Fall at GCGC

Birds Eye View of Fall at GCGC

 

Click on the photo to see the aerial views of our trees changing colors

 

 

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Brunch with Santa

Come have Brunch with Santa on Saturday Dec 2nd.

You’ll enjoy a light brunch, decorate a cookie, sip real hot chocolate, create a craft, listen to a story by Santa, and have your picture taken.  Brunch will be served from 9 am -11 am with the crafts and story time to follow.  You will also enjoy a free gift when shopping at one of our downtown retailers following the event.  The cost of the event is $15/person.  Please RSVP accordingly:

[contact-form]

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$1 Golf @ Grinnell College Golf Course

Friday, Sept 22 is the first day of fall and we’ll be starting an unheard of golf special for the remainder of the year.  Our guests will pay $1 per hole played (plus tax).  Simply print this off as a coupon or show this post from your smartphone and our staff will process your payment.

Only time for 5 holes after work? Just pay $5.35.  Want to do a golf-a-thon of 36 holes?  Just pay $38.52

Tee times can be made via golf.grinnell.edu ,emailing golfcourse@grinnell.edu, or by calling 641-236-3590.

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Lightning Strike

Lightning Strike at the Course

The course was struck by lightning at approximately 3:30 am on Sunday, Sep 17th.  What was first thought to be vandalism, then a water line break, was then determined to be a lightning strike.

No one was injured during this incident.  There was some concrete and debris discharged out toward Hole 9’s green, power loss, and some minor electrical repair to be done on the course.  This was also the reason the phones have been off for the last 48 hours.  Phones have since been restored and we are business as usual.

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Course Closure this AM

The golf course will be closed until Noon today, August 8th for some grounds maintenance.  The clubhouse is open for business.

We apologize for any inconvenience,

Management

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FREE Girls Golf Clinic & Solheim Cup Admission

What:  FREE Girls Golf Instruction by LPGA Tour Professional

WHO:  For junior girl golfers of all skill levels age 5-18

WHEN:  Wednesday, August 16th, 2:30 pm – 4 pm – Des Moines Golf & Country Club

Parents will receive complimentary grounds passes and on-site parking passes to the Solheim Cup the day of the Girls Golf Clinic.

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Light the Night

You haven’t done this before…

Monday, July 3rd

We welcome you to come and participate in the Light the Night Challenge.  The closest thing resembling this event would be those of you that have tried Topgolf.  We will light up our 9th hole teeing area and green for this one…  Event Rules will be as follows:

• Begins at 9 pm.
• 1 Hole Player vs Player Match Play
• No ties; tiebreaker is decided by whomever was closer to the pin in regulation
• Single Elimination
• Entry Fee:  $50
• Field:  The first 36 paid entrants
• Prizes:  A purse based on the final field will be communicated.

We will have a DJ playing music, an Emcee announcing, and all the fun you can handle!

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2017 Match Play

Grinnell College Golf Course will be hosting a season long match play competition.  This event is open to anyone with a GHIN handicap.  There will be a maximum of 6 rounds played, which would be representative of a 64 person field.   The format of the event will be:

• Seeded players from lowest handicap to highest
• 18 Hole Rounds
• Net Handicap Match Play; Lowest handicap player becomes 0 and the higher handicap player is reduced equivalently
• Tees:  Circles and Diamonds will be the courses used with slope ratings of 113 and 120
• Rounds to be played
  • 1:  May 1-15
  • 2:  May 15-31
  • 3:  June 1-15
  • 4:  June 16-30
  • 5:  July 1-15
  • 6:  August 5th: Championship

Patrons without a season pass will pay the respective greens fees.  Please RSVP by 4/28 via email @ golfcourse@grinnell.edu

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The Bushwood Scramble

The Bushwood, May 7th:  We’re going back to Caddyshack’s beginnings.  Leave your drivers at home because we’ll be providing circa 1980 woods for you to use.  “Poofed Bangs” and “Popped Collars” are welcome!

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It is Wet!

Due to the rain yesterday there will be no carts allowed today.  The ducks are even seeking higher ground…

 

Reminder:  Today is the final day to sign up for Augusta in Grinnell

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The No-Mow Experiment

Reducing Manicured Acres

If you’ve followed our website or blog you’ll have noticed our GreenGolf Iniative.  This is a 3-pronged approach aimed at reducing our environmental footprint,  improving the quality and playability of the golf course, and reducing our chemical and labor costs.

