Dear Spring Run Owner,

Despite several reports at Board Meetings and even the most recent Neighborhood Representatives Meeting this past Tuesday, the rumor of a Hurricane assessment persists. Just this morning, another concerned owner stopped by the office to confirm the charge. I informed him that there will be NO hurricane assessment to the Membership following the damage from Irma.

Spring Run’s hurricane deductible came out to $412,000. Our expenses came close but as of this time, have not exceeded it. Despite that, we did receive Insurance proceeds of $250,000, and we had reserved $50,000 for hurricane damage, leaving us with approximately $100,000 in expenses to the Club. The Board felt strongly that due to the assessments for damage in other neighborhoods, we could handle this cost and provide some relief to our owners.

Please help spread the word.

Thank you

Mike

Dear Spring Run Member,

Its another article discussing the oft-maligned speed bump, a necessity for the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and frankly other drivers in a community without sidewalks, yet a nuisance for others who feel they are not needed. I certainly do not like to hit speedbumps on any roadway, but if you approach them gently, you’ll hardly notice.

The purpose of today’s article is to simply raise your awareness of the new configuration of the speed bumps, and to remind you NOT to try to fit your wheels between them. According to Fire Marshall Green, six years ago, the Florida Fire Prevention Code was changed, but it took several years to get it officially into the Village’s ordinances, which recognize EFR’s authority over the design of traffic calming devices. The Village met with Shayne and I to review the specs, which were designed to accommodate the double rear wheels of the Fire Trucks, which are wider than the front ones. Interestingly, it is does not accommodate Ambulances, as they are essentially a big pickup truck or van.  Those wheel bases are the same as a regular passenger vehicle, so unfortunately, they still hit bumps. But, as the Fire Marshall relayed to me, making the separation between bumps close enough to accommodate ambulances, and thus, all traffic,  defeats the purpose of having traffic calming devices.

Which brings me to my main point. Please DO NOT try to drive your car’s wheels between the openings of the bumps. They won’t both fit, even if one does. The main problem here is that in order to position your vehicle to attempt to navigate the openings, you are likely moving your car out of your lane and into oncoming vehicles. Not only will you hit the bump with at least one wheel, you may hit another car.

Remember the speed limit in the community is 19 MPH.

Thank you!

Mike

Have you considered running for the Spring Run Board of Directors?

Perhaps you know someone who would be a good candidate?

Feel free to let Vince Corso, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, know your thoughts.

A notice of Elections will go out mid-January detailing the schedule, deadlines for submission, and other pertinent information.

If you have any questions, please contact Mike Zigler.

Happy New Year!

Mike 

Dear Members,

Rakes in or Rakes out of Bunkers?  

The following is an excerpt from the USGA’s “Rules and Decisions”

“Question:  Should rakes be placed in or outside bunkers?

Answer:  There is not a perfect answer for the position of rakes, but on balance it is felt there is less likelihood of an advantage or disadvantage to the player if rakes are placed outside bunkers.

It may be argued that there is more likelihood of a ball being deflected into or kept out of a bunker if the rake is placed outside the bunker.  It could also be argued that if the rake is in the bunker it is most unlikely that the ball will be deflected out of the bunker.

However, in practice, players who leave rakes in bunkers frequently leave them at the side which tends to stop a ball rolling into the flat part of the bunker, resulting in a much more difficult shot than would otherwise have been the case.  This is most prevalent at a course where the bunkers are small.  When the ball comes to rest on or against a rake in the bunker and the player must proceed under Rule 24-1, it may not be possible to replace the ball on the same spot or find a spot in the bunker which is not nearer the hole.

If rakes are left in the middle of the bunker the only way to position them is to throw them into the bunker and this causes damage to the surface.  Also, if a rake is in the middle of a large bunker it is either not used or the player is obliged to rake a large area of the bunker resulting in unnecessary delay.

Therefore, after considering all these aspects, it is recommended that rakes should be left outside bunkers in areas where they are least likely to affect the movement of the ball.

Ultimately, it is a matter for the Committee to decide where it wishes rakes to be placed.”

And the Committee says “outside”!

Also, it has come to my attention that some members feel we are only going to renovate a few bunkers, or maybe just the greenside ones. The plan is that ALL bunkers will be replaced with the Bunker Solutions material. It is so cost-effective and  erosion-resistant, it wouldn’t make sense to leave any undone, given that the crew needs to fix them all after a downpour.

Feel free to reply with any questions.

Mike

You may wonder why there is a piece of equipment sitting in the rough on hole #10. Unfortunately, the rough unit sprung a hydraulic line leak, spilling fluid onto the turf. We are awaiting the delivery of a new hose, and it should be fixed tomorrow. In the meantime, the maintenance crew is flushing the area with water to move the hydraulic fluid through the soil. This will minimize the damage and to help the turf recover. It will turn brown for a while, but then the grass will grow back.

The greenside bunker on hole #18 should be completed later today or tomorrow. Regardless, the MGA will play the actual green tomorrow with the bunker marked “Ground Under Repair”. This will end the greenside bunker renovation for this season. We will start again in May with Hole #1 –greenside bunker. Throughout season, the crew will be renovating some out-of-the way fairway bunkers while golf continues.

Mike