After several weeks of being blanketed in snow, the golf course has finally emerged and is ready for action once again. We're excited to welcome golfers back, and our crew has been hard at work ensuring everything is in top condition for the season ahead. The crew has recently upgraded amenities around the course, and we've installed new and replacement yellow tee markers throughout.

As the course dried out, we got to work on important maintenance tasks. Sprayers were dispatched across Buckingham and Monacan to apply the first spring weed-preventative treatments, helping to keep the course clean. This week, the crew took advantage of quieter hours to assess the depths of all the bunkers. Sand was replenished in areas that needed attention, particularly along the bunker faces, and we also cleaned off any sand splash from the edges to maintain the bunkers’ appearance and playability. To wrap up this busy week, our team has been diligently cleaning up after more than an inch of rain fell on Thursday. Although it's been wet, the warmer weather is a welcome sight, even if it only lasts a couple of days. Next week, we expect cooler temperatures and additional moisture, though we’re hoping for no more snow.

While the weather may have slowed maintenance, the project on Huguenot continues to make steady progress toward completion. The connection to the new pumps was made this week, and the new system has been flushed. We now have water flowing through the new pipes on Huguenot! Currently, we’re making the connections at the short game area to tie into the existing greens. These holes should be filled by this weekend. The contractors have begun rolling and leveling the sod lines from the installation. Only 1½ holes remain for head installation, after which we will focus on adjusting the arcs and programming the new system.

Despite the cold weather and snow cover, the greens on Huguenot and the putting green are in great shape. This week, all greens were mowed twice following a height adjustment. We're currently mowing at 0.180 inches and hope to reach 0.125 inches when we open. Rooting in the fall was strong, allowing us to aerate the greens for the first time this week using solid tines. Aerating helps level the surface and promote healthy rooting. Our next aerification will involve core aeration, which we hope to complete in 2-3 weeks.