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| The purpose of this letter is to update our Members on issues relating to the golf course. |
Irrigation
Pond Project |
| As
we enter the month of May, our pond project is nearly complete. While we are a
bit behind schedule in completing the pump house and in putting the finishing
touches on the renovated holes, the pond is functioning fully and the overall
job will come in under budget. Gregg Armbruster and his crew worked very closely
with our contractors and this resulted in some substantial savings for our Club.
Our job now will be to fine-tune the course and repair areas damaged by the construction. At the same time, we will be getting back to a normal routine of course maintenance. Your patience through the project is appreciated. We recognize that over the past few years, due to circumstances of disease and drought, we have been in a constant "state of construction". It is time to take a break and enjoy our "new" course. Aside from some minor work on some of our bunkers, there will be no other projects scheduled for the next year. In the meanwhile, we will continue to work on our long range goal of completing the Master Plan in future years. |
| Effluent Project |
| Our new irrigation pond will not provide us with sufficient water in times of drought. It is still essential to the survival of our Club that we use effluent from the Borough as our source of irrigation. Although this project has been on the back burner while we have been working on the pond, the leadership of the Club is committed to this project. Hopefully, negotiations with the Borough, the Pinelands Commission, and the DEP will be restarted in the coming months. |
| Other Course Improvements |
| At
the direction of the Golf Committee, a new set of tees and markers have been installed:
Orange - Forward Green - Middle White - Medal Gold - Back |
| The additional set of tees may, at times of heavy play, cause stress to our smaller tee boxes, especially the Gold tees on Holes #2, #3, and #9. The course Superintendent may adjust the tee locations as necessary. |
| In addition, at the direction of the Philadelphia Golf Association and the Golf Committee, new out of bounds and lateral hazard stakes have been installed which are in compliance with the Rules of Golf. Please note: The Environmental Area on Hold #13 is a crossing hazard. Re-tee or play from in front of the tee box. All players are prohibited from entering the Environmental Area at all times. |
| New
flags were installed this year as well: Green - Front White - Middle Gold - Back |
| Every attempt will be made to vary pin and tee locations every day. Turf conditions may not allow us to do this at all times, however. |
| Berms and Mounds |
| Due to the recent construction of the berms and mounds, all motorized carts are prohibited from these areas for the reminder of the golf season. Do not ride up or over these areas. We need this year to allow the grass to grow and knit in. It may be inconvenient, but we will have a better course next year. |
| Check In at the Pro Shop |
| Sign in at the Pro Shop each and every time you play. We need to track the number of rounds played each year for budgeting and maintenance purposes. The more accurate figure we have, the better we can serve our members. |
| Open Meeting |
| The Green Committee held an open meeting on April 3 which was attended by nine Club Members in addition to our Committee Members. Comments and suggestions were made by the members. These included improvements of our roughs and bunkers as well as consistency in the height of our fairways. |
| Playability Standards for cutting heights were set as follows: |
| Greens | .130" | ||
| Fairways | .429" | ||
| First Cut | 1.0" | ||
| Rough | 2.5" |
| In addition, the landscape beds around the patio area were discussed and improvement to this area has since been accomplished. |
| Course Rules and Regulations |
| These have been published in the past and have been revised for 2006. Please read these rules carefully and abide by them each time on the course. These rules are made to improve your golf experience and to help reduce maintenance costs. Your cooperation is essential. Violations may subject you to sanctions that may include suspension or elimination of your playing privileges. |
| Exit Posts |
| Each hole has an exit post (white with a green top) near the green. All players with motorized carts and pull carts must exit the fairway at this location. Please observe this rule at all times. We want to eliminate the somewhat unsightly white lines that were painted on the fairways in past years. This will also reduce our maintenance cost and still maintain the conditions around our greens. |
| Again, thank you for your cooperation, and congratulations to Gregg Armbruster for his efforts in making the irrigation pond project a successful one. |
| Medford Lakes Green Committee |
| Mark
MaGrann, Chair Cindy Gaffney Jerry Reis Dick Hardwick Fred Heinel Dan Haskell |
Ed Ciel Mike Stabile Jill Kessler John McFadden Emil DeVito Peter Franks |