Goodbye 2024


We are down to about half capacity this week as the staff tries to burn up their annual allotment of paid time off before the end of the month. The sun and warmth was here as we buttoned up the irrigation wiring on 17 and also wired up the greenside of 16. The staff continues to dwindle next week as will the temperatures. Looking into 2025 we have 14, 15 and 16 tees left to wire up and then we will head to 1-4 to finish off the irrigation renovation. Bunkers remaining to be renovated on Manakin are 11, 13, 14 and 16. Despite the near term weather the forecast for the rest of winter looks mild which is very welcome!

This is your 287th blog post and the 48th of this year. Since March 1st we have mowed greens (average across both courses) 176 times, rolled greens 77 times, mowed fairways 54 times and raked the bunkers 210 times. We look forward to a little break in maintenance over the winter as the focus shifts to in-house capital projects. 

For 2025, the Board of Directors has approved keeping only 18 holes open Tuesday - Thursday in January if the forecasted temperature is below 60 degrees. This change will not only allow one course to rest and recover better but also allow our staff to stay focused on larger projects like irrigation, drainage, tree and bunker work as opposed to regular maintenance for play. January 2024 only saw a usage rate of 16% across both courses for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in January. You can count on the Manakin being closed January 7th, 8th and 9th as the temperatures don't look like they will be above 40.

Enjoy the Holidays and the New Year! We are excited for what 2025 holds for Hermitage's 125th year!