July Storms

Have had a few questions today and last week on on bunkers and course conditions following some of these massive storms.  In the past 15 days Canyon Farms has been hit with 4 major storms bringing a total of just under 10" of rain.  One of these storms brought a small micro burst producing 2.5" in less than 30 minutes, knocking several trees down on holes 13 & 14 and even completely bending the flagstick and cup IN the green from the strong wind, seen here to the left.

We had finally finished all of our bunker cleanup and were rocked once again yesterday with 3.25" in just over 1.5 hours.  I want to reiterate that during and after events such as these our course will not be at its best, especially our bunkers.  Please be patient as we rebuild them back by shoveling out silt, mud and then shovel all the sand back up the faces.  This is such a backbreaking duty, and with a crew of 7 it takes us some time.  If you happen to find yourself in a bunker that we have not gotten to please follow USGA rules and rake a spot and place your golf ball, or play it as a lateral hazard.

Here are some of the photos during these events:

Its HOT out there...

Well the long wait from the spring rains to full on summer heat is upon us this week and foreseeable future.  Some key reminders as you are out there playing:
- Always have extra water bottles, fill up at all chances
- Dont play by yourself
- If you feel overheated seek shade, call proshop and drink water

Additionally things you will notice for maintenance of the golf course, as soil temps reach upper 80's and 90's our cool season turf will be in massive stress mode and we will be taking some different tactics with watering, cooling greens in the afternoon and running blowers in our drains to supply our rootzone with oxygen.  We are in survival mode for the next 45 days, please remember to always fix your ball marks as they take longer to heal in days like this.

We here at Canyon Farms are a dedicated group, all the way to our lovely golf course dog Gonzo.  Some of you have seen him running or even gotten the chance to meet him, he is one of the nicest and personable dogs I have ever been around.  Gonzo is a rescue dog who is 2.5 years old and is a hybrid Border Collie / lab mix, in short he has an abundance of energy, perfect for his course.  I call it his course because if you see him running in the morning, chasing off pesky geese, rabbits, or this morning our neighboring Hawk population he defends this place with every bit of energy he has.  Typically Gonzo will run all 18 holes, take a swim in our ponds to cool off and will spend the rest of the day sleeping after his 7-10 mile run. 

One of the best advantages we see to owning a course dog here at Canyon is with our reduced geese population.  Since bringing him onto the property in early February we have drastically reduced geese not only flying here, but nesting and creating massive havoc with their lovely droppings all over the course and being a territorial nuisance to you.  We will really notice Gonzo’s impact later this fall and through the winter months as the geese migrate through the area, I think I can speak for all of our golfers and neighbors this is a huge bonus.

So next time you see him running around stop and say hello, he will be more than likely try to get you to pet him as he gives you kisses.

Happy golfing and remember to always repair ball marks and divots.