[Dan Kelly]

This is the surest (and finest) sign that Spring has finally arrived in my neck of the woods: The wraps come off the greens at Oak Ridge Country Club in Hopkins, Minnesota -- my home town.

(For GCA stalwart Jason Topp, the far-too-little-appreciated Oak Ridge is "My Home Course." You'll find his Oak Ridge profile elsewhere on the site.)

Spring arrived yesterday, for me, late in the afternoon, as I drove home from work, past the 13th green at Oak Ridge, and saw something no one around here had seen in months: green, green grass. Lovely green grass. Bright green grass.

I had to take a few pictures -- which don't do justice to the greenness of the green, or to the non-greenness of everything around it. I needed a stepladder, or the willingness to climb a tree (on someone else's private property!), and I had neither the ladder nor the chutzpah. C'est la vie!







Spring has arrived. I wish you a fine, long, memorable season, ye golfers of the Northland.

[PThomas]

another sign:  i finally heard the woodpecker that hangs around my neighborhood

[Jason Topp]

Here is how it looks from the fairway:


Thanks for the pictures Dan.  It is probably not a good sign that the first two things I thought about when seeing your pictures were 3 putting from above the hole and leaving a wedge short and having it roll back 30 yards down the fairway.

What I really want to see is how our 16th hole (behind the evergreen trees in the middle of Dan's pictures) looks after we removed a bunch of trees near the green to improve sunlight, air circulation and deal with the impact of roots growing under the green.  It is going to look naked, but the hole will improve.

[Dan Kelly]

Here is how it looks from the fairway:
It is probably not a good sign that the first two things I thought about when seeing your pictures were 3 putting from above the hole and leaving a wedge short and having it roll back 30 yards down the fairway.

That Happens Every Summer, I'm guessing, for everyone at Oak Ridge. What a fine hole that is!

[Ted Cahill]

I grew up in Northern Illinois (now live in California)  I have been on the phone with some buddies from IL- they're excitement at playing their first few rounds of the year is infectous.  I actually envy cold weather areas come spring- the renewed excitement you must feel (and I remember) is to be savored.  The 5 months of winter to appreciate this change?  Not so much.  I am ogleing the Destination Kohler website for near future visits next....

[Tony Weiler]

I like the sandbags to protect the green from flooding!!

[Matthew Runde]

I actually envy cold weather areas come spring- the renewed excitement you must feel (and I remember) is to be savored.  The 5 months of winter to appreciate this change?  Not so much.

I agree completely.  I grew up in Minnesota (15 years), and I'm finished with that weather.  Even Florida winters are too cold, now, and I've been dreaming of moving farther south.

[Tim Martin]

I actually envy cold weather areas come spring- the renewed excitement you must feel (and I remember) is to be savored.  The 5 months of winter to appreciate this change?  Not so much.

I agree completely.  I grew up in Minnesota (15 years), and I'm finished with that weather.  Even Florida winters are too cold, now, and I've been dreaming of moving farther south.

:

Matt-Are you thinking about Cuba because I don`t know how much farther south you can go?

[Matthew Runde]

Tim, it is definitely a problem.  I start thinking about the Caribbean, then South America, then Polynesia.  Eventually, I'd like to get a boat and stay in the sunniest, warmest places all year long.  Not sure how many Golden Age courses there are in Huahine, though.

[Bruce Leland]

Thanks Dan and Jason....aaaahhhh, Spring in Minnesota!  Played yesterday at the local daily fee course and Alexandria Golf Club opens Tuesday for the first Men's day of the year.  Forecast is for 72 and windy....looking forward to it.

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