Welcome to Aurora Country Club
from your Grounds Superintendent

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my personal welcome to all members to the Aurora Country Club for the 2008 season. As those of you who have played the course know, we have a beautiful golf course which will challenge all levels of golfers. Adding more excitement to this season are the improvements made to the course in the fall of 2007 which will debut this spring. My name is John Gurke, and I am honored to have served as the golf course superintendent here since November of 1990. I am a 1984 graduate of the University of Illinois, and a certified golf course superintendent through the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). My assistant superintendent—beginning his third year with us—is Virgil Range, a native of downstate Illinois, a United States Navy veteran, and current student in the Penn State University’s World Campus for golf course management. Virgil and I are here for you—if you have any comments, suggestions, and yes, even constructive criticisms pertaining to the conditioning and care of your golf course, please feel free to speak to us or any member of this year’s Green Committee. We are all readily available and anxious to provide you with a premium golfing experience throughout the year. Your 2008 Green Committee is comprised of the following members: J. P. Bryan, chairman; Paul Dahlquist, vice chairman; and committee members Gene Finley,Mike Jurasek,Tim Mutz, Dave Nadler, andLynn Simantz. All of these people have volunteered their time and effort toward the improvement of your golf course, and you should feel free to discuss any aspect of course conditioning with them.

If you do wish to speak to me regarding your golf course, I can be reached at (630) 892-3600, and can usually be found on the course throughout each day. We look forward to seeing our old friends and new faces enjoying the golf course this season.

We would like to ask you to assist us in our efforts to provide you with the premium conditions you expect by participating in these general course procedures:

*Please take extra care this season with the new features resulting from our golf course improvement program—especially when using a golf car! We have many areas with new sod and most of the rough has been reseeded. Follow all signs and tread lightly.

*Please observe all signage on the course when using a golf car. The white and green posts located at the edge of the fairway in front of the greens indicate the limits for golf cars—no golf car traffic is permitted inside these areas. These posts are moved periodically to spread the traffic and wear patterns around, and serve to keep turf and soil conditions around the greens in top shape. Also, since we do not have a contiguous cart path system, we ask that golf cars “scatter”, or blaze their own trail while driving on the course. By doing this, we avoid worn out turf from repeated traffic over the same area. At times when foul weather dictates, use of golf cars may be either restricted to certain areas of the course (i.e., rough only), or discontinued until conditions improve—please follow any instructions regarding golf car use that are posted throughout the clubhouse and on the golf course.

*Each golf car is equipped with 2 divot mix bottles. The mix is a combination of dry sand, compost, and bentgrass seed. If you make a divot on a tee or fairway (this does not apply to rough areas which have a different grass species), please either replace the divot (if it has substantial soil for regrowth—the big, chunky ones) or fill the divot with the mixture. Filling a divot to a level just below the turf surface allows the seed to germinate and grow without being scalped by mowers, so please do not overfill the divots. If you run out of mix during your round, replacement bottles can be found adjacent to the #10 tee. Smaller, clip-on bottles for walkers are also available in the cart storage area and on the first and tenth tees. Feel free to fill other divots during your round of golf as well—it is a huge benefit to the course, and frees up the grounds staff for other projects.

*The Pro Shop has ball mark repair tools for your use. Although it is common golf etiquette to repair one’s ball mark, many golfers either can not find their mark or simply forget to repair it. By repairing your ball marks as well as those left by others, you ensure smooth, true putting surfaces for the next group and the next day.

*When using the practice range, please use the designated area for the day—directly in front of the bag stands and between the station dividers. This is highly important in order to preserve the tee for the days and weeks to follow. The best method for quick divot recovery on the practice tee is the following: Please make SEPARATE and INDIVIDUAL DIVOTS as opposed to one large area of damage , as we find that a bentgrass tee will mend more quickly if the individual divots are spread out, allowing the grass around them to creep inward while the seed is germinating. Also, as much as we dislike using artificial mats, they are a necessary evil at times during the season to alleviate wear on the grass tee. Please use the mats on days when it is requested to allow the grass tee to recuperate from the abuse it takes.

After the long winter of seemingly endless snow cover, the 2008 season is upon us and we look forward to a great year! We periodically post photographs and news items pertaining to course conditions on the club’s web site—to view them, go to www.auroracc.com and follow the prompts.

I thank you in advance for your participation in the care of our beautiful grounds. This is your golf course, and we endeavor to make it one to which you will feel proud to belong. Have a wonderful season, and I look forward to seeing you on the course!

John Gurke, CGCS