One of the most asked questions I’ve received in recent months is “how will this mild winter affect the golf course”?  The impacts can be both positive and negative.
  From a positive standpoint, any potential for damage to the turf from ice is all but passed, as the grass generally has to be under ice cover for 40-60 days or more in order to see damage. It is likely spring will arrive before that happens as we have yet to see any ice formation. Another positive is that we can see the turf and react to any visual problems prior to them becoming widespread. This is an edge you don’t have when things are snow covered. Unfortunately the negatives can tend to outweigh the positives.
  Temperature fluctuations can cause damage to the grass plant by stimulating growth and then freezing it as it begins to take up moisture. This time of year plants are week and vulnerable to any stress. This process, called crown hydration can kill large areas of turf in a very short period of time. I believe much of what happened at EACC over the winter of 2003 was a result of this process. At this point we see no evidence of this but we will continue to monitor the situation. I personally don’t feel temperatures have warmed up enough to aid in this phenomenon.
  There are other downsides to the mild winter. Preventative applications to control snow mold and other winter disease damage can loose their efficacy when not under snow cover. Also cold and dry winds blowing across exposed turf can cause desiccation. The one overlooked impact however is human damage.
  When there is no snow on the ground the course tends to receive more use. I would like to remind all of you that the greens are closed in winter for a reason. With the turf not actively growing they cannot recover from traffic. Also, playing turf that was frozen in the morning and partially thaws halfway through a round shears the roots off just below the surface and can cause severe damage, especially on a putting green. Add in ball marks and divots on tees and in fairways that don’t recover until the grass is actively growing and it can have a big impact on the course compared to a winter like last year when we are under snow from beginning to end. Enjoy the course but, for the good of the greens, please play to the temporary pins if you are out during the winter.

Thanks and think spring!!!!

Drew Thompson, Golf Course Superintendent 

  Last week was a beautiful week and this week has promise of getting better. For those of you that think all of this rain makes our job easier please think again. This has been the most difficult spring of my career and getting things done on the golf course has been tricky and very frustrating at times. Doing what we need to do so that the course is acceptable when the sun decides to show it’s face is easier said than done and our crew has been beat up working in some pretty miserable conditions this spring. I would like to recognize both the full and part time employees that have gutted out the bad weather and heavy workload so far this spring.

Don Gloss (Assistant Superintendent), Jim Fleckenstein (Mechanic), Jesse Schloss (Gardener), Jon Rosenberg, Jeff Miller, Paul Harmon, Paul Leavitt, Andy MacGregor. The recent return of Chris Mazur was a big help as well. We got through a tough spring 2 full time employees less than 2010 and this crew deserves a big pat on the back for their accomplishments. Please give them a thumbs up for their hard work when you see them.

  The intermediate cut has been added and we have launched a new grounds feedback page on the website. Click on this link (http://eastauroracc.com/Members/GroundsFeedback.aspx) to visit the page and give us your feedback. Good or bad we want to know. Also, remember that any questions or comments for the grounds department can also be sent to grounds@eastauroracc.com.

See you on the course!!!

Drew Thompson, Superintendent

  It sure looked like we might be heading in the right direction but Mother Nature and Old Man Winter pulled a fast one on us. As a result we are all paying that much more attention to the forecast, hoping for a sign in the 10- day outlook that spring temperatures are on the horizon. Personally I find myself reminiscing about last spring when it was almost 90 degrees for a few days around April 1^st.  So where does this put us in the grounds department as far a preparation goes?

  When the weather was good during St. Patrick’s week, we were able to get out and get much of the larger limbs and debris from around the course picked up. We cleaned off greens and tees and also focused on getting the entrance to the club cleaned up and around the clubhouse and parking lot. We removed the covers from the greens and started to pay attention to some of the plant beds. Some of this work will have to be revisited as a result of the snow but we did make some progress in getting the course ready for opening.

