PROJECT EMERALD

Photos compliments of Mary Kortum.

We are very excited to say that our golf course renovation project, Project Emerald, is almost complete! It is exciting to see seven years of planning finally come to fruition. We hope that you join us in this excitement and are looking forward to playing an improved course in 2016. Opening day (weather permitting) will be Saturday, April 2nd. Tee times may be made up to seven days in advance.

Today's Featured Photo

New things for our golf course! Scatter boards will be implemented to better direct cart traffic to help keep our course polished! Also shown here are our new 90* rule signs. Be sure to check out our Project Emerald: Keeping Our Gem Polished video series for more information!

Head Golf Professional, Hank McFarland, is photographed during a filming session for the Project Emerald: Keeping Our Course Polished video series. Check out our videos on YouTube or on our website.

New rakes have been purchased for the reopening of the golf course. A slight change in rule will be implemented this season. Please leave the rakes in the bunkers after use.

Today's Featured Video

Project Emerald Video Updates

After seven plus years of research and discussion, Project Emerald is underway!

Project Emerald: Gassing the Greens Click here to watch the video update

Project Emerald: Bunkers Click here to watch the video update

Project Emerald: Seeding & Grow-In Click here to watch the video update

Project Emerald: Removing the Green Covers Click here to watch the video update

Project Emerald Archived Documents

Below are links to a collection of articles about the golf course and PROJECT EMERALD. Click on the title to read.

Polishing Our Golf Course for the Future
Article written by 2014 Board President, Roger Glen, in October 2014. Also included is a test plot update.

Course Renovations Timeline
This graphic timeline takes us back to 1962 when the original greens were built. Moving through the years of research for Project Emerald and on course studies, this March 2014 newsletter section explains the Project through pictures and brief descriptions.

Winter Kill Study
A brief mention in the April 2014 newsletter talks about winterkill in 2013-14. With little to no ground cover that winter, the poa annua, the invasive grass that was the reason for Project Emerald discussions beginning, died leaving our greens in rough shape. Here the grounds crew shows their winter study for recovering the greens.

Change
This article written by Board President Roger Glen in May of 2014 talks about how Lochland has changed over the years and about as people go through life the way they use the club changes as well. Glen goes on to explain how the golf course will be changing through Project Emerald.

Course Q & A
In June of 2014 this Q & A section was featured in the newsletter answering questions like "How are big decisions at the club made?" "why not just do 9 holes at a time instead of all 18?", "what is the timeline?" and "Where can I go play when we are closed?". Also, the very important factor of the project NO ASSESSMENT was addressed in this article.

Polising Our Course for the Future
Roger Glen and Green Committee Board Liaison, Gary Hedman, talk about the reason for Project Emerald, the studies that have been done by the USGA and UNL and the then upcoming Town Hall Meetings in this September 2014 newsletter article.

Landscapes Unlimited Visit
Landscapes Unlimited, our course renovation company out of Lincoln, makes a visit to plan for the new year in this December 2014 writeup.

Hole Layouts
Each month this year three holes were featured in the newsletter. This file contains the holes 1-18 plus the mission and focus statements of Project Emerald. Please note that some minor changes have been made to the plans upon recommendation of Landscapes Unlimited, our golf course renovations company.

Attention Golfers Planning On Playing at Riverside Golf Club During Project Emerald
This write up from Golf Professional, Hank McFarland, was published in the July 2015 newsletter and explains the rules and procedures that come with playing at Riverside Golf Club during course shutdown.

Reciprocity During Shutdown
Hank McFarland, Head Golf Professional, outlines reciprocal golf courses, dress codes, and making tee times in this July 2015 newsletter article.

A Year of Change
This article written by Board President Roger Glen in January of 2015 talks about a rough timeline for Project Emerald and the concierge service that the golf shop is currently offering.

Winter Play 2015
To avoide root shear and year-long damage to turf, frost levels must be 3-4" below the surface throughout the green complex before golfers are allowed onto the course. This small writeup in the February 2015 newsletter talks about how foot traffice during the winter season causes damage to the course.

Investing In the Future
General Manager, Scott Shardelow writes about investing back into the community and the club to ensure the health of both well into the future. Article published in February 2015.

Thrive On Lochland
Realty Board Director and long time member, Dean Moors, writes about how Lochland is thriving and the reasons why we have been successful. In this May 2015 article, Dean touches on another proactive project, Project Emerald.

Project Emerald Press Release
On Thursday, August 6th a story about Project Emerald was ran in the Hastings Tribune. Here is the press release that was used to write that story.

Q & A Sheet
Wnat the details with specific information? Here's the document for you. This Q & A sheet was available to members at the Town Hall Meetings last fall and in the Project Emerald Papers packet.

Landscapes Unlimited Informational Sheet
This document contains information about Landscapes Unlimited, our golf course renovations company. It includes a brief list of other courses where they have completed projects. For more information please visit their website.

Bring It On
One of the new grasses to be used to reseed our course is bentgrass. This article was published in Superintendent magazine in July 2014. It talks about why this type of grass is best for us.