We ain't just growing golf over here...

- April 21, 2021

If you have hung out with Larry and me for any period of time, you know that this isn’t just about golf. We love being a steward and stewardess of this land. And in honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share all of the reasons we love this patch of earth.

This 88 acres was originally cared for by the Miami and Shawnee Indians, then settled by John Morrow Cochran and most recently tended to by the Cassinelli Family.

The land has been farmed and supported livestock. The ponds still hold bass, bluegill and carp as well as turtles, frogs, herons, and ducks. The ponds are also home to our resident kingfisher, the Golf Ranch spirit animal. The kingfisher is a symbol of prosperity, abundance and new experiences. He lives life in the air and in the water, feeding on fish, crawdads, frogs, and insects. He reminds us to dive into the waters of life without fear or hesitation (or a retirement plan).

On dry ground, we host several deer, coyotes, fox squirrels, gray squirrels and Glendale black squirrels, runny babbits, chipmunks, snakes, moles, and an occasional weasel. And don’t forget Moby and Toby, the keepers of the peace.

The sky is equally exciting. Our resident red-tailed hawk family currently nests on Hole 1 and has produced at least 6 babies since we have known the space. As red-tailed hawks own the day, a great horned owl owns the night. And every now and then a sharp-shinned hawk or turkey vulture shows up to mix it up. Most mornings the course sounds like an aviary. Robins, bluejays, cardinals, mourning doves, mockingbirds, three kinds of woodpeckers, killdeers, kingbirds, and starlings welcome us to work. Eastern bluebirds, house wrens, red-winged blackbirds, goldfinches, swallows and orioles are transitory but stay for a little while.

The plant life supports not just the animals and the insect life, but also can be used for human medicine. St. John’s Wort, blackberries, wild grapes, may apples, red clover, garlic mustard greens, and chinese chives are all edible. The dogs love the goldenrod as it eases belly aches. The oak trees produce acorns as needed by the deer and squirrel population. Our black walnut tree behind Hole 7 is always fruity. And the buckeye tree on Hole 4 is shy, but she produces fruit every now and then. We have three different varieties of milkweed that host bees and monarch butterflies throughout the summer.