I played a round with the Jenkins last week and got their input for course maintenance and improvements. I'll save the alternate pin and tee placement ideas for another thread. There is definitely more we can do with the space we have. I suggest forming a complete course upgrade plan for presentation to the park director with the idea of implementing the plan over the next couple of years.
The Jenkins referred to an e-mail prepared by Valerie Jenkins with a generic list of to-do's for preparing a course for a tournament. We should get a copy.
The Jenkins' suggested were in some cases asthetic rather than practical, but they all relate to enjoying playing the course. The general ideas are:
1) Remove obstacles within 30 feet of the pin. The idea is that if you can get that close to the pin, you deserve a clear shot at the basket. They liked to follow this idea even if it made a hole easier (e.g., holes 3 and 7)
2) Remove low hanging branches and twigs around trees bushes, especially anything sticking out to around eye level. In part, this is a safety issue and as such applies to paths between holes. In many cases, this will give the mowers better access and will help keep up appearances. Also, there is a preference for keeping obstacles to the flight path over obstacles to taking a stance.
3) Remove dead sticks and weeds that stab at ankles. Gather twigs and similar debris into piles (e.g., holes 4 and 19)
4) Trim recent growth from hedges to give a uniform wall, e.g., the hedge along hole 10
Here is a to do list, making no distinction between my suggestions and theirs.:
Hole 19:
Repair steps
Remove, hide, or properly install warning sign
Weed wack hill side to the left of the fairway
Gather scattered sticks into out-of-the way piles
Hole 1:
Trim weeds on both sides of the fairway and around the trees.
Weed wack the hillside to the left of the fairway up towards the beach.
Clear weeds and dead material from the rock garden.
Pick trash thoroughly, going well into the woods staring around the tee area
Clearly mark the tee area with paint. Do not make the tee area too wide.
Hole 2:
Weed wack all along the fairway as well as on the hill near the hole.
Mark the mando tree.
Put in a next tee indicator, preferably something permanent. I suggest a pointer attached to the basket giving both direction and distance.
Hole 3:
Trim low hanging branches on the left close to the tee area. Leave only the higher overhanging branches.
Trim near the ground in the copse near #4's teepad
Trim the lowest branches of the trees near the pin.
Clear debris from the well area to the left of the pin.
Hole 4:
Clear scattered debris from the well around the pin.
Mark the muddy areas OB. If this is to be played casual, then mark an area for casual relief and clear a zone behind it. In any event, I do not think players should have to choose between taking a penalty, going out putting range, and getting their shoes muddy.
Trim branches that stick out along the path from 4 to 5
Hole 5:
Remove trash visible from the teeing area. Maybe due some trimming as well to make this easier.
Lightly trim the bush to give it a rounded shape. Maybe trim the bushes behind it.
Hole 7:
Remove the vines growing on the trees near the pin.
Hole 8:
Clear lower pars of the bushes to the left of the fairway.
Trim the weeds that make disc near the bush hard to see, excepting the edible plants growing high on the wood pile.
Might want to do some trimming of the bushes near the pin as well.
Hole 9:
Clean weeds from the garden growing in the center of the fairway to make it accessible, perhaps even decent looking.
Trim low hanging branches near the pin.
Trim bushes
Hole 10:
Trim low hanging branches near the pin.
Trim bushes
Clean trash from woods on the left
Rake a few feet under the bushes to the right
Hole 14:
Mark the mando tree.
Make a sign with the correct pin distance and place it over distance posted on the tee marker.
Hole 17:
Mark the mando tree.
Make a sign with the correct pin distance and place it over distance posted on the tee marker.
Hole 17A:
Mark the tee.
If possible, do something about the condition of the tee.
Hole 17B:
Mark the tee.
If possible, do something about the condition of the tee.
Subject: Check list 
Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:11 pm