Jan 16, 2024
Overwhelmed and Overwhelmed
This past Saturday morning, John, the Golf Maintenance Crew, and I began the process of covering the greens before the impending storm. We started with the greens for which we had fabric to cover. The practice we had done earlier in the week paid off. We had our first green done in 30 minutes. While we had enough fabric to cover 15 of our greens, the others would have to be covered with hay. Since the fabric covering part of the project was going well, I told John I would go and start on one of the greens we were going to cover in hay.
As I got to #16, I was not sure how far a round bale of hay would go on covering the green. I decided to “cut the green in half” by laying hay down the middle of the green going from left to right. I then layed hay around the back perimeter of the green so I could then start “coloring between the lines.” This process took a little more than an hour. At best, I had covered maybe 1/6th of the green and was already exhausted. To make matters worse, the wind began to blow and was undoing much of what I had already put down. I was overwhelmed and utterly defeated. I needed help.
During the week, we had numerous people come in and offer their help with this project. We politely thanked them and let them know we had it in hand. What a prideful idiot I was. I called the Pro Shop and asked them to contact Hal Holloway, the Communications Officer for the HLR Men’s Golf Association, and ask him to send out an urgent plea for help. Unfortunately, they did not get an answer and had to leave a message. I sat down on the green and wondered how we would ever get this part of the project completed. I did the only thing I could think of doing, I prayed. If His hand is with me, who can be against me.
I got up and started back at it. With in a minute or so, I heard a voice say, “Would you like a hand?” This gentleman lived next to the 16th green and had seen my struggles. “I’m not going to turn it down,” was my quick reply. Then my phone rang, and I was told two people had stopped by the Pro Shop to just visit. Hearing my issues, they volunteered to come help. About three minutes later came the glorious text that Hal had gotten the voicemail and had sent out an email plea for help. Within 15 minutes, I had over a dozen men, women and children (yes, children) on the 16th green helping me get it covered with hay. I was overwhelmed again.
After we finished that green in about 10 minutes, the group collectively asked, “Where to next?” We proceeded to get both #9 and #13 greens covered in a matter of an hour and a half. Getting these done so quickly allowed me to turn on the irrigation system and wet the hay, thus keeping it in place, despite the wind.
There was no way one person was ever going to be able to get this job done, given the circumstances. In fact, it was going to be a challenge even for three or four people. This would only succeed with a community effort. And that is what happened. This community, full of the spirit of volunteerism as always, heard of an urgent need and rose to the occasion. While they were supporting me physically, they were supporting much more than me in spirit. They were supporting the golf course. They were supporting Holly Lake Ranch. They were supporting each other. And I was overwhelmed because I was witness to it.
For those who came out to help, I cannot thank you enough. It also includes those who offered their assistance earlier in the week. The thanks I offer are more than for the help itself. The thanks I offer are for the spirit you displayed. May God continue to bless this place called Holly Lake Ranch.
Jeff Wilson
Director of Golf