A Friendly Reminder About Safety on the Course By Geoff Sheffield, Golf Course Superintendent

Golf at Highland Pacific is meant to be fun, enjoyable, and just the right amount of challenging. Along with the natural beauty and unique layout of the course, our terrain also creates a few situations where a little extra patience and awareness can go a long way.

As many of you know, the hills and slopes around the property help give Highland Pacific its character — but they also affect where we can safely drive power carts. There may be times when carts are restricted from certain areas, such as Pacific 7, where steeper slopes can create safety concerns.

You may also come across members of the maintenance team while they are out preparing the course each day. In some cases, it may be as simple as waiting for a team member to wave you onto the green, like on Highland 9. Other times, a staff member may need an extra moment to finish changing a hole or complete a task before play can continue. We know no one likes to cool off mid-round, but a short pause is better than an unexpected meeting with a piece of equipment.

A recent incident reminded us why this matters. Fortunately, no one was hurt. While our team was edging cart paths near the Highland 3 tee, a golfer attempted to drive around a Bobcat in a very tight area near the turn from the teeing ground. The operator had limited visibility and did not see the cart as they began to back up. Thankfully, the result was only damage and not injury, but it was a close call and a good reminder for all of us.

Our maintenance team works hard every day to make your round as enjoyable as possible, and safety is always a top priority for both staff and golfers. If you encounter a team member at work on the course, please make eye contact, wait for a clear signal, and proceed only when it is safe to do so.

We take pride in safe, incident-free days at Highland Pacific, and with everyone working together, we can keep it that way. A little patience, a little awareness, and a little less “I can squeeze through there” thinking will help make the course safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

— Geoff Sheffield, Golf Course Superintendent