Dave Stiegler, Equipment Manager at WCCC – Retiring

Dave is hard at work grinding reels at WCCC

While we're sad to see Dave leave the family here at Walnut Creek Country Club, we wish Dave the best as he leaves us for retirement.  Dave Stiegler has been with Walnut Creek CC for 19 years and has spent the past 12 years as the Equipment Manager.  He has played an integral role in keeping the course looking beautiful with maintaining the large fleet of equipment used to manicure the property.  His years of service here are greatly appreciated and we hope he enjoys every day of his much deserved retirement! Dave’s last day is November 16^th, so please feel free to stop by and wish him well.  Thanks for all the hard work, Dave!

Blowing Out Irrigation

Watering turf is done for the season.  Today we began to clear out all of the water from the irrigation lines and it will continue into tomorrow afternoon.  This process needs to be done thoroughly to ensure pipes and sprinkler heads do not burst over the winter months as the ground freezes!  Cold rainy afternoons like today and tomorrow are a great time to clear the system as there is far less member play.  For those who bare the cold weather to get a few last rounds in, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause because of the noise or occasional mist that may blow your way.

Range Closing November 4th

WCCC Practice Range

The practice range will be closing for the season Sunday, November 4th.  The golf course will remain open weather permitting.  Although cold, the courses are playing well.  We hope you enjoyed the 2012 season and look forward to seeing you on the course!

Getting ready for play: 8 and 9 South

As we near the end of fall this year we're working hard to ensure 8 and 9 south play great next season.  The holes are looking nice and I anticipate they will play very well next year.  The grounds crew has been working on smoothing the greens while also working out grain that developed while growing them in.  During aerification, these greens were punched twice to remove thatch (dead plant material) accumulation and smooth out the surface.

Hand Brooming and Mowing 9 South Green

Now that 8 and 9 south greens have healed in, we've done a few other cultural practices that help smooth the putting surface, increase future greens speeds, and help them become great greens.  One practice we have done is hand brooming greens.  You may think it sounds funny, but it's a great practice to lift leaf blades of the plant that are laying down and to cut them at the proper height.  Following brooming, topdressing sand is applied to the green to fill in any gaps in turf while also smoothing the surface.  Plant leaf tissue that lays down on a putting surface is commonly referred to as grain.  When grain is removed, the putting surface will be much more true and more consistent green speeds can be expected.

Rolling 8 South With a 2,171 lb Street Roller

Following brooming and topdressing greens we rolled them with a street roller which helped smooth out imperfections in the green.  These imperfections likely originated from the greens mix blowing around before seed germination due to wind.  Currently the greens are looking fantastic and should be outstanding for next year!

Native Mowing

This week we are beginning the mowing of our native areas.  Mowing these in the fall each year helps control over-growth of woody vegetation and other weeds which tend to take over these areas when not managed properly.  Cutting down the woody vegetation also allows for better growth of the fescue in the spring and a cleaner appeal with better playability for the golfer.

Red sky in morning, sailors take warning...

The morning sky was beautiful but the rain is coming...with that said the final four holes of fairway aerification are being postponed until Thursday, October 25th.

A great look over the lake of the South Course!

Aerification

This week we are finishing up our aerification for the year with the last few fairways on the south course.  This will be happening Thursday, October 18th weather permitting.

Current Opening:

Equipment Manager

Walnut Creek Country Club

25501 Johns Road

South Lyon, MI 48178

Education:  High school diploma or equivalent.  Turf equipment manufacturer training / Lake City Graduate.  Auto mechanics will be considered.  Please list if you have specific golf course equipment training.

Position Description:   The Equipment Manager will be responsible for maintaining all golf course equipment (i.e. mowers, tractors, utility vehicles, trucks, rollers, sweepers, etc) and reports directly to the Superintendent.  Must have knowledge of diesel, electric, and gasoline engine repair.  NOT responsible for member used golf carts.  Responsible for keeping detailed records for all repairs and for performing the repair within the budget where possible; Responsible for keeping up with preventative maintenance and corresponding records for all golf course equipment;  Responsible for holding employees accountable for equipment cleanliness and use (i.e. tracking damage or improper cleaning and reporting to the superintendent);  Responsible for maintaining an organized and clean maintenance shop daily both for safety and aesthetics;  Responsible for checking all reel mowers daily for adjusting needs/back lapping/grinding and communicate needs with the superintendent;  Responsible for all ordering of replacement parts;  Equipment Manager responsible for supplying his/her own tools. Mechanic should be able to work in various weather conditions while repairing equipment. Must have the ability to effectively diagnose mechanical and electrical problems with equipment and perform the repair. Must have a valid drivers license.

Professional Enhancement:  Walnut Creek Country Club is located in southeast Michigan which is surrounded by many other great facilities and offers great networking potential. Opportunities will be given for technical and educational training.

Club History:  Walnut Creek Country Club originated as Farmington Country Club in 1955 at Haggerty and Twelve Mile Roads.  Farmington Country Club hosted the Michigan PGA championship in 1961 and the Michigan Open in 1961 and 1962.  In 1982, members voted to change the name of the Club to Farmington Hills Country Club.  In 1987, the club purchased a 27 hole course named Godwin Glen and sold the original property of Farmington Hills Country Club off in parcels.  Later that year the club changed its name to Walnut Creek Country Club, again by a vote of the membership.  Walnut Creek Country Club retained world-renowned golf course architect, Arthur Hills, to design and renovate the existing course.  In 1995, Walnut Creek Country Club became an official Arthur Hills signature course.  In 2007 the club worked with Paul Albanese to enhance the West nine.  In 2010, WCCC built a large bentgrass short-game practice area including 2 chipping greens, practice bunkers, and a putting green.  In 2012 Walnut Creek Country Club redesigned and grew in holes 8 and 9 south using T1 bent for greens and Princeville bent for fairways and tees. Part of this renovation also included brand new decoder Toro irrigation.  Walnut Creek Country Club is constantly improving its facilities offering unique experiences to all those involved.

Experience requirements:   Candidate should have 3 years or more of experience as a mechanic.  Golf course mechanical experience a plus.  The candidate should be willing to exceed member expectations with regard to service and commitment on a daily basis.  Member of the IGCEMA and/or GCSAA a plus

 

Benefits Include:  Salaried D.O.E .  401K per company policy; Uniforms provided; Dues paid to local and national equipment managers associations; Meals; golf.  Vacation and personal days per club policy.

Position Available:  Resumes WITH REFERENCES are currently being collected and reviewed.  Position is available: December 1, 2012.

Contact:  Candidates should send resumes to Scott Rettmann, Greens Superintendent at srettmann@walnutcreekcc.net