Construction preview-review

Master Plan construction is two weeks away. This is an even busier time for the grounds staff. While we do not perform the labor of the construction, we do help out with anything we can to make the work go smoother. We handle all of the irrigation work to keep costs down. Our key point happens once the earth moving has finished and sod has been laid; we must keep it all alive and healthy and thriving through the rest of summer, all while maintaining the rest of the course. While it is a difficult time for the Grounds staff as well as a disruption to member play, the benefits are great.

Standing water in 15 fairway just after storm.

Looking back at last year’s work, it is easy to second guess many decisions. The placement of tees, the angles of bunker faces, shapes of the holes, or the quality of turf that came out of winter are all easy targets for criticism. We are not happy with sod on the reconstructed holes either, and the other points can be debated both ways; however, one cannot argue that the main reasons driving the renovations were important and accomplished perfectly.

Water remaining in 15 fairway 3 days after storm prior to construction

Especially on the lower holes, 3, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, water would not drain for several days following a storm. It caused more turf to die than anything that has happened to the sod. It also caused carts to not be allowed of cart paths more frequently than many would have liked. Adding drainage to help remove this excess water was a central component of last year’s work. We received over 3” of rain recently from the morning of 6/27, through the day, and overnight into the 28^th. Prior to construction that water would have remained on the lower holes for days. 

But since the drainage has been added, the volume of water in a short period of time caused the drains to move slow, but all the water was gone in a matter of hours. This allows the turf to breathe and allows us to let carts off paths sooner.

15 Fairway less than 24 hours after storm.

15 Fairway less than 24 hours after storm.

A second major part to the Master Plan is rebuilding and draining the bunkers. Contaminated sand locks up tight and does not allow water to move through. Clogged or broken drain lines within the old bunkers are useless. By removing the old sand and replacing it with fresh, non-contaminated sand and by creating new drains, the bunkers now do not hold water. This is a huge time and labor saver for the grounds department. Pumping and shoveling bunkers can be a 3-5 day long process depending on the severity of damage. By reducing and eventually eliminating the need to pump, we can trim that time down to 1-3 days depending on severity. This helps us keep up on the remaining tasks that come with a storm: tree cleanup, leaf and stick cleanup, as well as other regular maintenance.

Bunker not yet rebuilt. Puddle still remains 24 hours after storm.

Rebuilt bunker. Edges wash out from volume of water, but no puddle present.

View of bunker following work by Grounds staff to push sand back to edges

While everyone has their own opinion regarding improvements and changes to the course, no one can argue that improved fairway and bunker drainage has been anything but helpful. It is easy to see how these changes have had an immediate impact on the course.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org