With the opening of the South course on the horizon and the start to the golf season drawing near, we would like to extend a friendly annual reminder about the importance of golf cart traffic and the role it plays in turf health and course playability. It is most important to recognize the responsibility all cart operators have toward the goal of operating golf carts with care and common sense. This will help avoid unnecessary damage to turf and keep everyone safe. The following “Best Practices” for cart conduct will ensure these goals:
Greens, Tees, and Fairways
1. Carts are restricted to paths only around all greens and through the following tees of all holes of the North Course and where ever available on holes of the South Course.
2. If no cart path is available, keep all carts at least 30 feet from greens
3. All carts should exit the fairway prior to the colored markers at the Green end of the fairway. The green colored marker is the exit side and the red colored marker, opposite the green marker, prohibits carts driving beyond that point. The side of departure for any given day will almost always correspond to the side of the hole location on the Green.
4. Operate and park carts on the side of and outside the ball-washer/bench next to South tees.
5. Recognize and heed all written or direction cart signage.
Roughs
1. Please drive carts in fairways and keep carts out of roughs as much as possible. When searching for a ball in the rough, please dismount the cart in the general vicinity (preferably in the fairway) in order to avoid injury from added aggressive cart turning.
2. At no time are carts allowed to enter NATIVE GRASS AREAS.
3. Condition of rough grass to the right of #1 South and to the left of #10 South is always challenged with added cart traffic created by travel to and from the Teaching Center. Cart paths on #1 and #18 North, or following the service road past the maintenance building are far better options to get back and forth without damaging these sensitive areas.
General Conduct
1. Avoid reckless and damaging operation of carts, particularly under wet conditions, including sharp turns, rapid acceleration, or breaking,
2. Park carts on hard surfaces where available.
3. Avoid repetitious cart travel where cart tracks from previous activity are apparent… i.e. “scatter” traffic wherever possible when traveling on grass.
4. Refrain from using courtesy walking path from tee to fairway as a cart path.
One additional area of concern going into this golf season is the right side rough of #14 South. The turf will now be maintained at a normal rough height and continuous golf cart traffic to the right side of the fairway bunkers will severely limit the playability of this area. The “Best Practice” will be to remain on the fairway to the left side of the bunkers with scattered traffic.
Dan Pierson
Director of Grounds