Tim and Wes Gilbert made a quick decision for the long-term good of the greens.
The WindStone Golf Club owners decided last week to remove all 18 old bent-grass greens and replace them with A-1 bent-grass, which will essentially bring play to a halt for the next two months.
“The front nine was built in ’86 and the back in ’88, and they seem to be getting worse and worse every year,” said Wes Gilbert, the superintendent.
The club will be open for play with temporary greens shaved into areas in front of the greens. The Gilberts expect to be open for regular play again Oct. 1.
“Overall, it’s going to be very good. The membership seems excited, and when they turn out great, we’re going to be a much better facility,” head professional Jeff Craig said.
WindStone has added amenities including a new restaurant in addition to a new pro shop in recent years. But this is the largest on-course change in some time.
“I haven’t slept in three days because this is a pretty big project,” Wes Gilbert said. “We’re doing all the work in-house.”
The work involves stripping off the current grass, reshaping the ground underneath and then reseeding with the new grass.
“I’ll probably seed the back nine this Friday and the front next weekend,” Gilbert said. “We want to make it the best we can.”