An Update on the Golf Course and Driving Range Openings

By Jeff Hwang, Tahoe Donner Head Golf Professional, and Ram Sena, Golf Course Superintendent

We are excited for the upcoming golf season and anticipate a beautiful and eventful summer on the Tahoe Donner Golf Course. This winter has presented many challenges, and we appreciate your support and understanding as we prepare to open the golf amenities. We wanted to update you on our projected opening dates so you can begin planning your summer. Our staff are working hard to get the greens and fairways in optimal condition for the immediate golf season and for many more to come. Highlights include:

• Many fairways have large, exposed areas; as of the last two weeks, the snow has been melting quickly
• Driving range has melted off significantly in just the past few days and is currently about 35% exposed
• All cart paths have been cleared on the front nine, giving access around the course to staff
• Staff is working on cart paths on the back nine
• Several holes still contain significant snowpack, particularly on the back nine (holes 15, 17 and 18)

Driving Range

Projected opening (conditions permitting): June 9, 2023

The driving range currently presents some unique issues. Netting around the facility must be installed before opening, but an aerial lift is required to do so. Crews must wait for the range surface – especially in the lower half – to dry out so it can support the heavy equipment without damaging the field.

Ninth Green on May 16, 2023

Ninth Green on April 14, 2023

Golf Course

Projected openings (conditions permitting):

• Front 9: June 23, 2023
• Full 18 Holes: June 30, 2023

As the days are getting longer and warmer, we are seeing plenty of melt-off and more of the ground around the course exposed. We are still very much at the mercy of Mother Nature, but we also have many tools in our repertoire to help combat the residual winter conditions.

Regarding snow melt, there is a distinct difference between the north- and south-facing areas of the course, with south-facing areas melting more rapidly. We also have one of the heaviest tree-lined courses in the area, causing long periods of shade that can significantly slow the melt-off.

Hole #4 is a great example of this, where one side of the hole may look playable soon, and the other side still has many feet of snow remaining. There is currently about a four-foot difference in snow levels between either side of that fairway.

To address these areas, we will push snow build-up from the unmelted north-facing side towards the south-facing side as the opportunity presents itself to accelerate the melting process. We will also apply mulch to the fairways where there is a heavy build-up of snow to incubate, absorb heat and promote even more melting.

Tools for the Job

With the help of our long-time equipment manager Roy, we have successfully cleared all 18 greens, along with the two practice greens using our large snow cats. Roy has dealt with snow removal on our course for nearly three decades! Utilizing these large machines, we can bring snow levels to under a foot before clearing the rest by hand or letting the sun work its magic. These operations require incredible skill, expertise and experience to prevent damage to the course and preserve all the undulations and character of the greens. Thanks, Roy!

Our assistant superintendent Raziel “Luch” Ruiz has been using our backhoe loader to clear the paths, tees and approaches. Although the paths are marked with poles, there have been times when they were hidden well beneath the snowpack during the clearing process. This made Raziel’s job of snow removal much more difficult and reliant on knowledge and feel. Snow removal on greens can be considered artistry, requiring lots of practice, patience and skill. Any wrong move can cause a great deal of turf damage. A big thank you goes to Luch for his operational expertise with the loader!

We continue to make great progress on the course and range openings and are fortunate to have the best personnel and equipment to move the snow around. The team looks forward to providing an amazing golf experience to our members and their guests in the 2023 season.