2025 Year in Review Through Photographs : A visual reflection of the year, one image at a time.

As many people do, I use the holiday season as a time to slow down and reflect on life and the experiences that shaped the past year. It’s a natural pause point and a moment to look back before stepping forward again.

As an avid amateur photographer, and someone deeply passionate about both Olde Florida Golf Club and the profession I’ve devoted my career to, I find myself constantly behind the lens capturing the things I am fortunate to witness. Much of my photography is work-related, and caught during early mornings and long days on the golf course. Within the moments are stories, scenes, and details that resonate far beyond the task at hand.

Since 2022, I’ve made it a tradition at the end of each year to review every photograph I’ve taken, this year, more than 3,000 images. From that collection of memories, I select the photographs that carry extra meaning: images that capture not just what I saw, but how it felt to be there in that moment.

What follows is my 2025 Year in Review Through Photographs, a visual reflection of the year as I experienced it, one image at a time.

Each year, I select one photograph to feature on my Christmas card. This image, taken on March 20 on the third green at Olde Florida Golf Club, was the photo I chose for my 2025 card.

Sunrise is truly my favorite time of day, and there are few places I enjoy it more than standing behind the first tee at Olde Florida Golf Club. Photo taken on January 10.

An early morning view of the practice green at Olde Florida Golf Club. Quiet, calm, and full of promise. Taken on February 1.

Few things beat the smell of freshly cut grass. The TifTuf on the 12th fairway at Olde Florida Golf Club looked especially beautiful on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

Since the 2021 renovation, the combination of TifEagle, TifGrand, and TifTuf has delivered exceptional results at Olde Florida Golf Club—and on February 18, it was truly on display.

One of our favorite annual traditions for the Member/Guest Invitational is painting the Olde Florida logo behind the championship tee on the first hole at Olde Florida Golf Club. February 19.

There is something exceptionally peaceful about watching irrigation at sunrise on the 10th hole at Olde Florida Golf Club. Photo taken on February 22.

The bunkering designed by Rees Jones at Olde Florida Golf Club is exceptional. On the morning of February 22, the fairway bunker on the 15th hole absolutely popped.

While golfers at Olde Florida Golf Club make plenty of birdies, the Screech Owls are a special kind of “birdie,” reminding us that the course is home to much more than the game itself. March 20.

Foggy mornings make life difficult for the dew sweepers and the agronomy team at Olde Florida Golf Club. The heavy fog on April 1 was no April Fool’s joke.

Two piercing eyes, two eggs in the nest, but THREE images of our resident Screech Owls made the cut, quiet reminders of life beyond the game in this edition of The Year in Photographs at Olde Florida Golf Club. April 5.

Another example of the phenomenal bunkering by Rees Jones, Inc. at Olde Florida Golf Club. Spring had definitely sprung on April 11.

Meet Julia Roberts—our famed Screech Owl, named after the actress who starred in Runaway Bride. Much like her namesake, glimpses of Julia are rare, as she is excellent at running away. April 14.

Aerification is a necessary evil in the pursuit of high-quality greens. Constructed in 1992, the original greens at Olde Florida Golf Club have stood the test of time only because of consistent summer cultural practices. Summer has arrived. May 28.

Sunrise is my favorite time of day. Summer cultural practices, such as vertical mowing, may not be a golfer’s favorite, but they are a necessary part of caring for the golf course. June 24.

September 15, summer cultural practices are complete and the TifEagle, TifGrand, and TifTuf at Olde Florida Golf Clubare ready for the upcoming busy winter golf season.

The blooming of Muhlygrass is a sure sign that season has arrived at Olde Florida Golf Club. The Muhly was especially vibrant on October 9.

Looking back on the fourth hole at Olde Florida Golf Club, and this photograph of it can be enlightening. October 18.

Among the many great moments throughout the day, one of my favorite late-afternoon views is on the 16th hole at Olde Florida Golf Club.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, November 24 was a day to be thankful for great weather and TifTuf that was truly showing off at Olde Florida Golf Club.

