14th Hole Bunker Rebuild

There was a long trench bunker left of the 14th green that we had been itching to rebuild for some time.  The bunker had fallen into a state of disrepair with low quality grass encroaching.

There was also a section of the cart path left of the green that we felt would make the 14th look and play better if it was grassed over.  There was a plan in place to remove the post & cable fence along Lincoln because it looked bad and the frayed cable can be a hazard.  We decided that the fence posts could add new flair to the 14th.  The fence was ripped out and away we went.

Our skid steer is on its last legs and broke down during prep work, but Westmoreland CC saved the day and loaned us theirs (thank you Superintendent Todd Fyffe), with an assist from our John Deere rep Dave Kloss.  We were also able to borrow a sod cutter from Bryn Mawr CC (thank you Superintendent Brian Bossert) to prep the area.  Our Assistant Super John Lee went to work on prepping the cart path and Jason Way laid out the new bunkers.

We had a stellar crew of golf geek volunteers show up to help with digging out the bunkers, sinking the sleepers, reshaping the path area, and laying sod.  Many thanks to Quinn, Andy, Peter, Brad, Ray, Graylyn, Tony and John.  Thanks also to John and Nick from our staff for putting in extra time on Saturday to assists us.

We are excited about the finished product.  What was once quite bland is now far from it.  Once the bunker sand is in and the sod has established enough that we can mow it, it should look and play great.

Two important notes for our players:

Cart traffic should now head around the green to the right to get to the 15th tee.  Even after the sod is established and we begin mowing it down to fairway height, this cart traffic pattern will be permanent.  No carts left of the green.

The bunkers are open for play as soon as we can fill them with sand.  The entire sodded area left of the green is ground under repair.  Players whose balls end up in this area get a free drop in the fairway.  We appreciate our players respecting this ground under repair designation.  Walking on the sod doesn't disturb it, but playing shots from it will keep the grass from firmly taking root.  When we can begin mowing this area, it will be open for play.

We hope you enjoy the new 14th.  On to next project...

How Far Is It? Tees & Yardages at Canal Shores

Canal Shores is not the typical golf course, which is why we love it.  In recent years, we have been taking steps to highlight what is unique about the course, while also cutting through the clutter of modern American golf to the essence of the game - fun.

Our players might have noticed the new scorecard, the design for which was generously donated by Ian Gilley from Sugarloaf Creative Lab.  The card has been simplified, and reflects changes we have been making to course setup.  Click here to view the scorecard.

Canal Shores now only has two tees - back (white) and forward (red).  For a course the length of Canal Shores, three sets of tees was overkill.  Our tees are not intended to be gender or age specific, but rather correspond to skill and strength level.  If you are a beginner or don't hit the ball very far, play up.  If you can get it out there just fine, play back.  Bottom line, have fun.

Tony and his crew have installed CDGA yardage markers on the tees of every hole.  These markers correspond to the back tee yardage on the card, and in some instances are more accurate than the hole signs.

As part of our effort to expand short grass throughout the course, we are now cutting fairways all the way back to the tees.  The 11th, 12th, 15th, 17th, and 18th are already converted with more to come.  The primary purpose of this change to our mowing patterns is to make the course more fun for our players, but there is a secondary benefit.  More short grass in the teeing area allows us to shed the confines of the tee boxes when setting up the course.  Our regular players will find the tees placed in a wider variety of spots, creating new challenges of distance and angle.  To know how long a hole is playing on any given day, simply find the CDGA marker, and pace off to the tee from there.

In the fairways, the red (100 yards) and white (150 yards) markers are also now accurate to the center of the green.

To really take creativity and fun to the next level, feel free to choose your own spot from which to hit your tee shot.  If you don't like our setup, make your own.  If there is a shot that looks like it might be fun to hit, drop a ball and hit it.  As long as our players are safe and courteous to others, it's all good with us.  Again, the bottom line is fun.

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings - Grounds, Board, Eco

The spring and early summer have been keeping us plenty busy.  Dealing with the challenging weather, tuning up the course for our busy season, moving our pilot projects forward, and of course, meetings.  Our apologies for the lack of updates, but we have been busy with progress.

