Golf Course Success Following Brutal Weather

Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club has met some harsh weather conditions since mid-summer, but several hundred man hours put forth by Superintendent Jack Creveling and his experienced staff has rapidly brought the championship course back to normal.

It All Started in July

Just when we thought that this 1,200-plus acre community had seen it all, an extreme weather event on July 19 nearly drowned us out. But after succumbing to 5.5 inches of rain in about 45 minutes, resulting in damage and debris, course staff set out to thoroughly clean and remove all of the silt and impurities that washed into the bunkers. The process included replacing the contaminated sand, as well as engineering new drainage into the bridge that connects the 12^th fairway with the 12^th green.

Maintenance At Its Finest

Within one week, maintenance crews put over 250 hours of work into the bunkers, including 200 tons of new sand to ensure the return of tournament-level conditions. The next 14 days were committed to completing the sand top dressing of all fairways on the course. This meant 1,500 tons of sand improving plant health and providing firmer playing surfaces. Then during the 3^rd week in August the last aerification was executed, with the goal of a course ideal for professional tournament level conditions through Memorial Day 2018.

Here Comes The Rain, Again

While it sounded like Golden Ocala’s agenda was under control, Hurricane Irma had other plans, dropping a foot of rain with hurricane force winds, forcing all bunkers to be played under repair until bunkers could once again be repaired.  Following extensive debris clearing the course was only closed for 3 days. Thankfully, the storm’s aftermath did not prevent the scheduled application of pre-emergent weed control, keeping weed pressure reduced.

Back On Track

Before we knew it, the course was back on track for championship levels through our primary season, shifting the maintenance crew’s attention back to a standard fall schedule of landscape additions and details.  As of October 15^th, the rainy season is behind us, and member golfers may notice the addition of pine straw. Of course, the work does not end there – the property will be further enhanced with small additions throughout the year to keep up appearances.

Until Then

While even a destination as seasoned as Golden Ocala can never be fully prepared for what mother nature brings its way, we are grateful for crews who are just as eager to reach the pinnacle of golf course success as our members. For more information on what is next for our 18 hole championship layout keep up at GoldenOcala.com.