The Mad Dash to the Finish Line

Today we spent a majority of the day cleaning up the golf course.  After nearly two full weeks focused on major projects and cultural practices there were quite a few detail items left to corral before we could consider the course presentable. The team did an amazing job today handling a very difficult assignment in  a Triple Digit Heat Index.  We are looking forward to getting the golfers back on the course, after all, that's why we do what we do.  

Tomorrow will be a late night with the installation of the TurfHound Mats.  My plan is to write an early edition tomorrow recapping the work done to the course and the expectations going forward and then follow that up with a Final edition of the DR Tee Update.  Be forewarned it will be a very late edition.  The TurfHound rep will not even be on site until the afternoon.  This coupled with the fact that we will have fresh sprigs on the ground that will need to be watered on an hourly basis may lead to a late night.  I was assured by all involved that the hitting stations will be ready for Saturday morning.  I just may still be asleep on them when you get there.

Sod installed on slopes

Ready for mats

Ready for Sprigs

Off color Rough due to lower Height of Cut

New soft Path material on #15

It's beginning to look a lot like..... a  Driving Range Tee!

If you squint just right and tilt your head slightly, it looks like we are ready for some grass.  The rough grading was completed today and the sod will be delivered tomorrow.  We will be sodding the the surrounding slopes for stability and grassing the tee top with sprigs.  We had a brief battle with Mother Nature this afternoon and we all agreed to allow this project to proceed to completion without any more delays. (Did I just Jinx myself?)  

Rough Graded 90/10 sand mix

slopes to be sodded

The Calm before the Storm

Typically these last few days of a maintenance closure are usually reserved for detail work and presentation in preparation of re-opening the golf course.  The July closure is always a bit different.  We are still "knee deep" in projects and our contractors keep throwing curve balls at us.  I have to give all the credit in the world to my team.  As our plans seemingly change hour by hour, they have risen to the challenge and accomplished every task without hesitation.  We will forge ahead and focus on healing up a battered golf course and providing an enjoyable playing experience for our members and guests.  

Now for our daily Driving Range Tee Renovation Update:  the new concrete slab that will support the State of the Art Turfhound Synthetic Mats was poured today.  The installation of the mats has now been moved to Friday(contractor curve ball).  This has the schedule looking like this: Wednesday - Final grade and shape of entire tee and surrounds, Thursday - sod all slopes, Friday - install mats and sprig tee surface,  Saturday - listen to our members rave about how great these new mats are.  Always the Optimist, Forever the Realist!

New Concrete for Artificial hitting area

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

I am hoping this adage is true to form.  Jim Glase has assured me that it will not rain the remainder of the week and we will finish on time. This means the concrete slab will be poured on Tuesday, the Pavers will be set on Wednesday and Thursday, the Mats will be installed on Thursday  and the sod and sprigs will be put in place on Friday.  Call me a dreamer, but I am really putting all my efforts in presenting a quality golf experience for our members and guests.  Unfortunately, this new and improved driving range tee   may be a few days behind schedule.  The golf course as a whole is recovering nicely from an intense round of cultural practices.  Be prepared to play on some sandy fairways and greens that are not 100%.  We appreciate your patience during this closure. This is the most aggressive and disruptive of them all and to throw in a DR renovation makes for an inconvenience for everyone.  

Below you will find a photo a piece of a equipment dropping piles of 90/10 mix to be evenly distributed throughout the tee.  This 90/10 is a greens mix.  We are building a Driving Range Tee in the same fashion that one would build a green.  Going forward, the placement and activity of the range  will be paramount.  I place great trust in the Pro shop staff in preserving the hitting areas.  

As we move closer to completion, we will get a little  more in depth.      

Adding 90/10 Mix

TGI ????

During our 11 day closures we typically don't have a set schedule.  We always start at the same time but we we will usually take advantage of good weather, momentum, timing or other circumstances of need that tend to dictate longer days.  Be it Friday Sunday or Tuesday during a closure, if there is something crucial that needs to be done we will stick it out.  Mother Nature decided to ring our bell early today.  I certainly did not mind, our team certainly deserved a break after a long hard fought week.  On their way out they asked if they could stay late on the weekend to make up for the lost time today.  That's the gift of having a team that knows our goals and what it takes to accomplish them.  