  We are as excited as you are to get things going this year and expect a great season. Remember that any questions or comments for the grounds department can be sent to grounds@eastauroracc.com.

See you on the course!!!

Drew Thompson, Superintendent

 Only 14 days until the first full day of spring!!!! The sun has been out a bit more frequently and the temperatures have teased us a bit over the last few weeks. If you are at all like me, you’re looking forward to getting out onto the course. I have taken a few tours of the course during our last few snow melts and so far we are in good shape. We are not out of the woods yet but with every day we are closer to the winter damage finish line. We hope to begin getting out and doing some general cleanup sometime in the next week.

 If you haven’t had a chance to stop and enjoy the Thursday thru Saturday March Madness specials in the bar, make it a point to put it on your calendar. And if you haven’t met the new House Manager, George Mintzer, make it a point to introduce yourself. I’m sure you’ll be as impressed as I am. Along with Chris Kulinski in the Pro Shop the three of us are focused on working together to make the upcoming season and every season to come an absolute blast from start to finish. If you are reading this as someone who is contemplating membership at EACC, we look forward to showing you what we are all about. We are sure you’ll be impressed.

If you have any questions or comments please contact grounds@eastauroracc.com

See you on the course!!!! 

Drew Thompson, Superintendent

  I’m not sure if you’ve been paying attention but the daylight hours are beginning to get noticeably longer. We’re only about a month away from the official first day of spring!!!! How sweet does that sound!!!

  In the grounds department we’re fired up to get outside and get going. We are coming down the home stretch on our winter equipment maintenance as well as the refurbishing of all golf course accessories. It’s been a long cold winter which I’m sure will make those first warm spring days that much sweeter.

  As a result of the weather this year we have had a nice blanket of snow to insulate the golf course. With very few temperature fluctuations above the freezing mark we have not seen any ice formation at this point and we are hopeful that the turf will come out of the winter with minimal damage. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

  Finally, as a result of the recent restructuring in the house I am sad to say good-bye to a good friend and a wonderful working companion. Scott and I worked together at the Country Club of Buffalo before East Aurora and I can’t begin to describe the joy he has been to work with. The level of professionalism and intensity that he puts into everything he does has been an inspiration and I will miss him very much. I love ya Scott!! We all do.

Drew Thompson, Superintendent

  In the week leading up to Christmas our Mechanic of 25 years, Jim Fleckenstein, was dealt a blow when his wife Jan had a Major stroke at the age of 53. Jan is alive and recovering but the stroke was major and she has a very long road ahead of her.

 Jim has done an admirable job of attending to all of her needs while at the same time fulfilling his duties to EACC. As a result of this tragic turn of events Jim and Jan are dealing with some unexpected costs that their insurance will not cover.

  Anyone interested in helping can contact Drew at grounds@eastauroracc.com, see Scott in the House or stop at the bar and make a donation. Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

The EACC Grounds Department

Welcome to 2011!!!! I hope you all had a great Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Now it’s time to buckle down and get what I feel will be a great year underway.

  A new year symbolizes a fresh start and a time for new goals and resolutions to be put into motion. If you are looking to trim pounds, quit smoking or even improve your golf game it requires will power and dedication to accomplish any of these tasks. It also requires the support of friends and family. So why not add, “support others” to your list of resolutions. If you notice friends, family or co-workers dropping weight, tell them!! If you hear someone brag that they haven’t had a cigarette in 2 weeks, applaud them!! If you play with someone that has noticeably improved their game, congratulate them!! It only takes a few seconds and can make everyone involved more positive.

   So what does this have to do with grounds or East Aurora Country Club? This is a great place to get the support you need. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are great winter activities that we encourage the Membership to utilize the property for. We just ask that you steer clear of greens. Healthy menu choices are also available. What better course to walk in the summer as you play to burn some calories. If you are quitting smoking come to the club and brag about your success. Let the wonderful Members and Staff pat you on the back. And if you are looking to improve your game there are some very exciting things happening in the Golf department that will help you to do that.

