Construction Update

Progress for the Driving range/tennis project continues to move in a positive direction.  Yesterday Tennis West signed off on the sub-grading for the location of the tennis courts.  Hartman Construction is now complete with that phase of their responsibility via the tennis courts.  Their efforts can now be completely focused on the completion of the sub-grade work on the range and bringing the tee surfaces to grade.

Topsoil has been removed and stockpiled and although we excavated more than we anticipated an estimated additional 1000 cubic yards will be required to complete the job.  Plaisteds Company has begun the process of hauling the additional topsoil required for the job.

Although the photos don't show it, we're really not that far from thinking about irrigation installation.  Sticks of PVC pipe have already been glued together and are now awaiting bringing the sub-grade to grade and shaping of the fairway and target greens.

Installation of the Lannen stone retaining wall has also begun.  Stoneworks Co. has begun installation and with only 3 days into the job, they are making excellent progress.  Footings and pouring of the foundation for the new range house will hopefully begin by the end of next week and construction of the building is slated to begin the week of October 3rd.

This job has required a lot of subcontractors due the various jobs required to be completed.  Currently we have as many as 7 contractors on sight and maybe an additional 2-3 will be required before the project can be completed.  Its quite the process to see it all orchestrated by Hartman.

Bunker Renovation

This past week our staff stripped and re-sodded four bunker faces.  Bunkers where turf was replaced was on two fairway bunkers on 5, the approach bunker on the left of 9 and the first fairway bunker on the right of 16.  The turf on these south facing bunkers was in tough condition thus forcing us to replace the turf.  Rooting of the sod will take a few weeks.  In the mean time the bunker faces will remain Ground Under Repair and will be roped off.  Please do not walk on the faces of these bunkers!  Once rooted properly we will then remove the rope.

 

Bunker on 9 prior to stripping

 Stripped bunker

Sod being laid

The sod consists of a majority of Creeping red fescue (varieties are Epic and Shoneline).  By placing a fescue blend on the bunker face we are placing a turf species that will be better able to tolerate the drought conditions which the south facing slopes natural will have.  This turf is also very consistent with the species of grasses that exist on the bunker faces surrounding all of our greens.  Additionally on these particular bunker we will not be allowing the shoulders of these bunker to grow to seed head height.  All of these bunkers will be mowed on a regular basis and will ultimately become a very dense stand of turf.

Course Projects

It's that time of year, the time when the grass starts slowing down and growing a little less, play begins to slide and we start gearing up for projects on the course.  West Lake Landscape was here this week to begin work around the 10 tee house.  The old timbers that surrounded the flower bed were removed and replaced with a lannen stone wall.  This was a quick and simple job for them and the end result is fantastic!  The look is consistent with other lannen stone work throughout the course.  The next phase will be to replace the old blue stone with red brick pavers.  That work is also scheduled to be completed this fall by West Lake Landscape.

Randy Boe from West Lake

                                        
Over the course of the next few weeks we will be working on multiple projects on the course.  The first one will be to replace some existing turf on a few fairway bunker faces.  The current quality and condition of the turf is less than ideal on the fairway bunker on 5 double bunker, the lower bunker on 5, the approach bunker on 9 and the 1st fairway bunker on the right side of 16.  We have sprayed and killed the existing turf and beginning next week will will strip the sod and replace it with new sod.  The most difficult aspect of this operation will be removing the sod from the steep faces.  Once removed we can then easily lay new sod.

Approach bunker on 9 where turf will be replaced

Future 7th tee

Other projects will be the construction of tees on 7, 9 and 13.  Our first job is to haul fill to raise the fill pads.  for the blue tee on 13 we need to raise the height a least 6 feet.  This we require close to 150 cubic yards of fill.  When complete the tee on 13 make this hole play to a distance of 603 yards.  Wow!  The tee on 7 will provide the players a slightly different angle to play this par 5 dogleg.  From a maintenance position it will provide us with an additional tee to move the markers and reduce the wear and tear on the existing white and blue tees.  The addition of the white tee on 9 will provide additional length as well as a slightly different position for players to position their shots to the fairway.  I really like this tee and I think both new tees on 7 and 9 will be a nice improvement for white tee players.

Future 13th tee

                                           

Bunker Work

String trimming of fairway bunker faces

The day after Labor Day our staff started the process of mowing the tall fescue from the bunkers.  Mowing of the tall fescue is a process that is typical fall maintenance practice.  For the next two months of the season all 99 bunkers will be cut on a regular basis.  Since some of the varieties of fescue growing on the faces have clump type growing habits, there are some voids that are visible on some of the fairway bunkers.

In an attempt to have the grass fill in theses voids we will be making regular fertility applications to the bunkers.  Applications of soluble fertilizer will aid with thickening the density of the faces and reduce the voids.  Over time we will create a thicker denser face.  This will not allow the ball to roll back into the bunker but it will provide a better lie and reduce the chance of having the ball settle into those voids.  Transitioning the bunkers for a whispy un-mantained look to a manicured look takes time and will not happen after one cutting or one fertility applications.  These transitions take time and patience will be needed.

Soluble applications of fertilizer

Regular mowing of bunker capes

A few bunkers have way too many voids and the application of fertilizer will not be enough to fill the voids.  On those bunkers we will strip and sod the faces.  We have identified about 5 fairway bunkers where we need to re-sod.  We are hoping to begin this process very soon.  The stripping of the existing turf will be the most difficult process, but the end result will provide a more consistent playing condition as well as visually more pleasing.

5 fairway bunker will be re-sodded

Driving Range Project

Last week we began our Driving Range and Tennis project.  The tennis courts to be replaced have been removed and demolition of the trees has begun.  Hartman Company is overseeing the construction of the range project and Tennis West will be overseeing the tennis project.  Many subcontractors will be on site for various jobs as well.

Once the tree removal process is complete the dirt work part of the project will begin.  Hartman is currently removing all the existing top soil from the old tee and stock piling it for use on the new tee.  The top soil from the the fairway will also be removed and set aside for future use.  A lot of changes are taking place at this time, but once the dirt movers begin, then you will really see the changes take place.

Sodding Green Surrounds

Over the years, since the course restoration was completed in 2003, areas next to the green edges have become contaminated with a mix stand of grasses.  Creeping bentgrass and poa annua have crept into the rough surrounding the greens.  If a players ball comes to rest in one of these grasses and not the bluegrass, they end up with a really difficult lie.  Our goal over the next week is to identify these areas and replace the contaminated turf with new bluegrass sod.  We also have some areas where the turf is quite thin for one reason or another and those ares will also be replaced with bluegrass sod.