All the Fall projects have been put to bed just in time for Old Man Winter to settle in since our last post. Here is a recap of what has transpired.
#5 Forward Tee:
Subgrade for the tee surface and surround was achieved last week for the new forward tee on #5. The new tee has reduced the hole 15-30 yards depending on the hole location. With Winter right around the corner (well, it's actually here) and lack of time before the ground freezes, we are going to hold off on bringing in the sand and sod to finish the project till next spring to ensure survival for the turf through the harsh winter months. An added benefit, is that with all the dirt that was brought in to form the new tee, we can now monitor and correct any settling over the winter prior wrapping up the project. Time aids in compaction, as well.
#5 Green Restoration:
The restoration project on #5 green was concluded over the weekend of November 8 & 9. Imperfections and problematic surface drainage issues were addressed following the inch of rain that was received on the day of my last post. The entire surface was then re-floated and received one last percentage of slope test before the process of returning the sod began. Here are some pictures:
Prior to laying sod, we applied soil amendments.
Their crew starting to lay the putting surface
With the surface exposed, our crew took advantage of the opportunity to lay the new bentgrass collar that would eventually be completed next spring with the remaining greens during phase 2 of the collar/intermediate project.
Very tedious process to lay a putting surface
Once all the sod was laid, we used sand to fill the seams and protect the edges over the winter from wind desiccation
We were fortunate to catch a really nice week for of 60's and even a day in the 70s the following week to encourage the sod to tack before the colder temperatures and brutal winter winds set in. Last week, I decided to put a grow cover on the surface before the "Winter Vortex" started.
The grow cover will stay on till the first or second week of December, depending on when I decide to pull the trigger on our annual snow mold application. I'd like to get a topdressing or two and one additional touch-up of seams prior to returning the grow cover for the remainder of the winter months. Of course, a solid snow cover would also be beneficial.
#17 Middle Tee Expansion:
With a few days left on the rental of the mini-excavator, I decided to tackle a project that has been bounced around to expand the middle (White) tee on 17 to provide more options with course set-up and allow the opportunity to keep the blue set of tee markers down below on a consistent basis because of the added length that was gained to the tee box. Here are some pictures of the project:
Before Picture (Keep this one in the memory bank)
Before Picture from the side
Once the area behind the existing surface was stripped, we began hauling in dirt
I then started to work the dirt to extend the surface and create our tie-in to the existing slopes
The tee top itself was constructed to allow drainage of the back while providing a base to add sand while remaining level with the existing tee surface
Once we were on grade, I tracked and tracked to compact
Nice side angle to show how much the tee was lengthen
Standing on the back of the tee (refer back to the first picture)
View from the side (refer back to the second picture)
Like the forward tee on #5, the project is ready to go for sand and sod next spring!
It was a fun and productive Fall on the course with projects being completed both in-house and through contractors that will greatly influence the playability and plant health of this golf course for years to come.
Look for a post during the first of December on the progress on the Maintenance Compound and a status update on #5 green once the grow cover is removed for the snow mold application. Till then, stay warm and on behalf of the entire Greens department, have a great Turkey day, enjoy your time with family and safe travels!
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