Last week was a good week for the course. We lost 90% of our snow, but still have a lot in the heavier shaded areas. There is also still a considerable amount of frost in the ground. Before the melt, there were many reports of up to six feet of frost. We were able to get out on the course to get some clean-up started late last week, but the top 2-3 inches got very soft in the afternoons that made it very difficult to get much work done.
The course seemed to take the winter very well and everything is looking very good. I haven't seen any winter dessication anywhere yet and very minimal snow mold. Covers are still on the greens and we won't be able to get them off until the staples aren't frozen down anymore, hopefully we'll be able to get started removal late this week or this weekend.
I know everyone is getting anxious to get the sticks out, but be patient. It's been a tough winter and there is a lot to do on the course before we're able to open up. It will take some good rain events to get all of that frost out of the ground, and course clean-up will definitely take some time. My best guess is an opening date of 2-3 weeks from now, only time will tell.
