March Newsletter

March 2022

March is upon us which means the Thousand Acres golf season is beginning soon.

Welcome to Thousand Acres Golf Club

Dear Members, March is upon us which means the Thousand Acres golf season is beginning soon. The front nine will be opening for play within the next couple weeks. March is a tricky time to determine when to open the course. While we usually have a few beautiful days, the ground is still saturated from the thaw and melt, and with the spring rains, the golf course stays so wet. We are making great progress and could be open very soon. If you are in town and interested in getting out on the course, be sure to call the golf shop to make sure we are open. Also, as you all have seen in previous emails, we are now accepting member dues for 2022. We have upgraded our dues payment system to an online process. To pay your dues, go to the Thousand Acres Golf Club website and click on the Current Members tab. Make sure to select the correct dues class option. If you have any questions regarding dues, give us a call. Our team has been working diligently on a multitude of projects this off season. One of those includes the member documents. These are currently in the final stages and will be sent out as soon as they are completed. We are also into deep discussions about the design and details of the future Thousand Acres Clubhouse. This will be a spectacular addition to the golf club. More details on the clubhouse will be provided soon. Be sure to take a look at the sections below for more news and details regarding Thousand Acres Golf Club. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can do for you here at the Club. We hope to see you soon.

With best wishes,

Bob Raley
General Manager

SCOTT GONDER , GOLF PRO

The course will be opening soon which means it is time to dust your clubs off and get ready for the course. For those of you that want to fix up your swing and improve your scores this year, reach out to me so we can schedule some lessons, or get those clubs regripped!

With the golf season beginning soon, we are working on creating a bunch of fun calendar activities including member-exclusive events. We will be planning the classic Wine and Nines, specialized clinics, and much more. Make sure you check the Calendar tab on our website in the coming weeks to see what we have scheduled.

The final item of note is that we are establishing a membership referral program. The details are still in the works, but the gist of it is that members who refer others to join Thousand Acres Golf club will receive ample golf shop credit. Keep an eye out for an email that includes more specifics on the new referral program.

TOM HARSHBERGER , GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT

Do you know where golfers should place bunker rakes? If not, you are not alone. There is no rule about where to put rakes on a golf course, but there certainly are better places to put them than others. The USGA recommends that bunker rakes are placed outside of the bunker and out of the way. The primary reason is because a rake that is in the bunker may cause a ball to hang up on the rake, often on a slope. The rules of golf allow for the rake to be removed, but the ball must be placed where it came to rest, often resulting in an awkward bunker shot. When considering where to place a rake outside of the bunker, try to think about the players behind you. Do your best to put the rake in a spot where it is unlikely to interfere with their shots. Also, be sure to keep maintenance in mind. Placing them close to bunkers in visible areas can make maintenance much easier for our crew. Thanks for your help.

BOB RALEY , GENERAL MANAGER

Construction on the back nine is going very well. The greens, fairways, and majority of the tee boxes are entirely complete. This spring we will be working on the remaining three tee boxes and several bunkers. The shaping and drainage of the bunkers, and the sodding of the bunker faces is completed, but the bunker liner still needs to be installed in them before they are ready for sand. Once the sand goes into the bunker, the liner goes away visually and becomes an often-overlooked element of a golf course. However, like most things in construction that disappear, it is often what you don’t see that matter most. The purpose of bunker liner is significant in maintaining visual appearance and playability. The bunker liner serves a physical barrier between the soil below, keeping the sand clean from contamination. Secondly, the liner helps reduce washout from heavy rains, and protects the drains from clogging, which in turn, allows for the sand to dry and stay consistent, whether the ball is in the bottom of the bunker or along the face of a slope. We are using a different liner on the back nine than we did on the front nine! Expect to see us repairing the bunkers on the front nine of the next several years and using the new improved liner that is on the back nine. Below is a video of what bunker liner looks like and how it is installed if you are interested in learning more!

Play Video