Thanks for the season

Its that time of the season, staff is on a vacation, course should be wintering quite nicely and the the heat and humidity of 2011 are behind us.

It was a difficult season, started off with actually removing ice of of 4 greens after the great snow in January. I've been here 16 seasons, that was a first.

Course opened in March, employees came back at the end of the month, had the course looking great.

May was the first test, with our I-80 Amateur test, rained both days, had well over an 1.5" of rain in 2 days......then the first of 2 flood events in May and June.

June was going okay, until the direct lightning strike to the irrigation system, then lost some turf on the 14th fwy, 14th green was good. It finally came down to soil chemistry, water, and juvenile turf that succumb to the heat and flooding.

July was the most difficult month all season, started out hot and then humid and it stayed for over 2 weeks...Had a rather tired staff and super.( My central air was out at my house)

August started out ok, attempted the 1st of 3 seedings on 14th fairway...did a whole lot of aeration, seeding, topdressing, and watering to revive this hole. Come to figure out the irrigation water was causing some problems.

September and following months was like planned clockwork...aeration, seeding, high school kids....

No major irrigation problems this season. Maybe after 16 seasons the pump station finally aknowledged I'm the higher authority here.

Finally I would like to thank all the people who golf at the Sanctuary Golf Course, it's staff and the volunteers who make this happen.

I'd like to personally thank the guys on the grounds staff, who worked through the brutal season we come to know as 2011.

I've been in this business called golf since 1984...this season ranks up there with the worst, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2010, and now 2011.

Thanks.