Some special offers
November 19, 2010
The folks at Sussex Pines Country Club have obviously re-discovered the potential benefits of making their golf course a bit more player-friendly.
Not too long ago, the Georgetown course re-built thirteen of the greens, which previously suffered from a bad case of root rot that just couldn’t be repaired any other way.
In addition to that major project, the club also decided that it was time to remove some of the trees that had grown in since the golf course was first built many years ago.
Sussex Pines should be congratulated for the club’s tree removal efforts.
Pleasant as it is to see a greens complex edged by trees, the fact is that turf and bark do not go together very well. If there are too many trees, light and air can’t reach the grass, leading to unhealthy turf.
In addition, as I’ve experienced at Sussex Pines on a few occasions, it’s not that hard to escape from the edge of the woods, when the trees are well-spaced from each other.
When your ball’s location presents you with a veritable wall of wood for your next shot, on the other hand, the recovery stokes can really add up quickly.
The benefits of the tree cutting can pay off remarkably quickly. Several years ago, for example, Rob Marshall removed some of the trees at his Old Landing Golf Course on Old Landing Road.
The turf at these locations, such as the tee box on the par-3 fifteenth hole, bounced back wonderfully. Marshall has kept up his tree trimming and cutting, and his golf course is all the better for it.
At Sussex Pines, cutting down the trees created another opportunity for the club.
They now have firewood for sale, as recently noted on the Club’s Facebook page.
It’s a great way for Sussex Pines to rid themselves of stuff they don’t need, while giving you a chance to show your support for renewable energy, as it were.
If you want the club’s weathered firewood, you can self-load a truckload for $75. For an additional $75, the Sussex Pines staff will load your truck for you.
If you’re okay with letting the wood season a bit more, you can buy their “un-weathered” wood for $50 per truckload if you do it yourself, or $100 using the club’s gang.
Contact Rob Crouse at 302-856-7718 for more details, or send an email to SPCCgrounds@gmail.com.
Shawnee Country Club is running a few special offers for the off-season of the more typical variety.
From November 1 through March 31, folks interested in experiencing for themselves why the Milford golf course is so well liked by its members can take advantage of the club’s Guest Fee Special. A $25 fee pays for a round, with a cart. Contact Shawnee’s golf pro, Devon Peterson, at 302-422-7010 for more details.
The newer golfing residents of the Cape Region may not realize it, but Shawnee, Sussex Pines, and the other local courses are usually able to remain open throughout most of the winter.
There may be the occasional frost delay, and no course will open after one of the area’s rare snowstorms, but over most of the next several months, you can still play.
With that in mind, Shawnee is also running a special membership drive. With the prepayment of dues for their 2011-2012 season (April 2011 through March 2012), new members can begin enjoying the benefits of membership now, instead of waiting until next spring.
Contact Tricia Marney at the Shawnee Country Club office at 302-422-9745 for more details.
Saw you at the Festival
While working at the Box Office during this year’s Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, I had the pleasure to meet quite a few of the readers of this column as they came up for their tickets.
Thank you very much for the kind remarks about this column and The Cape Gazette, as well as the compliments about the Festival!