  Thanks to all of you that attended our open house. We had close to 80 in attendance throughout the day. We are shooting for the same day in 2011. That date will be Wednesday December 21^st. Mark your calendars.

  If you have any questions or comments for the grounds department or just want to say hi please send a note to grounds@eastauroracc.com.

See you on the course!!!

Drew Thompson, Superintendent

   The Holiday season is upon us and it is an exciting time for everyone. As we begin the planning process for the upcoming year we are optimistic that we can continue to provide the membership at East Aurora CC with the best value in town by providing a level of conditioning that equals or exceeds any facility in the area.

   So what do we do in the winter? Winter is as busy as summer if not more so for us. Besides plowing snow, we go through and repair and refurbish all of our tee markers, divot boxes, ball washers, hazard stakes, benches, garbage cans, and the rest of the golf course accessories. We also attend to all of our equipment during the off-season. Our Mechanic, Jim Fleckenstein, sharpens mower blades, replaces bearings, and addresses a laundry list of odds and ends that we put off until the winter. This keeps our mowers and other equipment in top shape for the upcoming year. Lastly we do some tree work on the course, weather permitting. All with a fraction of the employees we have during the season.

   A reminder that the Grounds department open house is on December 22^nd from 1pm-6pm. Please RSVP to the new EACC grounds email if you plan to come. If you don’t RSVP stop buy anyway. We would love to see you.

 The address is grounds@eastauroracc.com.

See you on the course!!!

Drew Thompson, Superintendent

 Happy Halloween to all of you and as the “official golf season” wraps up, let’s not forget that November can surprise us and give us some great weather to get out and play and get some exercise. With Thanksgiving and the Holiday’s coming up on us fast a little walk on the golf course before the white stuff flies is a great way to stay in shape.

  “Frost Season” is here so if you come out to play in the morning and there is frost on the course, please keep off the grass until it has melted off. Walking on frosty turf can severely damage and likely kill the turf. Be aware of this especially as the Pro Shop closes.

   Last year we put together an open house in the grounds building near Christmas time. We are planning to do it again this year and hope that with a bit more notice we can increase the crowd we had last year.  The date we are shooting for is Wednesday December 22^nd   in the Maintenance Facility.  We will have hors devours, a full bar and plenty of laughs. Plus it gives those of you who haven’t seen our building an opportunity to stop and get a peek and maybe meet some people you may not know.  There is no charge to you for this and no cost to the club. This is the Grounds Departments way of saying thanks for a great year and kicking the new one off on the right foot.

    Lastly, we have put an e-mail address together for you to communicate your suggestions, questions, and comments regarding the golf course directly to the Grounds Department. The address is grounds@eastauroracc.com.

See you on the course!!!
Drew Thompson, Superintendent

I think we have hit peek fall color and it is beautiful!!!!!

If you haven’t been out lately now is a great time. We are working hard to get leaves cleaned up and starting today (10/12) we are dropping the height of cut in the rough to make it a bit more forgiving. This should also help with locating errant shots. Of course, if you’re playing this time of year, the leaf rule should be in full effect. 

Enjoy your fall. There is still some great golf weather left!!

See you on the course!!!
Drew Thompson, Superintendent

What a drastic change we have seen in the weather over the last two weeks. Temperatures went from near 90 in the first week of September to highs in the 60’s now. It seems as though fall decided to arrive a bit early this year. The good news is that there is still some great golf weather to come in the months of September, October and even November. If you think EACC is Beautiful in the summer, you should see it when the leaves are at peak fall color.

Greens aerification was completed on the 14th and recovery is underway. This practice is a necessary evil that is a huge reason our greens perform the way they do through the season. Relieving compaction, increasing oxygen in the root zone, removing organic matter and amending the soil profile are benefits that help us provide a high quality putting surface year in and year out. I thank you for your patience during this process. 

See you on the course!!!

Drew Thompson, Superintendent