Our family feels fortunate to be the host to about forty fundraising golf outings each year. It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many great causes out there that need help. I have featured several of them here on our website. If you’d like to check them out, you can click here, […]
Days of our Ceremony Site Episode #5: We Have Grass!
I’m sure you have all been on the edge of your seat wondering how the new ceremony site is coming along. When we last left our ceremony site, we had decided to install irrigation and speaker wire, then we seeded the site and crossed our fingers. The soil has caused us fits all year, so […]
Something Old. Something New. Something Borrowed. Something Orange?
One of the hardest things about running a business is trying to figure out when you’re supposed to make capital improvements, when you’re supposed to buy new/used equipment and when you’re supposed to pinch your pennies and just make do with what you have. As a general rule, we always pinch our pennies. Our family […]
Angels in our Midst
In my line of business, I get to meet some incredible people. They are people who have huge hearts and display an unbelievable amount of dedication to their cause. Our golf course is fortunate to be a venue that helps foundations, charities, families or other organizations raise money. While working during an event, I often […]
Tips from the Toad: The Golf Grip
We thought it might be fun (since we’re a golf course after all) to provide some golf related tips. We’re going to start out very simply with a proper golf grip. When I starting golfing, I was about five years old. I can still remember Mike Horton to this day telling the group of junior […]
Smokey the Bear
There are two ideal times of the year to deal with trees: the spring and the fall. This is because of how the tree protects itself. In the height of summer, the tree has all of its branches filled with sap and nutrients. As it prepares for the winter, it begins to concentrate its nutrients […]
Let’s Talk About Water, Shall We?
For the second year (almost three), we have found ourselves in drought conditions. I thought I’d share with you all the fun that those conditions can bring to a golf course. In case you can’t tell, I’m using the word fun very loosely. Droughts are definitely good for exposing your weaknesses in irrigation and (possibly) […]
Talented Dads Are Cool
We have held probably over 250 wedding receptions at our facility in the last five years. I can say with great certainty that every single one looks different. Even if they have the same color scheme, there is always a different twist. A splash of the couple’s personality in the mix. It might be my […]
Tulip Tree – Liriodendron tulipifera
Here’s is my dad back with another edition of the Trees of Toad Valley. If you’d like to read others, check them out: Sawtooth Oak, American Persimmon, and the Chinese Elm. Author: Tom Brady As I have mentioned in the past, this is an article that originally appeared in the Iowa Woodland Owners Association newsletter titled […]
A Golf Course’s Harvest Time
When I was a kid, I loved the time of year when we aerated greens. The entire crew would come together and it felt like every piece of equipment we owned had a duty for the day. There was excitement in the air. Mom always made a special meal for the outside crew and there […]