Your Bigwood team has been working hard and is excited to share some of the developments at the course. Water has been tricky over the last month, and we have worked hard to solve these challenges and get the water flowing. The two primary challenges have been: 1) a large number of clogs at the head gate that inhibited flow to the system, and 2) two broken valves that kept water from flowing through the course as designed. We are in a much better position today than even a week ago, but we are still pushing hard to catch up. We know the ponds are a priority of players and nearby homeowners, and we’re committed to getting these filled as soon as possible.

In addition to short-term fixes, we are also exploring longer-term solutions for water on the course. We are working with industry-leading consultants on riverway engineering to solve the persistent issues at the head gate, and we have a highly esteemed irrigation consultant helping prepare meaningful irrigation upgrades to the course. These will take some time, but we think they will be significant improvements for the course.

We are also aiming to make the course more accessible, starting with frequent updates on this site. We launched online tee times today to make booking easier than ever before.

The driving range is officially under construction, and we’re excited to welcome guests back soon! We are working with Idaho Greens & Lawn to install best-in-class Celebrity Greens turf for the range and a putting green. The concrete pad is in place, and the turf install has started. We’ll keep the site updated on a firm opening date, but we’re working to have the range open by mid-July.

We are also pushing hard on the restaurant, and plans are firming up! We are hoping to open bar service in the next few weeks so that our community can enjoy drinks on the incredible Bigwood patio. Food service will be highly limited this summer, though, as we prepare for full-fledged operations next summer. We are working with a fantastic team – architects, designers, builders, and landscape architects – to develop plans for a winter remodel. We will update the community on the site as these plans are ready to share. We’re very excited! We are looking to build out the restaurant team in the coming months, so please reach out (jobs@bigwoodsv.com) if you are or know exceptional people who would be interested in building the Bigwood restaurant with us.

We have many more projects underway that we think will continue to take the course in a great direction, and we can’t wait to roll them out.

Lastly, our long-time Superintendent Shawn Aicher has moved on from Bigwood for personal reasons. Shawn had a massive impact on Bigwood Golf, and we are deeply grateful for the dedication and expertise he brought to Bigwood for almost a decade. Shawn will continue to help consult on course matters, and we will see him at Men’s League regularly! Thank you Shawn for everything you’ve done!

The Bigwood Golf Team

June 24, 2024

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Our team has been hard at work getting the course ready for a great summer of golf. The course is in better shape than last year coming out of the winter, and we have been hard at work dethatching, mowing, and grooming the greens and fairways to get them in great condition for our players. While we did experience some vole damage over the winter, we've taken effective measures to manage it.

Our irrigation system is functioning well, with only minor repairs needed for a few broken lines. While the ponds are filling slightly slower this year due to lower water levels and debris at the head gate, we're diligently working to ensure optimal water flow.

We will fertilize the course in the coming weeks, so look forward to even brighter greens and healthier turf in the weeks to come. Additionally, we have two new seeders on order for our fairways and greens, and we will be seeding with those as soon as they arrive.

We are also working on surrounding areas, cutting invasives such as cattails and knapweed in the ponds and open areas around the course. We made some progress on ponds in the southern part of the course, but we are holding on some areas in the northern part of the course until the fall in order to be able to use heavy equipment to remove cattails there when the ponds are dry.

We're excited to announce the reopening of the driving range this year with a vastly improved configuration! We're in the final stages of contracting with a top-tier artificial turf provider to install best-in-class turf for the driving range and an adjacent putting green. You can expect to enjoy the best range in the valley by mid-July.

We're also making aesthetic improvements to the non-course areas. We are contracting with a local fencing company to add a fence by our maintenance area to shield it from Highway 75, and we've scheduled landscaping work to enhance the entryway and berms.

We can't wait for you to experience the course this summer! We'll keep you updated on our progress throughout the season.

The Bigwood Golf Team

May 30, 2024