Staying Busy in the Shop

Well, we've finally received some decent snow here in Southern Canada, so Andy and I have been pretty holed up in the shop for the last month or so.  The plus side to that however, is that we've been forced to be very focused on all the extra little projects we were wanting to tackle this winter. 

First things first, I've harbored a deep hatred for our old, faded, oversized, plastic golf ball tee markers since the day I stepped foot on the property here back in April last year.  Well, we finally did something about it.

The new tee markers are made of 2x6 cedar lumber, cut to 6" lengths with ends beveled at a 45* angle.  They were sanded smooth on all sides (Andy went through a couple of dust masks), then stamped with our custom cut metal brand that was laser cut at a local metal shop.  The ends were then painted to color, a metal spike put in the bottom, and then the entire piece was dunked in an outdoor weatherproof UV resistant urethane.....3 times. 

We made 160 total (40 each of red, white, blue, and black).  It took about a week.  There is a serious amount of Andy's and my blood, sweat, and tears in each one.  That being said, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM HITTING THEM WITH YOUR GOLF CLUBS!!!!  We made 4 extras of each color, because accidents do happen, but there is a good chance that I will shed a tear the first time one of them breaks...

Turning the shop into a manufacturing plant

The metal brand heating up on a hot plate with a few freshly
stamped tee markers nearby

Our pride and joy of the tee marker making assembly.  If anyone wants
into the "GFCC FOR LIFE" club, let me know, we can stamp the red-hot brand
in the middle of your back.  Andy and I already have one....

Andy putting the third coat of urethane on the reds

finished products

Once we had the shop covered in saw dust, we figured we may as well work on some of the rest of the wood products.  If you remember from one of the previous blog posts this year, we are transitioning away from the red/white/blue 150 yd stake indicating pin placement depth on the green in favor of a new pin placement sheet.

Our friendly new golf pro Jeff insisted that we just HAD to have some sort of new yardage markers on the course since the 150 yard stakes were gone.  Since I'm not very good at saying no to anyone, and I wouldn't let him buy some insanely expensive premanufactured junk out of a golf products catalog, we made some new 100, 150, and 200 yard stakes.  Made of 4x4 cedar wood posts, the tops are painted to color and then coated in the same outdoor urethane as the tee markers. 

Let me state for the record, I really HATE any kind of yardage markers on the golf course.  Not only do they clutter up the course with a bunch of weird colors, but it is just one more thing we have to mow and trim around and keep clean.  I did this just for you Jeff.  Oh yeah, and all you wonderful golfers.

And since it is such a pain in the rear to trim around posts, and the never ending assault from a string trimmer tends to eat away at the bottom of wood posts over time, I came up with this idea.  We poured 6"thick concrete blocks in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket with a 4x4 steel sleeve in the middle.  We will set the concrete blocks in the rough where the posts are going to go, and this way we can pull the posts out to mow or trim the grass around them.  Furthermore, I thought it might be neat to dye the concrete green so it would be more visually appealing on the course.  We made a total of 42 yardage posts and concrete blocks (3 markers per hole times 14 holes, since the par 3's don't need yardage markers.)

green concrete blocks curing in the back of the shop

Lastly, since apparently we have to heed Jeff's every beck and call now, we made 20 new driving range space dividers.  No longer will there just be two old faded pieces of yellow rope laying on the ground to tee off between on the driving range.  These beauties are also made of 2x6 cedar lumber, branded in the middle with the GFCC logo, and then 5 holes were drilled on each side of the logo to set up with tees in them.  Not pictured, I also made two new cedar trash can receptacles for the driving range as well.  My last piece, that is still yet to be built, is a cedar range sign that has a clock built into it along with 6 different yardages that Jeff can update daily with the exact yardages to the target flags on the range based on where the driving range is set up at that day.

This is probably going to be the extent of out wood construction projects this winter, as hopefully we are going to get an early spring (knock on wood, no pun intended) and can get back out on the course soon to wrap up our tee construction projects from last fall.  Just so everyone knows, the plan for next winter is do redo all the holes signs on the course as well as the trash can holders.  Then we will officially be free from all the old course accessory junk that has been on the golf course for the last 30 years.