Here is an article that the USGA published on a similar experiment.  We only have 56 acres here at Grinnell College Golf Course, but we are still attempting to reduce the manicured acres by 18% (10 acres).

Case Study:  The No-Mow Experiment at Hidden Falls

Source:  USGA.org

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Augusta in Grinnell

Augusta in Grinnell, Thursday, April 6th @ Noon

Not heading to Georgia to see “A Tradition Unlike Any Other?”  We’ll help you get the Masters feel here in Iowa.  Our greens will be lightning quick and the food will be right off the Masters’ menu.

• Lunch at Noon:  Special will be Pimento Cheese Sandwich, chips, and an Arnold Palmer
• 18 Holes of Golf @ 12:30, we’ll play Augusta National’s 137 slope rating.  Event will be handicapped.
• Social in the Lounge at 5 pm to catch up on Thursday’s action at the Masters

Price:  Pass Holders $25/Public $40 (Includes lunch, golf, cart, and games)

RSVP to golfcourse@grinnell.edu by 5 pm on 3/31.

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Men’s League Meeting

April 3 @ 6:30 pm

We’ll be having our annual Men’s League Meeting on Monday, April 3rd @ 6:30 pm.  The discussion points will be:

• League Cost
• Split times
  • 4 pm tee off
  • 6 pm tee off
• Schedule
• Food Requests
• Format

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game will be on following the event!

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This Week at the Course 03.12.17

Its Madness Around Here!

Busy Busy Week Ahead

It’s an excited week at the course!  We have great opportunities for socials, entertainment, and community involvement.  Please see the full schedule below.

Chamber’s Annual Celebration

Wednesday night at 5 pm

Come and celebrate the successes of our area businesses and employees that continue to make Grinnell the Jewel of the Prairie.

Click to find out more…

Imagine Grinnell’s St. Patrick’s Day Soiree

Friday night @ 5:30 pm

Constrantly striving to make Grinnell a great place to Live, Work & Play, Imagine Grinnell is an organization that enhances all of our lives.

Click to find out more…

Did you know that local non-profits are not charged a reservation or facility fee?  Call us to host your next function!

It’s Madness!

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

The Lounge and Pub will be staffed throughout the opening March Madness weekend.  Game times begin at approximately 11 am each morning ~ The Lounge will be closed Friday evening for the Imagine Grinnel Event.

Stay tuned for specials that will be running during the Iowa State games!

This Week’s Schedule of Events

Mon., Mar 13:  Upper Level closed for a private event, Course closed due to high temp below 40.

Tues., Mar 14:  ​No scheduled events, Course closed due to high temp below 40.

Wed., Mar 15:  ​Wednesday Round-table discussion @ 1 in the Lounge ~ Discussing Brunches & Women’s/Men’s Breakfasts.   Upper Level Closed at 4 pm for Chamber of Commerce event

Thur., Mar 16: March Madness @ 11 am in the Pub and Lounge.

Fri., Mar 17:  No Family Friday, March Madness @ 11 am in the Pub and Lounge, Upper Level Closed at 4 pm for the Imagine Grinnell event.

Sat., Mar 18:  March Madness @ 11 am in the Pub and Lounge

Sun., Mar 19:  March Madness @ 11 am in the Pub and Lounge

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Trivia Night: Take 2

2nd Trivia Night this Friday (3/10)

We’ll be hosting another trivia night this Friday, March 10th.  You’ll need your thinking caps on when guessing the Number of M&M’s in a Single Serving or What is an Albatross in Golf Scoring? 

Trivia not your thing?  Relax at the bar and enjoy some drinks while you laugh other peoples’ guesses.

• Lounge Opens at 4 pm
• We’ll have light snacks, but if you want something more substantial feel free to utilize one of our local restaurateurs and bring your to-go food here.  We charge a $2/person clean-up charge and we provide the plates and utensils.
• Board Games in the Fireplace Room at 5 pm
• Trivia at approximately 7 pm
• Moana will be playing in the banquet room for kids’ enjoyment at 7 pm as well

See you Friday!

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The Invitational

Grinnell College Golf Course Presents

The Invitational

June 15^th, 16^th, & 17^th

Come enjoy golf, comradery, cuisine, music, prizes and entertainment.  You and a partner of your choice are invited to join us for our premier golf event, The Invitational.

