Winter Prep

As the temperatures drop, the level of activity increases around these parts.  We’re getting prepared for Old Man Winter.  We like to wait until we can see that we’re officially in the deep freeze.  Then, it’s all hands on deck to knock out the projects.  Most of it has to do with water.  If it can freeze, then it’s put to bed.

In the fall, we fill our ball washers with a mixture of water and antifreeze.  This prevents it from freezing over night.  Once winter arrives, we remove the ball washers completely.  They get painted, handles get replaced, and general maintenance in the shop while they are all in one place.  Oh yes.  You can anticipate pictures this winter.  Are you waiting on the edge of your seat?

All of our flags are replace with what we affectionately call our winter flags.  We can have some pretty nasty winds, so we put out flags that can be damaged.  The flag sticks are also replaced.  Over the winter, we paint all of our flag sticks.  The winter flag sticks are shorter and flimsier.  No real reason for the flimsier style.  They’re just really old.  We won’t care if they get broken in the bad winds.  Often times, they get frozen right into the cup.

The miniature golf also gets a good wash down using a power washer.  The ponds are cleaned out.

It’s incredible how much gunk gets collected at the bottom of the ponds throughout the summer.

All of that nasty stuff is removed with a shovel and then the pumps are taken out of miniature golf and stored in a temperature controlled environment over the winter.  All of the pond water is removed, then they are filled with a layer of RV antifreeze.

We have three different pop machines on the golf course.  All of the pop is removed from them, so it doesn’t freeze.  Exploded pop cans are no fun.  Don’t ask me how I know this.

As I mentioned in this post, we have to blow out the irrigation system to remove all of the water.

My dad, Tom, changes the cups one last time.  Once the ground is frozen, it is impossible to change the cups.

It took him longer than normal to change the cups on this particular day.  The ground was beginning to swell because of the cold temps.  When you change cups, you have to make sure that the cup is completely level or it will be scalped when we mow them for the final time this year.  With the swelling ground, he had to shave off bits to make sure the cup was level.

The greens get mowed a final time and then a snow mold agent is put on them to prevent snow mold over the winter months.  Poor dad got a really bad cold after being in 9 degree weather for three hours.  He liked it, though, because he could sing in a really deep voice.

Dad also spends some time planting trees before the ground is frozen.  He simply can’t help himself.

I decided not to take any pictures of the final thing we must winterize.  Our outside bathrooms.  All of the water must be blown out of the bathrooms out on the golf course as well as the miniature golf.  They are blown out, then filled with RV antifreeze to prevent any winter damage.  Just picture a toilet bowl filled with a pink fluid.  It’s pretty, trust me.

How about you?  Do you have a long list of winter preparations?