AROUND THE GREENS   By JD Clarizio 

1. Repair ball maks properly. I would like to emphasize 'properly'. When a ball mark is correctly repaired it should be almost unnoticeable, not a bare spot of dirt.  When repaired correctly the ball mark recovery is speeded up significantly, which means a nicer playing surface fore everyone.

2. Replace all divots. A divot that is replaced will heal within a couple of days. They do grow back very quickly! Please take the time after your shot, especially on par 3's to replace your divot.  Our crew will continue to sand seed as needed, however, it takes over 3 weeks for the seed to fully mature in good conditions.

3.Keep power carts away from greens. This is just good golf course etiquette.  It definitely helps reduce compaction and general wear and tear on the grass.

4. Protect the cup.  The goal of golf is to get the ball into a 4 1/4" cup. Please protect the edges of the cup for other golfers by 'carefully' replacing the pin back into the cup. Never use your club to get a ball out of a cup.

5. Rake the bunker 'properly' and put the rake back. Again, 'properly' is the key word. After hitting your shot out of a bunker you should proceed to rake the location of the shot along with all of your foot prints as smoothly as possible. The rake should be replaced back in the bunker.

6. Please discard broken tees and cigarettes. Broken tees and cigarette butts don't biodegrade and disappear. Please discard them into the garbage can or tee caddy.

7. Play ready golf. Although this doesn't have anything to do with the maintenance of the course it definitely is a fundamental that needs reminding.

By following these fundamentals we can have smoother greens and a better kept course for all players.

Enjoy the season!

J.D. Clarizio