Greens are Covered

As I sit here this morning and go over my checklist of cold weather preparations and precautions, I keep asking myself, "just how cold it is really going to get?" That is probably a question that many have right now as we prepare for one of our coldest string of days in over 10 years. Based upon various weather reports, we have taken the necessary precautions to protect against the worst of conditions.

On Wednesday, we were able to get all twenty putting greens covered and staked down with only minimal problems. The little bit of wind that was blowing, however did cause a little ruckus on a few holes that aren't guarded by trees. In a little over 4 hours, all the greens were covered and we were packing up to go home, just as darkness began to fall and a light sprinkle was felt.

The process started off in a fiery rage and continued through about the first 6 holes, until we were met with our first hurdle on #7, wind. After securing the protective cover, the crew all began to wonder if this was a sign of what was yet to come. With their heads held high they moved onto #8, not knowing what was lying in wait for them. Just as the tarp was being unrolled and spread out, a strong gust came off the lake and had everyone holding on for dear life, hoping to hang on to the massive black monster. Finally, after what felt like minutes, but was really only seconds, of uncontrollable chaos, the wind died and the tarp was stretched across the green and quickly secured. After that melee, everyone felt slightly bummed, however the enthusiasm that they had at the beginning was soon rediscovered and the rest of the greens were conquered with minimal problems.

Today we will spend the morning double checking all of the stakes to make sure they are secure for today's winds that are expected to reach 30 mph with gusts of over 40. If you happen to witness a 2000 square foot black cloud floating overhead, don't be alarmed it is just a rogue greens cover. Please contact the maintenance department at Deerwood, and we will come and get the runaway.

As I conclude this morning's entry, I want to remind everyone to take the weather forecasts for this week seriously and protect your water pipes, plants, and your pets. We are in for some freezing temperatures that could last 36-48 continuous hours, beginning late this afternoon, temperatures that a lot of us are not accustomed to.