We will also introduce the first test plots of native grasses and flowers. This initial step will introduce the intended look of the property, while improving enjoyment for golfers and safety for non-golfers.
While work will be ongoing throughout the property, our efforts will be most heavily concentrated on Section D (Isabella to Central). This section includes holes 3 (par 4), 11 (par 3) and 12 (par 4). There is a sense of urgency around addressing this section in part because it contains some of the most interesting features of the property, and in part because it is the source of the greatest number of neighbor complaints.
With our list of priorities in hand, we spring into action. Stay tuned for further updates, and if you see us out on The Shores, feel free to come lend a hand. We’ll take all the help we can get.
More Journey Along the Shores posts:
- Pt.1 – Introduction
- Pt.2 – The Land
- Pt.3 – Principles for Greatness
- Pt.5 – Tree Management
- Pt.6 – 4 Course Concept
- Pt.7 – Pilot Projects
- Pt.8 – More Tree Management
- Pt.9 – Inspiration for the New Canal Shores
- Pt.10 – Off-Season Projects
- Pt.11 – Blue Sky Findings
- Pt.12 – Good Geeky Fun
- Pt.13 – 4 Course Concept Revisited
- Pt.14a – The Power of Volunteers
- Pt.14b – More Volunteer Power
- Pt.15 – Metra Corner Makeover
- Pt.15b – Metra Corner Update
- Pt.16 – Super Changes
- Pt.17 – 14th Hole Bunker Rebuild
- Pt.18 – Annual Volunteer Recap
Copyright 2015 – Jason Way, GeekedOnGolf
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