Effective July 1st I have resigned as Golf Superintendent at Calabasas Country Club, and I wanted to take a moment to say goodbye, and recap some of the projects that the Maintenance Department recently completed in preparation for summer.
First I would highlight the efforts of the Maintenance Department so far this year. Most recently we completed the reconstruction of the 18th green, which included the construction of a new retaining wall, bridge, and contortion of the right side of the green. A few less noticeable, yet equally important projects recently completed include:
· Edging and removal of rock from bunkers
· Edging of cart paths
· Removal of leaf and grass clippings
· Repair of the fountain and aerator on #9
· Removal, splitting, and chipping of four dead/ fallen trees
· Aeration, fertilization, top dressing, and seeding of the driving range
· Needle tine aeration of all greens twice, and deep tine aeration once
· Drainage repair on #’s 1, 4, 8, 11, and 18
· Raising and adjustments to hundreds of sprinkler heads
· Removal a damaged power transformer on #18
Additionally, we were able to leach a significant amount of sodium from the greens, and lowered the pH from 8 to 6.2. I’m also happy to report that the putting bent grass roots are currently at a depth of 7”. For reference, roots depth was less than 1/2” in October 2010 when I assumed the role of Superintendent.
A lot of the work of the Maintenance Department, as noted above, is very technical and in general goes unnoticed. The work is difficult and can become monotonous, but is essential to the health and playability of the course. I would like to thank my crew for all they’ve done; without their hard work and tireless efforts, none of the success I’ve achieved during my eight-year tenure here would have been possible. I will miss the crew, and will look back fondly on the memories of all the progress we made together over the years.
Additionally, I’ve enjoyed the relationships I’ve built with members, both personally and professionally. My tenure here has been a lot about community and solving problems as a team, and I’ve appreciated the open dialogue I’ve shared with many members. I’ll miss seeing you all on daily drives around the course.
Finally, I want to thank the owner, Gene Axelrod, for giving me so many opportunities to develop my career over the last eight years. The projects I worked on were all unique, each with their own set of challenges, and I know I am a better person now for having met all those challenges head on. Gene, I wish you and Calabasas Country Club the very best, and thank you again for all your support.
Kindest Regards,
Eric Wenzinger
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