Country Club of Peoria Golf Maintenance: Be Thankful

I just returned from a visit to Hillcrest Golf Course in Washington, IL. To see the devastation first hand is overwhelming and those of us who were unaffected should be thankful. Superintendent Chuck Bishoff is doing his best to put all the pieces back together and get this long time recreational facility back in shape for his community. His concerns are daunting to say the least and this small 2 man business will be challenged to the extreme in getting through this process.

Chuck and owner Brian Brubaker have asked me to serve as a consultant in helping them through this disaster. I have been asked over the years to consult for various courses around Central Illinois and this time it was easy to say yes, I will help. This business is the sole lively hood for these two gentlemen' and their families. They cannot afford to be out of business for a long period of time. The people in the community need somewhere for recreation as Washington is rebuilt over the next few years. Hillcrest needs to be a viable option for the community. As a young boy I experienced a fatal tornado which leveled our home and devastated our community of Ankeny, Iowa. I can remember that as recreational facilities reopened people felt a sense that the community would be alright. We could make it through this and get our community back. First the parks then the pool and finally our little local public golf course. As each one reopened it brought back something normal to the otherwise chaotic world that we had been thrown into.

If you are not from a small community this may sound like nonsense. If you are from a small town you know exactly what I am talking about. Washington, IL will recover from this disaster. It will take years and countless hours of hard work but they will recover. If I can help in a small way assisting Brian and Chuck in dealing with this disaster then count me in. I know there are numerous Superintendents that are willing to lend a hand. Superintendents are funny that way, always willing to help each other out in a time of need. That is just what we do and how we do it.

I will leave you with some pictures I took of Hillcrest Golf Course and the surrounding area. Every tornado has what I call miracle stories and Hillcrest has one. There were 3 ladies and 1 gentleman that survived the storm in the pro shop. One of the ladies was 84 years old! How they survived is a miracle and when you see the photos you will understand. The pro shop is leveled and has a car flipped over laying on top of it. The gentleman made it to a small basement but the ladies rode out the tornado in a restroom on the main floor. All four walked away with minor injuries. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Hug your kids, tell your wife you love her and Be Thankful!