THE MAD POST

Submitted by Gary Ward, General Manager & C.O.O.

Opening #12 last Friday was an important milestone for us, it signals the return to playing all 18 holes on all 18 regular greens isn’t far off.
 
#12 Safety
 
Historically, the ideal target line on #12 was down the right side in order to catch the “speed slot” for extra roll. If your miss was slightly to the right, the ball would kick left and often bounce down into the fairway. Unfortunately, aiming down the right side, coupled with the limited additional space to accommodate a large mishit, created the significant safety risk of errant shots into the back shop area which triggered this fairway realignment.
 
Aligning down the right side is no longer the optimal play! Instead of being rewarded with a large bounce and extra roll, a miss to the right will be punished by difficult bunkers or a potentially lost ball in the fescue.  
 
Doug Carrick designed this change with an objective to alter the ideal target line, which is now down the left side of the fairway.
 
We expect it will take a little time for members to get used aligning and playing further to the left, but as members adjust their target line, we believe there will be fewer errant shots into the back shop. We are already tracking errant shot data to determine the effectiveness of the fairway realignment and will continue to monitor the situation over the rest of the summer.

 
Submitted by Dean Elliott, Men's Captain

By now I am sure many, if not most, of you have played the 12^th hole since its reopening on Friday.  I have a few times and have enjoyed the changes.  I will miss the chance meetings with other members during the walk through the parking lot, but it is much better to play the hole in my opinion.  Based on my limited sample size I am sure that the 12^th will continue to be one of the strongest holes at Mad River!
 
As the construction winds down this month, the competition is ramping up.  Matchplay grids have been released with first round matches to be completed by June 29^th.  I encourage you to get your matches scheduled as soon as possible, before the month slips by.  Don’t wait for your opponent to reach out first.

 
Submitted by Chad Vibert, Golf Course Superintendent

The irrigation install is progressing well to date, and we are making great progress for the most part.  Due to inadequate isolation on the old system we now have no irrigation to the driving range field and the roadway into the club.  This may alter our sequencing plans to install irrigation on the range immediately, or we may allow this area to go dormant (brown) with out any irrigation for approximately a month. We will likely lose some grass somewhere during this process, range or roadway depending on the weather and what we can get back online in a decent timeframe. Timing for these changes will be communicated through the Mad River website. 
 
The new sod around the bunkers is extremely dense, when sod is harvested from a sod farm, it is usually very well fertilized, this allows them to turn over fields quickly and sell more sod, and it generally harvests and replants better under the high fertility diet.  It will take time for all the extra fertilizer to wear off, and as the season wears on the density will decrease over time.  The new bunkers are healing in nicely, Northgate will be back onsite in the next couple weeks to address some settling issues in certain locations throughout the property.
 
We have experienced ongoing drainage challenges affecting holes #4,#10 and #17, this article will outline the operational impacts resulting from these conditions, and the associated golf cart restrictions currently in place. The issues identified are significantly impacting turf conditions, playability, and the course maintenance operation.
 
Holes #4, #10 and #17 are experiencing persistent drainage deficiencies that have resulted in prolonged wet conditions, soft playing surfaces, and reduced turf stability following irrigation cycles and rainfall events. The affected areas remain saturated for extended periods, limiting the course’s ability to recover efficiently and increasing the risk of turf damage from both maintenance equipment and golf cart traffic.
Our irrigation contractor’s activities compromised portions of the existing drainage infrastructure, they cannot see the existing drain lines, and we cannot always tell where these lines are, in order to locate them ahead of time.  It is the clubs responsibility to locate these drains prior to the pipe being pulled, we simply do not know where all of these lines exist, there are so many drains in these wetter locations of the property.
 

Submitted by Michelle Larcher, Food & Beverage Manager

One Month In — And the Energy Speaks for Itself

It’s hard to believe we are already just over one month into the season. The positive energy throughout the clubhouse, patio and the sunroom has been incredible and was on full display last Thursday as we hosted our first themed dinner of the season with Asian Night. The harvest table, paired with an additional long table, created a warm and interactive dining experience that brought members together while enjoying great food, conversation, and the opportunity to sample new wines.

We look forward to building on these experiences throughout the season with several upcoming events:   Our Mexican Dinner on June 13th, Wine Tasting & Food Pairings on June 18^th: learn practical tips on pairing wine with appetizers and to cap off June, join Chef Stephen on June 22 for an interactive cooking class, learning a few culinary tips and techniques while enjoying a fun and engaging experience.
To reserve your spot for any of these events, please sign up online or speak with a member of the Food & Beverage team.

 

Amber Loscher, Accounting Assistant

What attracted you to the Accounting Assistant position at Mad River Golf Club?
It appealed to me because it offered a different accounting experience for me coming from a finance background and many times the positions are one dimensional either accounts payable or receivable. Whereas this opportunity was multi-faceted.
 
What do you enjoy most about working in accounting and administration?
I enjoy working with numbers and with people who share my enthusiasm for it! 
 
What experience or skills are you bringing to your new role with the Club?
Working in a very busy dental office for over 9 years, record keeping and organizational skills were paramount to managing the day-to-day expectations of patients and management and I exceled at both.  These skills are similar to what I am experiencing here at Mad River.