This event, historically called the Member-Guest, promises to keep you and your partner entertained over 3 days.  No matter your age or ability, we have a format that will allow your team to participate at a competitive level.

Your team’s registration fee provides you both 72 Holes of Golf, $200 in Tournament Gifts, Cash Prizes, 5 meals, 2 Different Open Bars, & 1 Unique Golf Experience.  Players’ families are welcome to watch and use the course’s facilities throughout the event.

Registration for this event will be for Season Pass Holders only (and their guest) from March 7th – March 20th.  Beginning March 21st we’ll open registration up to all participants.  The first 36 paid entrants will be accepted.

The schedule of events are as follows:

Thursday, June 15th

• Noon:  Lunch available in Lounge & Patio
• Noon:  Practice Round, Modified Stableford Quota System
• 5:30:  Happy Hour Starts
• 6:30:  Dinner available in Lounge ~ Players & Spouses, country club casual
• 6:00:  Locals vs Guests Mega-Scramble

Friday, June 16th

• 7:00 am:  Registration and Practice Range Open
• 8:00:  Brunch and Tournament Information ~ Players
• 9:00:  Golf:  First Round Match
• 11:00:  Golf:  Second Round Match
• Lunch provided during play ~ Players
• 1:00:  Golf:  Third Round Match
• 6:00:  Happy Hour followed by Dinner ~ Players & Spouses, country club casual
• 7:30: Music & Entertainment
  • Guys in Ties (Link)

Saturday, June 17th

• 7:00 am:   Practice Range Open
• 7:30:  Breakfast ~ Players
• 8:30:  Golf:  Fourth Round Match
• 10:30: Golf:  Fifth Round Match
• Lunch Provided during play ~ Players
• 1:00:  Shoot-Out for qualifying teams
• 3:00:  Tournament Awards
• 4:00:  Pool Party for all

Payment of $400/team can be made to Grinnell College, 933 13th Ave, Grinnell, IA  50112 or with Credit Card (Link)

[contact-form]

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Course is Open

Grinnell College Golf Course opened for play today, March 6th.  This is one of, if not, the earliest ever openings for the golf course.  Our first priority is to protect the golf course.  If overnight lows are such that there is a resulting frost, please be aware that we may push back tee times.  The same goes from moisture (both snow and rain), if deemed to wet for golf carts we may have periodic walking-only days.

Signs will be getting installed around the clubhouse and on the course.  This will aid in way-finding and overall aesthetics of the entire facility.

The clubhouse is still undergoing some construction.  There are projects for smoke and security alarms currently being installed.  The Bag Room will begin construction as well.  Please pardon the dust as the projects get completed.  Once complete, we’ll also be opening up the Crawford Pub for food service.

You’ll also notice a computer outside the Pro Shop set up as a kiosk.  This is to enter your scores into the GHIN handicap system.  All league and tournament scores will be entered on your behalf, but you are responsible for entering all other rounds on your own.  Every Season Pass Holder has a GHIN account that is part of your season fee.  The season for the state of Iowa becomes active April 1st.  If you need assistance with this, please don’t hesitate to ask.

 

Best Regards,

Management

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Golf Rules Changes on the Horizon

Golf Rules Responding to the Times…

What if you didn’t have to hit out of a bunker?  If you didn’t find the ball in 3 minutes, you’re not finding it 5…  Just leave the flag in, no big deal…  You accidentally move a ball on the green, its ok!

These are some of the changes that are being discussed.  Full article here

Source:  usatoday.com

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Trivia Night!

We’ll have drinks starting at 4, appetizers at 5, and we’ll be starting some Trivia around 7 tonight at the golf course.  We’ll have a movie playing in the banquet room so Mom’s and Dad’s can enjoy a relaxing Friday!  We’ll see you soon!

Questions such as…. “What was Screech’s screen-name on Saved by the Bell?”

 

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CMAA Conference Summary

Larry Crawford State Pee Wee Tournament

The Larry Crawford State Pee Wee is a well known and remembered event by many in the golf community throughout Iowa.  When talking junior golf, Grinnell becomes synonymous with the State Pee Wee.  In the event’s prime the event was run by Larry himself with a team of volunteers.  Since his departure the event has been ran by either staff, volunteer committees, and most recently by the Iowa Junior PGA Section.  We’d like to have a meeting discussing the event on Monday, Feb 20th @ 6 pm in the Lounge.   Please attend or email with any thoughts you have on the event.

