‘Tis the season for giving thanks. My geeky heart is filled with gratitude for all of our volunteers who come out and give their time and labor to polish up this community golf gem of ours.
Our primary focus in 2017 was on the south end of the property – the Metra Loop. We continue to bootstrap pilot projects to attempt to give our players and the community a sense of the potential for Canal Shores. We realize that we are only scratching the surface relative to a full-scale renovation, but the progress and camaraderie that come from the work is tremendously rewarding.
More than worth the effort.
2017 PROJECTS AND VOLUNTEERS
Reclaiming the Ridgeline on the 15th
We kicked off the season wanting to complement the new bunkering and grass lines on #15 with a clearing and cleanup of the invasives along the ridgeline above the canal. The Colfax Street neighbors came out in force and helped us knock out the entire project in one day. They have been among our most active and supportive neighbors and we couldn’t appreciate them more.
16th Hole South Bank
For the second straight year, a group of students from North Shore Country Day School made Canal Shores the subject of their senior service project. Henry, Pierce, Will and Briggs carried on the tradition of making a difference by working with Steve Neumann on community outreach as well as diving in to clear the south side of the canal bank on #16. They worked very hard and made a big difference.
North Bank on the 16th
When my sons Jack and Henry learned about the work of the NSCDS dudes, they wanted in on the action. Jack grabbed his friends Matt, Luke, and Charlie, and with an assist from Matt and Luke’s dad George, we cleared the north bank. The goodness of these kids never ceases to amaze me. When the work was finished, for the first time in years, the water and the entire 16th green were visible from the 16th tee. A greatly enhanced experience for our players.
The Stone Wall on the 16th
Our neighbor and volunteer John McCarron advocated for a clearing and repair of the old stone wall that borders the base for the train line. The golf geeks, including members of the GolfClubAtlas community, got together and took care of the clearing, with an assist from Nels Johnson on the larger trees and stumps. John then reached out to the Union-Pacific railroad, who agreed to repair the wall so that this special feature of Canal Shores remains intact for decades to come.
16th Hole Finishing Touches
Our friends at the Northwestern University athletic department once again came out en masse for their community service day, and did the detail work on the south bank and along the wall. They weeded, raked, picked up debris, and spread mulch. After their hard work, we were able to seed along the wall and grow new turf, giving the approach a beautiful look.
Behind the Green on the 16th
The golf geeks also cleared away the brush and invasives behind the 16th green, opening up a view to and from Noyes Street. With help from the Evanston Forestry Department, trees were cleared and thinned bordering the sidewalk allowing for the removal of the old, chain link fence. A donation from the Honorable Company of Reverse Jans Golfers allowed us to have our friends at Fenceworks install the wood round-rail that is now the signature look of our property border.
The 16th Tee Path
Members of our Grounds Committee got out with volunteers and re-routed the walking path between the 15th green and 16th tee. Not only did the end result look much better, it also directed commuters and other walkers to enter the property in a much safer spot than their traditional route of heading straight out in front of the 15th green.
Clearing and Path Building on the 14th and 17th
The ETHS Boys Golf team brought out a huge crew of players, coaches and parents that took on clearing along the ridgeline on #14, clearing behind the 16th tee, and path building between the 16th hole and 17th tee. They did great work and took further ownership of their home course.
14th Hole Bunker Rebuild
Another group of golf geeks, including Tony and Graylyn from Links Magazine, Andy from The Fried Egg, Peter from Sugarloaf Social Club, and Coore & Crenshaw shaper Quinn Thompson, joined our volunteers for a rebuild of the greenside bunkers left of the 14th green. A great morning of work by kindred geeky spirits with a final product that adds flourish to the start of the Metra Loop. Special thanks also to our Super Tony, Assistant Super John Lee and their crew for assisting with the work, and for keeping the sod alive.
Reclaiming the Ridgeline on the 14th
We end the season where we began – taking back space above the ridgeline from invasives, this time on the 14th. Our neighbors, volunteers and the golf geeks continue to assist in this effort, which in certain spots is extending down onto the canal bank. Chilly temps, short days, and snowy skies have not deterred our army of buckthorn warriors from continued progress.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the contributions made during 2017. Our volunteers, donors, staff, Board of Directors, and committee members worked tirelessly on many fronts to move Canal Shores forward. During this season of thanks, I am grateful to be a part of this special movement.
More Journey Along the Shores posts:
- Pt.1 – Introduction
- Pt.2 – The Land
- Pt.3 – Principles for Greatness
- Pt.4 – First Steps
- 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
Copyright 2017 – Jason Way, GeekedOnGolf
This is amazing!