As is probably evident to anyone who knows me, or follows me, sunrise is truly my favorite time of day. If I’m not watching it at Olde Florida Golf Club, I’m most likely watching it as I leave the Goodland Boat Ramp and head into the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park. It is my happy place on this August 30, and on any day I’m fortunate enough to head that way.

Winter Solstice

December 21 has arrived, and for golf course superintendents across the southern United States, this is far more than just another date on the calendar. It is the winter solstice. Arguably, the most critical day of the year for warm-season turfgrass management.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year. On this day, the sun rises and sets at its most southerly position and travels across the sky at its lowest annual angle. The cumulative result is reduced day length, diminished light intensity, and declining air and soil temperatures.

Sunrise on The Winter Solstice

Ironically, this period of declining environmental support for turfgrass growth coincides with the busiest time of year for golf in Southwest Florida. Seasonal residents return, rounds increase, expectations remain high, and playing surfaces are asked to perform at peak levels, all while turfgrass is receiving the least amount of sunlight, and consequently experiencing the slowest growth, it will see all year.

From an agronomic standpoint, the importance of the winter solstice cannot be overstated.

Turfgrass health is driven by four fundamental inputs: sunlight (photosynthesis), water, air, and nutrients. While a superintendent can carefully manage irrigation, fertility, and cultural practices, sunlight remains the one variable largely outside our control. Understanding how the Earth’s rotation and seasonal sun angles influence turfgrass physiology is essential to successfully navigating this period. Trees and terrain that pose little concern in spring or summer can significantly restrict sunlight exposure during winter, further limiting photosynthetic opportunity and overall turfgrass performance.

At Olde Florida Golf Club, our playing surfaces are comprised of bermudagrass, a warm-season turfgrass species that performs optimally when average daily air temperatures exceed 75°F. Soil temperature is equally critical. Bermudagrass exhibits minimal growth when soil temperatures fall below 65°F, while optimal root growth occurs near 80°F. As day length shortens and sun angles decrease, both air and soil temperatures trend downward. Photosynthesis slows, carbohydrate production declines, and the plant’s ability to recover from traffic and stress is significantly reduced.

Because we cannot control the duration or intensity of sunlight, our management strategy must account for it well in advance. The goal is to have the turf in its strongest possible condition as we enter the winter golf season. From this point forward, our focus shifts from growth to preservation. For approximately the next 60 days, every decision, including mowing frequency, fertility timing, traffic management, and moisture control is made with the understanding that recovery will be slow and margins for error are narrow.

The encouraging news is that the winter solstice also represents a turning point!

Beginning tomorrow, the sun will gradually shift back to the north. Day length will increase by seconds at first, then minutes, and eventually hours. Sun angles will slowly rise, soil temperatures will stabilize, and photosynthetic capacity will begin to improve. While winter conditions will persist for several months, each passing day brings incrementally more environmental support for turfgrass growth.

For golfers, this time of year requires patience and understanding. While our team continues to work tirelessly each day, turfgrass simply does not respond as quickly as it does during the warmer months. Ball marks, divots, wear from cart and foot traffic, and other damage may linger longer, not due to neglect, but because the turf is operating with limited energy. Protecting the playing surfaces during this challenging period ensures they remain healthy, resilient, and enjoyable throughout the season. 

Summer Update 2

The club is currently in the fourth of five week-long summer closures. While certainly not over, it has been an extremely productive summer! We are ahead of schedule having completed all of our aggressive cultural practices (aerification, vertical mowing and topdressing). In addition to the hard work by my team, we are ahead of schedule in part due to “normal” rainfall this summer. Year to date we have received 33.47” of rain. At this time last year, we had received 63.2” of rain. Twice as much! 

We are now focused on small projects, ancillary activities and beginning our detail work to be ready for the 2025/2026 winter golf season. 

Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension 

If you haven’t been to the club this summer, the first thing you will notice when you return is the progress on the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension project. With any project of this scope there have been challenges. Most GPS/directional programs have been affected, we’ve dealt with numerous road detours and other issues, but the end is in sight! Hopefully before the winter golfing season is over we will be utilizing the new road. 

The Big Cypress Canal that bordered our southern property line (#8 and #9) has been filled and shifted to the south. Our lake system was successfully connected to the new canal, which is located on the other/south side of the new six-lane road. Water exits our lake system through a 48” reinforced concrete pipe. As you can see in the pictures below, our original pipe has been connected to the same size pipe that was installed under the new road. This pipe also enables us to bring water into our lake system during the dry season. Everything is functioning perfectly. 

Canal Reconnection, May 2025

Canal Reconnection, May 2025

Drill and Fill

As reported in my inaugural summer update (click here), in addition to traditional core aeration, since 2019 we’ve hired a contractor to complete two, separate Drill and Fill processes. The Drill and Fill machine has a series of 1” bits that drill to a depth of 10” and then fill the created channel with bagged, dried sand. 

The second Drill and Fill of the summer was completed from July 21 - 25. During the process, an additional 70 pallets of bagged, kiln dried sand were deposited into the subsurface of greens #1 - #18 and the putting green. Each pallet has 56 bags weighing 50 pounds each. The total weight of the sand used in the second process is 196,000 pounds (98 tons). 

Between the two processes, 417,200 pounds (208.6 tons) of sand was deposited in the greens this summer during the Drill and Fill processes. 

SOX Erosion Control System

As part of the golf course renovation in 2021, we installed the SOX Erosion Control System to reclaim and stabilize the shoreline adjacent to #1 and #5 green (click here). These greens have significant sheet flow across their surface to a concentrated area. Both projects were successful and have performed exceptionally. This summer we repeated the process on 150’ of shoreline adjacent to #2 green.

The SOX system is a geotextile based system with a patented anchoring design used to stabilize shorelines and reclaim deteriorated or lost area and prevent future erosion. The Sox product consists of a double layer of knitted high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh. After being anchored, the mesh is filled with a soil mix and shaped to match, or change the slope or shape of the area. As with the areas on #1 and #5, the result on #2 lake bank is dramatic! We were able to regain over 10’ of lost shoreline! Before and after pictures are below. 

SOX Installation #2, June 2025

SOX Installation #2, June 2025

Finished Product #2, August 2025

Vertical Mowing

In addition to aerification, we have aggressively vertical mowed the tees, approaches and greens in multiple directions on several occasions throughout the summer. This process reduces thatch, firms the surface and reduces leaf-orientation.

Vertical Mowing #6 Approach and Green, July 2025

Vertical Mowing #10 Tee, July 2025

Tree Work

We continued our annual tree trimming this summer. All of the Live Oak trees in the clubhouse and incoming road have been “lifted and thinned.” We’ve also been working on the Oaks and Cabbage Palms on the golf course. We have trimmed over 2,500 Cabbage Palms this summer and should exceed 4,500 trees this year. 

Trimming Palm Trees #3 / #7 (Contractor), August 2025

Trimming Palm Trees #6 / #7 (Olde Florida Staff), August 2025

In addition, as we have done to numerous areas on the golf course (most recently #17), my team has initiated underbrush removal and cleaning of the area to the right of the landing area on #18. 

Approach Expansion

Olde Florida has three par-4 holes, #4, #7 and #14 that require a carry over rough on the approach to the green. Over the last few years we've heard a couple comments about the carry being more challenging on the longest of the three holes, #14. At the beginning of the summer we lowered the height of the rough, doubling the size of the approach on #14. 

The photo below depicts the change. The original approach is “greener” in the photo and the “less green area” is the expanded area now being managed as an approach. The change will enable the use of a less lofted club or putter if an approach shot comes up short. After a summer of aerification, vertical mowing and topdressing, the turf is consistent on the entire approach. We also expanded the approach on #4 to be consistent with #14. 