Discussion agenda will be:

1. Event Date
2. Direction of Ownership of the Event
3. Budget

 

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Rules Throwback: Not So Fast, Jack

One of the primary differences between stroke play and match play is that a player must hole out on every hole in stroke play to record an overall score for his or her round. Match play allows for concessions, meaning that a player does not necessarily need to hole out on every hole.

During the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, hometown hero Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were tied after 72 holes. They squared off in an 18-hole, stroke-play playoff the following day (Historical note: The playoff took place on Sunday, as until 1965, the championship’s final 36 holes were played on Saturday). After Palmer missed his first putt on the final green of the playoff, he knew that victory was out of reach and picked up Nicklaus’ ball marker to concede defeat and congratulate him, as can be seen in the video clip above.

Even though the outcome was a foregone conclusion, this was a stroke-play competition, and therefore Nicklaus was required to hole out. The Rules official on hand intervened, asked Nicklaus to replace his ball marker and finish out the hole. Palmer did not incur any penalty for this action because the Rules did not prescribe a penalty for a ball at rest moved by a fellow competitor in stroke play. The same outcome would occur today under Rule 18-4.

A stroke-play competition between only two players is rare, and Palmer’s action of picking up Nicklaus’ ball marker likely came from the tendency to think of a one-on-one situation more as match play than as stroke play. His near-miss at Oakmont was one of four second-place finishes in the U.S. Open for Palmer. Nicklaus’ victory was his first of four U.S. Open triumphs.

http://www.usga.org/articles/2017/01/rules-throwback–not-so-fast–jack.html

Source:  USGA.org

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Drive, Chip, and Putt Registration is Now Live!

Are you a youth interested in testing your golf skills?  Go to the USGA’s page  to register.

 

About the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship

A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America, the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is a free nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf.

By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, sub-regional and regional qualifying in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament and is broadcast live by Golf Channel.

Registration for the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is open. Local qualifying will be available in all 50 states. For more information about the championship, please visit the Rules and Regulations.

 

Source:  usga.org

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A Rule Change You Need to Know

Local Rule for Accidental Movement of a Ball on the Putting Green

You will no longer incur a penalty for accidental movement of the golf ball while on the green at Grinnell College Golf Course.  We’ll be adopting this local rule for the 2017 season.  More on the story can be found here

 

Source:  USGA.org

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Look at Erin Hills right now…

Erin Hills will be hosting the US Open in a few months, take a peak at what it looks like now….

http://www.usga.org/videos/2017/01/19/time-lapse–winter-at-erin-hills.html

Source:  USGA.com

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Family Friday with BFG

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GreenGolf

Where Does the Golf Industry Stand on the Environment?

No matter what industry you are in, if you are responsible for the care of the grounds, there is a expectation that you are good steward of the property.  I was perusing the next article to post on our golf.grinnell.edu website and went to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) website.  There I noticed that “Environment” is one of their major web headings.  It impressed me that an industry driven by herbicides, pesticides, and maintenance equipment is actively researching and promoting more environmentally sound practices.

So what can/are we doing here at GCGC?  I’m glad you asked.  We’re researching different areas concerning our flora, chemical usage, equipment, and water controls.

• Flora
  • Utilization of Ornamental grasses for aesthetics, erosion controll, and wayfinding
  • Implementing native grasses in areas that not considered in play while golfing
  • Researching shaded area coverage (pine straw, shaded grasses)
• Chemical Usage
  • Reduction in herbicides being applied
  • Reduction in pesticides being applied
  • Alternative fertilizer usage
  • Reduce fuel consumption
• Equipment
  • Utilization of reusable materials such as our sod faced bunkers
    • Less Erosion = Less Labor & Fuel Costs
  • High efficiency equipment and insullation practices with the buildingings
• Water Controls
  • Ensuring our irrigation system is operating effectively and efficiently
  • Utilizing aerators in lieu of chemicals to control moss buildup
  • Ensuring our creeks and tile lines are effective managers of our water runoff

More to come as these move from ideas to strategy to implementation. We hope to make these positive changes, while keeping playability and aesthetics at the forefront of this project.

Shane Hart, General Manager

Grinnell College Golf Course

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