Growing more than grass

Some people don’t notice them. Others would be embarrassed using them. But for beginner golfers, they can make the introduction to golf more pleasurable. Yellow tees were created to accommodate new golfers. They coincide with the yellow tee yardages that are on our scorecard. Using statistics from Golf Canada and suggestions from a golf consultant, we are growing the game by providing a golf course that is fun will attract new golfers. As the irrigation project comes to an end, you will see new yellow tees popping up. Eventually, there will be 18 permanent yellow tee boxes on the course.

The new yellow tees on #3 looking towards the green, 274 yards slightly uphill

We hope this will encourage new golfers to play as they bring a positive, refreshing atmosphere to the golf course. Everyone who plays this great game agrees that we need to introduce it to as many people as we can, and they too can fold to the addiction.

Of course, yellow tees are not only for beginner golfers. Kids use them and even avid golfers may give it a shot if they are having a bad day and no one is looking. And there is nothing wrong with that. Whatever it takes to motivate people to play golf and keep playing as they grow older. It is a great game and a fantastic way to spend some time outdoors.

The outlook is optimistic

The crews continued working on the irrigation project on Monday, after the weather took a turn and delayed the project for a brief period. Hole 2 is expected to be finished by the end of the week, especially if the forecast stays true to its prediction of sunshine for the rest of the week. With only 35 sprinkler heads left to install, it is likely that we will finish the installation process by the end of January.

Next week the crews will focus on cleaning up the fairways, which includes rising up sunken grounds, laying the sod down, covering up bare ground, and fixing up the trenches. Once this is all complete, the testing of the new irrigation system will begin, before players can step out onto the improved course.

The final phase of the irrigation project will be the driving range, which will likely start in February. We are confident that this project will be finished on time and look forward to the 2013 golf season. We are excited for this two-year project to wrap up. We have come a long way in terms of experience and knowledge with the installation of a new irrigation system.

The future looks bright

Let’s catch up on the irrigation project. Due to the mild weather and the great efforts by our crew, who are mostly our regular grounds crew, the irrigation project is moving a lot faster than we expected. Like last year, they stepped up to the physical challenge that comes along with an irrigation project throughout the winter months. We are guided, to some extent, by an irrigation contractor who drops in every once in a while to keep us on track by laying out the routing on some of the bigger pipe and generally sharing his experiences. We also have a local irrigation expert overseeing the joining of the pipes and valves. It is definitely prudent to have these guys on the job but the work of trenching and re-filling trenches is done by our own staff. This is very helpful when it comes to repairing or replacing damaged drainage and, of course, the re-sodding.

Irrigation on the first hole

So we are roughly six weeks into the project and every green on the front nine is finished, except hole 2 which should be finished by the end of this week. Lateral lines are in except for a bit at the tee on hole 3 and the 9^th fairway. Lastly, the crews will start on the putting green.

The crew is planning on working up until the Christmas break (weather permitting) and then the clean up will be in the New Year. After that, we hope for an early warm spring so the healing process can begin and golfers can start playing on the front nine.

Have a happy holiday, where ever you are.

Is it just a pipe dream?

We are happy to say that the irrigation project is moving along very nicely. Holes 4 – 8 are now complete and crews are installing the pipe on the third fairway. This is exciting news and can give a person a real sense of optimism when it comes to predicting a completion date.

Piping on the third fairway

The weather will become a bigger factor as we creep into the end of November and we may run into a setback, but the work on the front nine has gone well for other reasons. Great preparation and an efficient team has allowed this project to move so smoothly. Rod and Rick have done a great job in scheduling and managing construction. The morale is high as the crew can literally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Can we get this done by Christmas or the end of January? That remains to be seen, but all things considered, it is a great success so far and the crews should be proud. Progress is moving quickly and that shouldn’t change, as long as the weather holds up. We will be playing on the front nine before we know it!

Day 18: A great start to the irrigation project

Today marks roughly the middle of October and the very impressive beginning of our front nine irrigation project. Hopefully you have noticed the excellent progress that Rod Siddons, Acting Golf Superintendent, and his crew have made in such a short time. The eighth hole is complete, and we are able to play it (with some care). The seventh hole is almost done and we will work back through the course to start on the sixth and then the fifth hole.

We have been lucky with the weather, but more so we are reaping the benefits of great preparation and greater experience. The biggest challenge so far has been replacing and repairing the drainage that inevitably becomes damaged in this process.

So far we have had a minimum of five holes open on the front nine all month, and with the completion of hole eight, we now have six holes open. We are lucky to have Rod Siddons, Rick Munro, and most of the crew what worked on the irrigation project last year. We will try to keep you updated on a regular basis, and for daily updates you can call the Golf Shop at 250.468.7666.

On a sad note….

We are all very saddened with the recent passing of our long-time Golf Superintendent,  Jim Dafoe. Jim lost his battle with cancer on October 7,2012. There will be a Celebration of Life at the Clubhouse on November 1, at 2pm. Those of us who worked with Jim cannot believe his is gone, and he will never be forgotten. He leaves behind a golf course that he considered “his”, we will never be able to think of one without the other. We will miss you Jim.

Fall brings new strategies to old games

Once again, we are gearing up to start the irrigation project, this time on the front nine. We started installing the irrigation system last October and closed the back nine while grounds crew installed the new piping. The improved irrigation system was completed by the end of April and the course was opened in time for the golf season.  Golfers are already able to notice the improvements on the back nine, including reduced wet spots.

As of October 1, the front nine will be closed for improvement through the fall and winter season, which gives golfers the opportunity to become familiar with the back nine and practice some of the challenges such as getting a par on hole 13. The uphill slope makes it the second hardest hole on the course with a number two handicap. At 546 yards from the blue tees, the par five hole is a great way to test your patience. If you can get a par, you deserve a beer!

Another challenge on the back nine is the tee shot on hole 18. Looks can be deceiving on this par five hole, but most people try to avoid the water on the right and going out of bounds to the left. The secret – aim at the bunker.

Playing the same nine holes allows you to focus on your weaknesses and improve in areas you consistently have trouble with. It lets you get to know the course better and discover ways to overcome the challenging, yet forgiving barriers that you may not notice when you aren’t playing the same holes as often.

Supporting students through the VIU Charity Classic

For the past three years Fairwinds has been proud to host the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Charity Golf Classic. We are thrilled to be a part of this great cause and are pleased to hear that this year’s event raised just under $60,000 to support VIU students!

A recent graduate of the Arts program, Kyla Hanington, said, “Scholarships are so much more than financial relief. They are gifts of hope. They are reassurance that you are doing the right thing after all. They are like faint whispers. Keep going, keep going. Keep going.”

It is students like Kyla that appreciate the generosity of everyone involved in making this event a success. It offers students financial support and acknowledges their hard work and motivation. These students are the future of our community.

The VIU Foundation, founded in 1994, is the charitable arm of VIU and today manages an endowment worth more than $15.1 million. In 2011, the 24-member board raised just under $2 million to support student scholarships, awards and bursaries, provide state-of-the-art technologies in VIU’s classrooms and labs, and fund capital projects and equipment needs.

The next VIU Charity Golf Classic will be held on Friday, June 14, 2013 at Fairwinds Golf Club.