First, a housekeeping item.  Both the Board and Grounds Committee monthly meeting times have changed.  Board meetings are now held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm at the Legion.  Grounds Committee meetings are now held on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00am.  The standard location for the meeting is the Pro Shop, but we have been holding some meetings at various spots around the course.  Immediately following the Grounds meeting, there is now a work session.  All are welcome at both the Board and Grounds meetings, and we appreciate the support of our work session volunteers.

May 2017 - Board & Grounds

The Grounds committee continues to move forward with neighborhood outreach and volunteerism.  Steve Neumann has successfully recruited several neighborhood Captains to assist us with communication and organizing.  Ecological planning work with Planning Resources, Inc. also moved forward steadily.  Click here for more details in the May Grounds Update.

Our Superintendent Tony Frandria and his crew admirably battled the elements throughout one of the wettest springs on record.  Click here to read Tony's full Superintendent's Report.

The Board meeting was very productive in May, with two key topics covered:

• As a follow-up to April's First Tee presentation by Lisa Quinn, the Board authorized members of the development team to formally engage the First Tee of Greater Chicago in negotiations to create a youth golf partnership, including a dedicated area for youth practice and play at Canal Shores.
• Discussions are well underway to formalize the approach to planning for the golf renovation, with a focus on stakeholder outreach.  The Board is resolute, and committed to being methodical and thorough to achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.

June 2017 - Board & Grounds

It was rainy and wet, and then it got sunny and dry.  Tony and his team had a chance to finally catch up on mowing and begin to implement our ideas on grassing lines.  Click here to read Tony's June Superintendent's Report.

At the June meeting, the Board took an important formal step toward renovating the golf course.  A resolution was passed committing to pursuing a Golf Component to our Master Plan, to integrate with the Eco Component that is already in process.  Click here to read the full resolution.  A Golf Planning Committee will be formed and work through formally engaging a golf course architect.

July 2017 - Board & Grounds

With our spring projects largely complete thanks to our staff, neighbors, and volunteers, Tony and his team continue to dial the course in.  The greens have never looked better, and in spite of the challenging weather, the course is shining.  Click here to read Tony's July Superintendent's Report.

The Board meeting focused on plans to take our fundraising efforts to the next level in support of Operations, the Master Planning process, and ultimately, the golf and ecological renovation of the facility.  Near and long term sustainability of Canal Shores is top of mind for our Board, and they are taking action to ensure a solid future for the land and our finances.

The spring and early summer have been filled with progress from a Greens & Grounds perspective, and the future looks very bright.  Stay tuned for updates on or work on grass lines, the Eco plan, the improvements to the 15th hole, and more.

April 2017 Meetings - Grounds & Board

April has been a highly productive month for us, both in our meetings and around the Canal Shores grounds.

The April Grounds Committee meeting focused on two main topics:

1. A report from our Superintendent Tony Frandria on the course infrastructure issues that need to be addressed, specifically drainage, irrigation, agronomy, and equipment.  Tony shared with us his initial impressions, as well as his belief that the optimal path to solving our problems is through a renovation, rather than incremental improvements over time. 
2. Tony's report segued into a discussion about possible approaches to the renovation and the pros and cons of each.  Many questions were raised and will need to be addressed in the planning process, but the majority opinion in our Committee is that renovation is the only viable path to long term sustainability for the facility. 

We also got great news from Tony that he worked with the rep from John Deere to get us a proposal for the lease of a new rough mower and a new sprayer, within our budget.  These are pieces of equipment that we have greatly needed to improve the playability of the course.  Tony's equipment proposal was approved at the Board Meeting.

As always, we welcome guests to attend our meetings to participate and stay informed.  Click here to read the meeting minutes prepared by Steve Neumann.

