The Up And Down – June 2020
The Pros Perspective
By: Mark Keating
PGA Head Professional
June already?
First and foremost, thank you all for your continued patronage and understanding as we work our way through these most unusual times….. almost everything we do to provide service and a great golf course have changed in the last 65 days and we are all learning as we go. Rest assured that we are doing all we can to keep the facility safe for all.
As you may know, we have moved the golf shop outside temporarily due to safety concerns and for further ease in getting on the course. You may still shop for items not displayed outside, just let us know and we’ll make the shop available to you.
After quite the delay, competitions will begin this month and many changes to the feel of events of course will be in effect. Our aim is to provide the maximum enjoyment in a safe environment. Watch for notices on the website and on our social media to get yourself involved. Many of you have “laid low” over the past couple of months, so get yourself tuned in to the changes in the handicap system through OGA.org or USGA.org
It’s been a year now since we switched to numbered tees…. If you haven’t done so, check out why on our website. Knowing your clubhead speed and choosing a tee appropriate for the most fun could be the best thing for your game. Get your speed checked by making a 15 minute appointment with us.
June will mark the start of PGA Junior League (June 9) and Ladies Night June 25th). Adjustments to both of course are in effect, so check the website or call the shop to get filled in. We look forward to getting both started and seeing many of you again!
Lastly, If you would like to try a new Callaway driver or wedge, ask the staff, we have several on site just waiting to launch some bombs or exculpate your ball from the bunker or rough!
Thanks again for choosing us!
The Golf Course Dirt
By: Dan Imes
Course Superintendent
Howdy from the maintenance department. I hope everyone is staying healthy. June is upon us and we are almost fully staffed. We may be hiring another person this month. The crew is working hard to bring this place into shape. As long as our equipment cooperates with us, we should be alright.
This is the time when we are in the routine of things. We are mowing greens and rough every day. Tees, approaches, and fairways – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We are trying to rake bunkers as much as possible, since there are no rakes for the golfers to do it. We will roll the greens up to four times a week. We have also begun to move the sand around in the bunkers. To do this, we find where the excess sand is and shovel or push it with a blade, to where the sand is too thin. With our small crew, and how busy the course is, this will most likely take a month or so.
The watering frequency will also increase now. Soon you will see us with the hoses in our hands most of the day. This is to supplement what our irrigation does not accomplish, which is way too much.
We reconstructed the #2 tee box on hole two last month. I think we need one more week before it is ready to mow it to tee height. It should be ready to go by the 2nd week of June.
Not much on our end to prepare for as our event calendar remains fairly empty. We will be hosting the 90th Annual Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur Tournament that will begin around the end of the month. Our focus will continue to provide the best playing conditions for our daily golfers!
Here is to Happy Golfing! Stay safe.
On Tap At Orchards Grill
By: Alex Jeli
Food & Beverage Manager
With the Phase 1 reopening of Marion County, we are back to full service in Orchards Grill! The tables are spread out to properly social distance our guests while they enjoy food and beverages and the patio is open as well. We will have the grill running from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM every day with our full menu.
The staff inside Orchards Grill will be wearing protective face coverings for your safety. We are cleaning and sanitizing every table and chair after every use as well as sanitizing each menu after every use. The health and safety of our guests is our number one priority! We are very thankful to be back open to serve our great customers.
Out on the patio we have some fresh new flowers and umbrellas. It is a great spot to enjoy a nice meal or a cold beverage after a round of golf. Or even for those that don’t golf, it is welcome to all of the public to enjoy.
With the return of the full menu and the restaurant opening, comes the return of our daily soup options. Every Friday, Chef Jordan’s delicious Clam Chowder will be back and ready to serve. I know there a lot of you out there that have been ready and waiting for the clam chowder to be back once we were allowed to reopen sit down service.
Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed our curbside pick up while we could do to go food only! We will still be offering curbside pickup everyday from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. If you don’t feel like coming in to the restaurant, we are more than happy to bring it out to your car. Just call for your order and we will tell when to come pick it up and you can drive on up to the second floor entrance and wait on the car ramp. We will bring it out to you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home or car!
We are really excited to have the Orchards Grill back open and look forward to serving all of you in the near future!
The Chefs Table
By: Jordan Young
Head Chef
Being a chef, and knowing how the food around you grows go hand in hand. That being said, the beautiful thing about food is it is not exclusive to chefs and anyone with soil in which to plant, and access to the sun’s radiance can certainly grow their own! The most important thing to know when growing your first plant, is that you most likely will fail to some extent… don’t let it discourage you. Keep trying stuff, ask your neighbors questions and keep an open mind. Like all things, gardening takes practice.
Herbs are a likely contender for most versatile in the kitchen, and most likely your best bet as a beginning gardener, especially in our climate for example, I have rosemary so large that I have no hope of ever eating it all. Dried and fresh, we use it every day but the supply never seems to run dry. Needing little sun, and even water, this variety of evergreen is one of the most treasured French seasonings. Used to marinate meats, or season chicken, rosemary is the undisputed king of the kitchen.
Next on the list for me would absolutely be thyme because of its voracious growing pattern, and flavor. Even though the leaves of thyme are easily the apprentice chef’s worst nightmare to de-stem, few can debate the level of flavor it can bring to a soup or sauce. Many varieties of thyme exist and each one with a unique flavor. If feeling bold, try lemon thyme. Or if traditional sauces are your goal, German thyme is the way to go.
Last but not least parsley with its mild flavor, and vivid green color may not fit many chef’s idea of a kitchen staple, but when needing a little color in a dish without compromising flavor, there is no better alternative. Can also be used as a palate cleanser when going in between fatty, or creamy dishes to a dessert. most of us at home are not so into this option, but in fine dining a palate cleanser is a key part of a precisely choreographed eight course meal.
When your herb garden is teeming with life, and there is no way to use all of the herbs you have gathered, wash them thoroughly, and hang to dry in a cool dry place. Usually I do it in the kitchen corner. Within two weeks, pull the dried leaves and place in a clean mason jar to store for up to a year or longer!