Greetings from Bright's Creek,
Bright’s Creek is pleased to announce the arrival of our new Director of Golf, AJ Fetsko. AJ joins us from his most recent role as Director of Golf Operations at the Promontory Club in Park City, Utah. AJ is a Class A PGA Professional and currently has the course record of 64 on the Pete Dye course at Promontory Club. He is a Member of the Titleist/Footjoy staff and a previous Member of the TaylorMade Fitting Council. AJ has a passion for golf and teaching, and his professional certifications include FlightScope, AimPoint certification, and a Flagstick Academy Certified Instructor. AJ received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Campbell University located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. He is looking forward to the lifestyle of the Western Carolina mountains and connecting with his family and friends in the area. We are excited about the direction of our golf experience under AJ’s leadership.
I would also like to recognize and thank Brian Robinson for his leadership and efforts during this transition. Brian continues to work on his PGA certification, and I look forward to his growth and development as a PGA professional.
This week we will begin fertilizing all Bermuda grass, including tees, fairways, and rough. The fertilizer will be applied in the afternoon once all moisture has evaporated. The turf needs to be dry to prevent fertilizer burn on the leaf tissue. Warmer weather and fertilizer application should increase the Bermuda grass growth rate. The increased growth rate will also help the Bermuda grass deter the annual bluegrass infesting the collars. As mentioned last week, an herbicide was applied to the tees and fairways to control the bluegrass, but it is not safe to use within 30 feet of the greens.
The club recently had an on-site consultation with a USGA agronomist. Annual bluegrass control was one of several topics covered. We are working with the USGA to develop a treatment plan for next season to better control this persistent weed. Annual bluegrass is becoming increasingly resistant to commonly used herbicides, and two separate herbicide applications have failed to provide adequate control this season. With the USGA's help, we hope to achieve much better results next year.
Last week we sent out a brief survey asking our members to vote on a new name for the Member’s Grille. The vote is in with “The Water Wheel,” the winner. Thank you to all who participated, and we look forward to naming our Amenity Center later this year. Our new menu starts on Wednesday. Please note that Thursday evening dinner starts this week, and we will open on Tuesdays starting next week.
Regards and thank you for your support of the club,
Steve Alden | General Manager
