After an accidental mix-up in chemical applications left all of the Meadow Vista, Calif., club’s greens brown and dying, the back nine are back in limited play as the club moves toward a successful restoration.
Winchester Country Club’s golf course’s back nine is back in limited play as greens damaged in an accidental chemical kill are moving toward a successful restoration, the Auburn (Calif.) Journal reported.
The 18-hole semi-private golf course in Meadow Vista, Calif., was closed in late February and ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance took responsibility for what it said was an accidental mixup in chemical applications that left all 18 greens brown and dying, the Journal reported.
C&RB reported on the accident in March (“Winchester CC Sees Silver Lining After Severe Greens Damage“).
ValleyCrest remains as contractor for maintaining the course but Winchester is in the process of hiring a new golf-course superintendent, Winchester managing director of club operations David Bennett said.
While no official date has been set for the opening of the 18-hole course again to the public, members have been able to test the back nine holes out in recent days—including a July 30 charity tournament that netted $59,000 for the Placer Humane Society and Acres of Hope, the Journal reported.
Club members are not paying dues until all 18 holes are open. The back nine is still being opened on a trial basis and the first nine holes are being kept off the scorecard to let the grass continue to settle in. The greens are seeded with a new bent grass called Pure Distinction—the first course in the area to plant it, the Journal reported.
The date Winchester will be open again for public use has not been set, Bennett said.
“The membership has been incredibly supportive and should be very pleased with product,” Bennett said. “We’re excited about showcasing some of the finest greens in Northern California.”
Geoff Podgorny, Winchester head golf pro, said that the greens will be typically slower than average when they first start to be used again because the grass needs to be at a higher height to maintain growth, the Journal reported.
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