June 20

The average high temp for the week was mid 90's and the humidity has been almost as high. Remember though, temperature is taken in the shade, 6' off the ground. Out here in the dirt, it has felt like its been 115. I am very proud of my guys for having the stamina they do, non-stop all day long.

Ever go to the circus and watch the the guy who juggles? Seems every time you blink he is adding another "thing" to be thrown in the air. Well, that's kinda how the construction project was going, until this week. I'm very happy to report that 6-13 is completely out of the construction phase, and on to the grow-in phase...including the greens! We tried valiantly to get hole 14 ready for grassing, but it was apparent early on that 13 was going to be a real tough clean up hole. So this week we only got 2 holes grassed. Next week's plan is to grass 14, 15, & 18.

In keeping with the intent to bring back as much of the original design as possible, with a few modern enhancements, we have restored all of the greens complexes to the original shape. Yet, when we got to #13 it was very apparent that the original was very, very small. Over the years, many pseudo putting surface expansions had taken place on all of the greens, but none were done correctly. By correctly I mean digging out additional green's well and expanding the USGA spec green's profile. Just adding 4 inches of green's mix and grassing it with Mini Verde is a long term nightmare for water control, as well as, for putting surface quality. This is why we always struggled with the perimeters of the putting surfaces drying out so much faster than any where else. After reviewing the new #13 green complex with our architect, Tony, Mr. Dean, and our contractor, it became clear that we were going to lose a good 10 feet of putting surface from the front of the green. So, after some discussion, we decided to expand the front of the green.

In this pic you can see where the new part of the green will be constructed. The blue flags on the left of the excavation indicate where the old green's well ended. The excavated part is where the putting surface was established in the regrass of 2007 by just adding 4 inches of green's mix over the native soil. Notice the black plastic liner on the edge of the old green's well. This is rarely used any more, but made it very easy for the contractor to perfectly marry up the new layers to the old layers.


After the excavation is exactly 16 inches all the way across (the USGA spec is 4 inches for drainage gravel and 12 inches for the greens mix), a drainage line is dug below the new floor of the well and then the gravel blanket is installed. Notice the new drain pipe on the right of the new well. Also notice the green's liner is removed.


Once the gravel layer is installed to match the old layer, the new green's mix is installed. It is dumped from the edges and pushed or shoveled so the sides of the well do not crumble in. Once completely filled and is floated out, you would never know, either in performance or grass quality, that there was a small expansion done.


As I said earlier, our goal this week was 12 & 13. Here is the box blader giving #12 what we call "the final slick" before grassing, notice the new differentiation in the tee heights.


Here is the new view from the blue tee on 12. The water running in the back ground is watering the new sod on #13 fairway bunker. The view from here is almost 500 yards long. Its by far, right after the new tees on 13, the very best view on the course so far.
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Here's a before taken from the red tee...


On hole 16, looking back at the rest room and to the right a bit, the arrow head marks the new center of the tee and the cross line is approximately the height of the new tee. From the new location, you can't see the green and have to hit a draw off the tee to land in the fairway.


On hole 17, we achieved out goal of creating a banked turn on the dog leg with a cross bunker to act as an aiming point, as well as a catch for those who want to hit a draw but hit it straight. Its hard to tell, but the new turning point of the fairway is about 4 feet higher than what is was.


Here's a look at the green after the turning point of the fairway. Once we have the bunker sand in, I'll take these pics again and put one after the other for a comparison.


Here is look off the new tee complex of 18. The back tee moved back an additional 10 yards and elevated 3 feet about the white tee.


As of Wednesday this week, all drainage and shaping is complete on the back 9!!!

As mentioned earlier, greens 6-13 were grassed this week. The grass was shipped in a refrigerated truck from Houston, Texas on Thursday afternoon and arrived at my office around 8 a.m. Friday morning. Each bag has 18 bushels of sprigs.


Based on the size of the greens, we do the math and lay out the number of bags per green. Once spread out, its shake, shake, shake your sillies out!!!


At the same time as we were shaking the sprigs for the greens, I had one of the guys go around and edge the celebration runners back. Then I sent some guys around to pull any celebration that has crept into the putting surface.



Lastly, after the sprigs are and cut in around the edges by hand and all heads are checked for proper adjustment, its water time.



Else where on the front....the lake enhancements continue going in full force. On Thursday, this was the view out to #5 fairway from the broken arrow storm shelter.


I think the contractor really wanted to get this part of the lake enhancements done quickly!!!




All in all, we are really moving fast now. My only concern is "heavy" rain. Heavy rain causes washouts, and that means lots of clean up. If I can get a good 2 weeks of growth before it rains, I'm good. Last night we received 1.5 inches in a couple hours which is not too bad, but exposed soil moves with water. Now, this is my challenge in the grow in phase. Do I want rain, yes....ever where else except on the ground that was just planted.


Next week we will start mowing the first set of holes planted, 6-8. The process will be to roll the new sprigs with a 5 ton roller, mow the sprigs, fertilize the sprigs, and then water the heck out of the sprigs. This process will take place twice a week until the grass is almost 100%. This pic was taken at the two week mark. By week three (next week), it will definitely be time to mow!!!

June 14....9 weeks into the project

Not to sound cliche, but its really starting to come together out there. We have 6 holes with grass, & we are planning on grassing the first set of greens towards the end of next week. So we will have at least 6 holes that are completely done! As a frame of reference of where we are in our project compared to others undergoing something similar, I ran into the construction crew doing the Hole In the Wall project on Friday at lunch and they said they are still 6-8 weeks away from being close to grassing their first holes. I 6-8 weeks I'm hopeful we will be close to being done! So I feel very good about the progress we are making.

