Happy summer everyone! I hope that everyone is enjoying the golf season. Although Mother Nature hasn’t deluged us quite as much as last year, we still have had our share of unsettled weather. It seems it is either hot and muggy or heavily raining.
CCC continually has days where there are 200+ rounds of golf. We are certainly one of the busiest courses in Vermont, which is not surprising to all of us who love this place. Mike and his staff in the Pro Shop have done a fantastic job making sure everyone’s day at the course is a great experience, while Chris Saylor and his crew are keeping the course in fantastic shape. It has not been an easy couple of seasons for them, but the course continues to improve year after year.
After a few years of major projects, we are now focused on drainage issues. Chris Saylor is reaching out to companies that specialize in golf course drainage to start putting a plan in place to address the problem areas such as the number 2 fairway, 15 approach and number 16. We feel that hiring a company with the right equipment will allow the projects to be done quickly, return the affected areas back into play much sooner, while allowing our staff to continue focusing on the upkeep of the course.
We recognize that the 7th tee box did not come in as expected and, unfortunately, we needed to close it once again while repairs were made. There are several factors that we believe contributed to the condition. The construction of the stone wall resulted in compacting of the subsoil, and the sod did not root as quickly as we normally see, which resulted in us opening the tee too soon. The tee has been aerated, top dressed, and reseeded, and we will re-open it as soon as possible. We are also discussing expanding the lower tee to give us two large viable tees to alternate throughout the season.
The 18th green is getting closer and closer to being open. This has been a process, and it is worth waiting to ensure the green is not damaged once it is playable. We anticipate opening the green for Men’s Member-Guest weekend.
Thanks to everyone for supporting Irons & Ale while we continue to learn and grow during our first season. We love seeing so many people enjoying the new space. We have seen a good response to our events: live music, Friday night couples’ dinners in the lounge, and Tuesday Trivia all have had large turn outs. We are also going to start Sunday brunches on the first Sunday of each month and be on the lookout for dinner specials. If you have not had one of Chef Tyler’s meals, you are missing out! Please continue to provide feedback, as we want to continue to improve your experience in the clubhouse.
Our annual meeting this year will be in late August, and we will be announcing the exact date next week. There are two open positions: Kevin Hurbut has decided not to run again, and Jackie Deslauriers is rerunning for another three-year term. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Kevin for the last three years of service on the board; he will be missed. We also appreciate the instrumental role Jackie has played in making the restaurant a success. If you are interested in running for a seat on the board, please send your bio to golf@champlaincountryclub.com.