Blog Post By: Craig McKinley, Golf Course Superintendent
Opening day of golf is a special day every year; however, this year, it has become something even more special. Not seeing guests this time of year has been both surreal and frustrating, to be honest. So, seeing our Members and our guests coming back to the property has been uplifting and very special.
Reflection
This spring has shown us all what is most important in our lives. I know I for one have seen more of my family on Zoom than I normally see them in-person over the course of a year. And, as for Bucks Run, I have been shown the importance of hard work and teamwork, which the Bucks Run staff has in spades. During a time of year that we are normally getting fully-staffed and making the course shine, we were down to just essential staff -- much the same as every other business in Michigan. However, the golf course wouldn't be looking as great as it does now without the help of every department. General Managers, Golf Professionals, and Food and Beverage Managers were out cleaning-up the golf course and prepping it for play. We have had very few challenging times since I have been at Bucks Run, and every time we do, I am in awe of the teamwork and dedication of our team.
So, what I have learned during this time is the most important things in my life are my family, this incredible property, and the people that I work with. With that being said, it is time to get back to what we do best, which is providing the best possible golfing experience for our guests.
Course Updates
This past fall, we had installed curbing along #6, 9, and 13 tees to help alleviate the rutting from cart traffic. With the help of Erick Forshee, Fisher Companies Health & Safety Director, they turned out amazing. He even added the Bucks Run logo into the faces of the curbs! The curbing on #9 and 13 has been back-filled and seeded, and is really going to look fantastic.
Since the curbing on #6 was added, we decided to expand the tee toward the cart path. We selectively removed a few trees to open-up the left side of the tee this past winter. We have removed sod from half of the tee in order to level the tee to the height of the curb. This has been graded and will be sodded this upcoming week.
Late last fall, we also stripped the men’s tee on #8. Drainage was added on the right side and the tee was re-leveled. The heavy rains last fall forced us to sod the tee top, but the surround has grown-in fairly, and was recently re-seeded.
It continues to be my privilege to maintain this wonderful property for our guest’s enjoyment. All of our staff cannot wait to see you out at Bucks Run. Please, especially with limited staff, remember to fix your ball marks and replace your divots. See you soon!