Next week will be the most challenging for the project so far as we will be trying to grass the "rock holes"......12, 13, & 14. There is a tremendous amount of change on these holes and that equates to a lot of irrigation modifications and site prep/clean up. In my last posting I think I said we were 1-2 weeks behind schedule, now I think we are right on and gaining ground.

Here are some pics to help show the progress...

1 of the best parts of this process is that it has been a tremendous learning process for everyone. Here, Tony is getting a lesson on setting bench marks for high water on #15 from our architect, Gordy Lewis.


On the holes where there is a lot of rock and sticks, the contractor uses this machine to pick through the top couple of inches of dirt. It has "fingers" that comb through the dirt and then flip the debris into a hopper for disposal.



Here the prep work on 10 green is in high gear. The green side bunker is being sodded to prevent the dirt from washing into the new bunker sand.


In this pic, the hand crews are prepping around the sprinklers and drain basins on 10 fairway before grassing


I was reviewing everything on 10 before grassing and noticed that the 2 forward tees, shown here, were pointing down the left side of the hole. The hedge between the parking lot and 10 tees really accentuated the feeling of being pulled left as well. You can see the lines I made in the sand for the contractor on how to turn the tee to aim more down the middle of the hole. The red tee in front was changed from a rectangular shape to a circle to eliminate the "pulled left" feeling.


Here's your grass for 10 & 11, before its planted anyway.


On the other side of the course, earth shaping is moving fast. Here is #1 fairway just after being stripped.


and here it is after the spoils have been hauled off of it


Here is 5 fairway after the bury process is over


One of the things we had to do to get ready for the lake expansion on 3 is to move the irrigation main line around the new lake perimeter.


Here the excavator is starting on digging out the lake on 3 tees. The stakes with the blue ribbon will be the new top of bank. The large palm on the tip of land sticking out into the lake on the right side of the pic is now behind 12 green.


I was riding by 6 last week and noticed something I haven't scene at the Club very much. Now that we have received some rain and the water table is coming up into the new aquatic plants in the lakes and littorals that have been enhanced, I've been seeing a lot of bird activity. On the new hole 6 (pictured 1st), in the littoral right in front of the white tee, I saw this duck swimming. The increased bird activity around the property has been tremendous.



A quick project update...
6-11 are grassed, we will grass 12, 13, & 14 next week
1st set of greens will get grassed next week (6-11) and possible 12, 13, 14, & clubhouse green
drainage is complete on 6-18, all stripping is done...99% of the burying is done
1 large lake expansion to do on 4 green / 5 tees which will start next week

...and the wheels of the bus go round and round

June 5

The grass is HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right, holes 6,7,& 8 are completely grassed. Its official, we have a golf course that actually has live grass on it. I know this is a major change in mentality from the recent past, but I'm try to convert. Promise!!!!!!!

Here is the sprigging machine. I looks a lot like a ride in the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocalate Factory." You load it with sprigs, a couple guys sit in the back shuffling the sprigs into a conveyor belt, the sprigs drop out the bottom, some discs cut them in , and then a tow behind roller smushes them into the planting bed. It's kinda wild to watch.

Sprigs get delivered, nothing high tech about this. Good news is the sprig farm is only 1.5 hr away so they show up fresh.


Loading the sprigs, again not rocket science. Scoop, lift, dump



The machine is gear driven depending on ground speed. The conveyor just drops the sprigs on the ground.


Then the business end of the machine roll over the grass. The idea is to "crease" the grass into the soil so it can make good soil contact.


After the grass is pressed into the ground, a roller goes over the gournd the "seal" the sprigs into the soil.


So the idea is to drive over the ground dropping, cutting in, and rolling in the sprigs.



Here's a close up of what the final product looks like


Around the greens, on tees, and on slopes the sprigs are put down by "hand shaking" them. The sprig machine is too heavy and too hard to turn around in the tight areas.


After hand shaking the sprigs, this little sprig cutter is used to "plant" them into the soil.


Once the sprigs are planted, its lots and lots of water to keep them alive


It will take approximately 14 days before the sprigs will show signs of life. Right about the time we all start saying "I don't think it worked," they will start sprouting new green growth.

The sod on the other hand takes off like a bandit. This sod has been down for 1 day. Notice the long white roots already growing down into the soil.


Work still contines on the back. Here a big end dump brings in some fill for the green surounds on 13. The new complex will have a couple of "catches" behind the green to help keep balls from rolling through the green.


Same green, just front right


Here is some work being done to the lake next to 18 tees


This pic is of some irrigation improvements on 11. We had to replace 800 feet of pipe and convert the system to electric controls to match the rest of the system.


Here is what the old nursery green looks like now. This area will be planted in marsh grass and cypress trees to enhance the "wetland" look.


To comply with county code, as well as for lake bank stabilization, I had a subcontractor come in and plant all new aquatics in the lakes. Sometimes, its just better to dive right into your work


Here is a pic of one of the littoral areas, notice the aquatics in the bottom


Here is the crew planting the new plants


Here is a close up of the new vegetation. It was planting up to the anticipated high water level.


Progess update in general...6-8 are completely finished, including grass. Drainage is in on 9-15, & 18; drainage started on 16 today. Finish shaping is done on 9 & 10, they are being box bladed for "planting prep." Holes 13, 14, & 18 are being shaped. Stripping is complete, and spoils still sit on holes 1,2,&3. I was hoping to be done with burying, but we had to haul dirt with the dump trucks to the back side, so we couldn't haul spoils to the bury pits.

Stay tuned, its getting fun now.