The majority of the course work that remains to be done includes topdressing the fairways and focusing on the play ability of the greens.   Both of these tasks are highly dependent on the weather.  We will start early and stay late to meet our deadlines.  

The concrete extensions are moving along nicely.  Our contractor has performed admirably, pouring in the morning and forming in the afternoon.  We should be able to back fill the edges next week and have them ready for traffic on Saturday.

The Driving Range Tee is on schedule, it is a tight one, but on schedule none the less.  Their crew has finished the drain lines this afternoon and will prepare the sub grade for the sand mix early next week.  As they focus on the DR Tee it may be that the Chipping area improvements are moved to the following week.  

We are looking forward to a busy weekend on the course and a very productive week.  Wish us luck!

A different Perspective 

Another Productive Day!

Our head start from Wednesday made for smooth sailing on Thursday.  We endured a short 40 minute lightning delay and jumped right back into the game.  The team completed the Tee verti-cutting and clean up, fairway circle cutting was completed and the tees were topdressed and aerified today. We also got a head start on the Fairway topdressing. The concrete portion of Cart Path Project is progressing on schedule and the Driving Rang Tee continues to inch towards completion.  The first of four major drain lines was installed today after a lengthy delay in equipment delivery.  As of today, we are projected to pour concrete on Tuesday and install the new Mats on Thursday.  This would allow the range to open on Saturday along with the golf course.  

Brian Beckner was also on site today to install an Osprey Platform between holes #6 and #7 in an effort to to move our existing nesting Ospreys to a safer location.  The original plan was to "snag" the existing tree and move the nest, however the Pine had deteriorated to the point of becoming a safety hazard so the decision was made to remove the entire tree.  The nesting material was preserved and transferred to the platform prior to installation. Nesting activity typically starts in November or December. Keep your eyes peeled!  

Tee Aerification

Fairway Topdressing

First Drain line installation 

Nest in Harms way

Nest recovery

Platform attachment

Ready for install

New home for the happy couple 

 

Success!

Expectations are very low this summer, any day without rain is a successful day.  It still amazes me to this day how my team continues to take so much pride in their work.  We had a set plan for today, not only did we complete those plans, we got a head start on Thursday's jobs and this came from communication with my guys.  Their suggestions and experiences with this process are invaluable.  In my 6 years of working along side them, I feel I have learned more then I have taught. 

Below are a few photos of the days action.  Maybe the most hi-tech is the Laser leveling of the DR Tee.  The tripod device in the photo actually communicates with the device located on the back of the tractor allowing the box blade to adjust automatically based on the slope desired.  

Old concrete Hitting Station being removed

 

Roto tilling to improve soil structure

Laser leveling

Drain lines waiting their turn for install on the DR Tee

Fairway Verti Cut

Fairway Clean up

#18 new Path extension

July Update

As depressing as the weather has been, I promise not to dwell on the negatives.  But just to recap the beginning of this remarkable summer.  Our little corner of the world received 29.2 inches of rain in June and 11..5 inches through the first 18 days of July.  Those numbers are good for an ANNUAL rainfall total not for 6 weeks.  As we work through our summer projects, a few extra drainage lines may be added to the list.  

Today began our second of three closures this summer.  The July closure tends to be the most aggressive and the most disruptive.  The schedule for the next 11 days includes multiple aerifications, verti-cuttings and topdressing on all of our short grass areas.  The Rough will also be aerified and the height of cut will be lowered to allow for a more upright growth pattern.  

The Practice Area Project began today with work on the Driving Range Tee.  We will be leveling the tee and extending it forward.  During this time drainage will be installed and new Mats will be put in place.  Once the project is complete the tee will be sprigged and the new grass portion will require 6 to 8 weeks to mature.  

The Cart path project is also ongoing. During this closure, we are attempting to complete the concrete portion of this project.  As we extend a few of these exit and entry points we can minimize some traffic wear areas projected by eliminating cart paths.  I have included a few photos below of Day 1.  What you wont find are photos of the sodded cart paths.  For our seasonal members that will not return until the Fall.  The sight lines have changed so dramatically on some of the holes that I felt it would be unfair to have them not experience the full effect of seeing it in person for the first time.

Now I have really peaked your interest. You may just fly down for a round?  I will keep you posted on all other happenings. 

Day 1 DR Tee Reno

#18 form boards for concrete

PG - 1st of 2 aerifications

#18 Fairway Aerified