Approach Expansion #14, June 2025

Approach Expansion #4, June 2025

Drainage… Drainage… Drainage 

Sub-surface drainage is never ending! So far this year we’ve installed projects on #6, #9, #12 and #16 totaling 445 linear feet. Pictured below is a 125’ project on #12 that we completed this week. The excavated drainage trenches are 18” wide and 18” deep. 

Drainage Project #12, August 2025

Drainage Project #12, August 2025

See you soon! 

With one more closed week, and projects never ending, we are excited to continue our efforts to enhance your golfing experience. I hope you are having a great summer and we look forward to welcoming you home to Olde Florida! 

Summer Update

After a terrific winter golfing season at Olde Florida, summer arrived and that means it's "cultural practice season!” 

Each summer we schedule extended closures so we can perform the vital tasks of aerification, vertical mowing and topdressing. These are essential to insure the turfgrass remains healthy and the golf course is in the best possible condition for years to come. The cultural practices we perform this summer will be similar to most years.

We accomplish the majority of our cultural practices in the summer when our play is the slowest, but equally important, it’s the time of year when our warm season bermudagrasss is most actively growing. 

We are most aggressive with cultural practices in early to mid-summer. This is when the days are the longest. The summer solstice (longest day of the year) is June 20. We also want to perform them early in the summer in an attempt to avoid cloudy, rainy days. Weather is obviously unpredictable, but in general as summer progresses in Southwest Florida, we see an increase in cloudy weather. Clouds and rain reduce sunlight, and sunlight is essential to warm season turfgrass growth/recovery. 

Historically we also have a greater likelihood of severe weather from tropical systems or hurricanes as the summer progresses. The negative impacts from severe storms could delay or even cancel scheduled procedures. 

For turfgrass to thrive it needs sunlight, water, nutrients and air. All are critical, but the one we try to influence the most in the summer is air (in the soil). A well drained rootzone is critical for turfgrass. Aerification, vertical mowing and topdressing all help to dilute the natural occurring organic matter beneath the surface. This helps to increasing air in the soil, water infiltration rate and ultimately turfgrass rooting. The pictures below provide a visualization of what we are trying to accomplish. 

Soil Profile #8 Fairway.June 14

Soil Profile #3 Green. June, 14

In addition to traditional core aeration we perform on the greens, since 2019 we’ve hired a contractor to complete two, separate Drill and Fill processes. The Drill and Fill machine has a series of 1” bits that drill to a depth of 10” and then fill the created channel with bagged, dried “329” sand. The first Drill and Fill of the summer was completed from May 28 to May 31. During the process, 79 pallets of bagged, kiln dried sand was deposited into the subsurface of our greens. Each pallet has 56 bags weighing 50 pounds each. The total weight of the sand was 221,200 pounds (110.6 tons). 

Drill and Fill on Practice Green. May, 28

After the Drill and Fill process was completed, my staff cleaned and smoothed the surface, applied soil amendments, topdressed the surface with “304” sand and performed a 5/8” core aeration on 3” by 3” spacing. Plugs were removed and the surface cleaned and smoothed. 

Core Aeration on Practice Green. May, 29

 Practice Green on Flag Day June, 14

During this first closure we once again topdressed the fairways with 1/4” of “329” sand. The total weight of the sand was 1,760,000 pounds (880 tons). We will topdress our wetter fairways multiple times throughout the summer.

880 Tons of Sand. Clubhouse Parking Lot

Fairway Top-Dressing. Hole 16

In addition to the five, week-long closures, Olde Florida is closed for golf play each Monday from May through October. These Mondays allow us to perform additional cultural practices that generally take a single day to perform. For example, on Monday, May 19th all of the tees were aerified, and on Monday, June 9th all of the approaches/chipping areas were aerified. All of the process (soil amendments, topdressing, etc.) performed during greens aerification are replicated on tees and approaches. 

Tee Aerification, Hole 12 

I hope your summer is off to a great start!