From a Greens & Grounds perspective, several important topics were covered at the April Board meeting:

• In addition to the new equipment lease, Tony updated the Board on both his overall equipment plan and the assembly of his new team.  Tony has hired John Lee as his Assistant Superintendent, and several solid team members.  We are now in great shape to be able to provide quality conditions for our players going into the season.  Click to here read the Superintendent's report.
• We were joined by Lisa Quinn, the Executive Director of The First Tee of Greater Chicago.  Lisa shared an overview of the great work that her organization is doing for youth golfers in Chicagoland, and also expressed her desire to partner with Canal Shores.  Click to view Lisa's powerpoint. 
• A resolution to go forward into a formal planning process for a renovation was discussed, and passed.  Although this is just an initial step, it is a very important step in committing to pursuing a brighter future for this course that we love.  Click here to view the Board Resolution that was passed. 

Outside of the April meetings, we also held several volunteer sessions.  Stay tuned for upcoming posts on the continuous improvement efforts of our army of volunteers.  For future volunteer dates, check in regularly on our Volunteer Page.

Spring Cleaning Time Has Arrived

The weather is warming up and the course is waking up.  Soon enough, we'll be teeing it up.

But first, another round of clean-up and clearing is in order.  Between now and Memorial Day, our gang of volunteers will be pitching in to help Superintendent Tony Frandria and his crew get the course tuned up for the season.

The first order of business is clean-up.  The winter weather downs trees and branches across the course and these need to be gathered up before fairway rough mowing can begin.

Our practice is to break down this material, pile it in a designated area on each hole and have it chipped.  The chips are used for mulching, hugelkultur and path building.  We also blow and rake debris into the treeline to suppress regrowth of invasives.

Once the clean-up is complete, we will resume our battle against buckthorn and other invasives.  Removal of these weed species improves the ecology of the property, and also increases sunlight exposure and air movement, which leads to healthier turf.

There are several hot spots on the course that will receive our clearing attention, including the 15th and 16th holes as part of our Metra Corner Makeover.

We will be working on Saturdays between 9:00 and 11:00, unless it is raining.  Many hands make light work - all are welcome to come pitch in.  Bring loppers, rakes, or chainsaws if you have them.

To stay up to date on all of our upcoming volunteer activities, we created a VOLUNTEER PAGE HERE.

Farewell Tom, Welcome Tony

We suffered a loss at Canal Shores.  Tom Tully, our friend and Superintendent, has moved on, and moved.  Tom accepted an offer from the City of Aurora, CO Parks Department and he has relocated.  Those who know Tom are aware of his love of outdoor adventuring, and in that light, his decision to move to the foot of the Rockies makes perfect sense.  We wish Tom success in his new job, and joy in his adventures.

In a thank you note that Tom sent to the Board, he shared, "It was a blessing to have so many passionate and dedicated people who could help..."  Passion and dedication certainly help to encourage progress, but those traits don't make the grass grow.

For those who might not be aware of how far we have come, the turf tells the story.  Before Tom, our greens were unputtable, and many of the tees were bare.  With very limited resources, Tom brought the turf back and made the course playable.

6th Green Before

6th Green After

We are grateful to Tom for his expertise and service, and we are indebted to him for helping save the course from the abyss, and for moving it a big step forward.  Without his steady leadership, we would not be in a position to be contemplating even bigger next steps.  Farewell Tom!

As is often the case, one door closes and another opens.  In that spirit, we welcome our new Superintendent Tony Frandria.  Tony is a veteran Super, most recently overseeing Glen View Club for the past 13 seasons.  He brings a renewed energy and enthusiasm for progress to Canal Shores.  

Tony shared his thoughts on what excites him about the Canal Shores opportunity:

"Playing an integral role in the master plan process that will transform the already unique piece of property into a facility unlike any other perhaps in the entire country.  The commitment to a vision and Master Plan for the future that was communicated to me throughout the interview process was what made me really want to become a part of the Canal Shores team. 

I'm also very intrigued by having basically an open canvas to develop the Grounds & Greens Department from the bottom up - hiring qualified and enthusiastic staff, developing and implementing sound agronomic programs in both the short and long terms. 

Developing both operational and capital equipment budgets all while working closely with the Grounds Committee, Board of Directors, and the community to enhance the overall Canal Shores experience now and well into the future."

Learn more about Tony, and his extensive experience and expertise, visit his website here.

Welcome aboard Tony!  We look forward to tackling the next phase of Canal Shores's evolution with you.