Each December, as we put the finishing touches on this golf season and begin to prepare for the next, I try to reflect on what I have learned and accomplished over the last year. Last year at this time I was trying to recover from one of the most challenging seasons in my career. The relentless rains in early summer significantly reduced the number of days that members could enjoy the course, and much of the property was water logged well into the fall. By the end of the season I was so tired of working in the mud that I was hoping it would never rain again. Be careful what you wish for.
The dominant theme in golf for 2010 was the extreme weather conditions that challenged superintendents at every club, in almost every part of the country. The cold winter in the south had courses in Florida struggling to generate revenue in an already difficult economy. The dry spring created problems for many courses with limited water resources or outdated irrigation systems. Summer came with a vengeance for most regions and brought with it extreme heat and extended disease pressure. Public or private, modern construction or classic design, nearly every golf course was forced to modify their management strategies, and adjust their standards, or risk significant turf loss on critical areas of the golf course. In spite of the hard work and dedication of superintendents along the entire east coast, sometimes it just wasn’t enough. Hardly a day went by that I did not hear a new story about someone playing another course that was suffering some level of damage, and in some cases complete failure of greens. Thankfully we made it through with minimal impact on the health or playability of our greens. We did suffer some damage on a few tees and fairways, much of which I believe is related to the wet weather we endured last summer, but overall the majority of the members were pleased with condition of the course throughout the season.
Last fall the funds raised by the first bunker bash allowed us to correct many of the drainage issues that have plagued the seventh green complex for years. While the results were not perfect and require some continued adjustment, they inspired a second tournament that, in spite of a difficult economy and reduced membership, raised more money than the previous year. Initially we were hesitant to be too ambitious in fear that we would not be able to raise enough money to complete a large project and effectively resolve all the issues. Once again the core group of members stepped up and we were able to address the drainage issues in front of the 4th green.
I am pleased to report that the renovation project is complete and has already been tested by Mother Nature. We added new drains, reshaped the bottom and sides, and laid new sod. On November 30th we spread almost 20 tons of sand throughout the floor of the bunker, mostly by hand. On December 1st we received over 1.5 inches of rain during a storm that included periods of heavy rainfall and driving winds. I was pleased to discover that although there were a few spots where the sand had washed down, there was no puddle in the floor of the bunker and much of the sand remained in place. I am confident that once the sod becomes established and the surrounding work area recovers that the drainage will be more than adequate to handle the rainfall and runoff associated with most rain events.
The new features reflect the original design as well as recommendations found in the Ken Dye master plan. I am confident that the new design will provide a suitable penalty for shots that fall short of the green surface, but will offer a much better chance for recovery than the old bunker. At the very least it will make every golfer think a bit longer when they are preparing for their approach shot, which is all bunkers are supposed to do in the first place.
This was an extremely challenging project for my staff and me. The scale of the project was a bit larger than I had anticipated, and various challenges consumed much more of our time and effort than I had expected. We are already fielding questions about next year’s project, specifically about when we will start the bunker on the other side. I am not ready to start thinking about doing this over again, but I definitely take it as a compliment that people are pleased with the work we are doing.
None of this would have been possible without the inspiration of Don Goss and the Grounds Committee who planned and promoted the Bunker Bash, or the hard work of my staff. I would like to extend my special thanks to Tom Wilkerson who generously donated the use of an excavator and trailer that allowed us to work much more efficiently and create features that would not have been possible with our own equipment.
We will be spending the next few months preparing for a fresh set of challenges and building a foundation for another extremely successful year at Suffield Country Club. On behalf of the Grounds Committee and my staff I wish you a healthy, happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you all again in the spring.
Showing posts with label project updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label project updates. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Bunker project almost complete
The renovation project on the 4th hole is almost complete. We have finished laying the sod and will be putting the finishing touches on over the next week or so. I intend to order the sand for delivery next week and hope to have the finished product ready for inspection by the end of the month. It was a long, hard process, but we are pleased with the results and are already getting some positive feedback.
The green will be closed for the rest of the year to prevent anyone from walking on the sod, and perhaps injuring themselves trying to retrieve a ball from the bunker.
I will be taking some more pictures later this week so that before and after comparisons can be made.
The green will be closed for the rest of the year to prevent anyone from walking on the sod, and perhaps injuring themselves trying to retrieve a ball from the bunker.
I will be taking some more pictures later this week so that before and after comparisons can be made.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Renovation update
We are making excellent progress in the bunker renovation project on the fourth hole. I thought I would share a few pictures that I had on my computer that displayed what the hole looked like before the project was initiated. I especially like the oldest picture that includes the dead maples that were removed from along the cart path. The hole looks so much better without them.We have removed all of the sand that has been contaminated with silt and cla
y over the years as a result of the flooding and washouts that occur every time it rains. As we cleaned the bottom of the bunker we discovered two old drain lines. The original terra cotta still worked up until it was cut by the most recent drain that was installed with the new irrigation system. The new pipe was completely filled with sand, but thankfully the water is still able to move through the stone which will prevent the hole from filling up until we can install the new drainage.
We have established a rough outline of the bunker edge and are working on shaping the floor of the bunker, which will determine exactly where the new drains will be
installed. The new bunker will be deeper, wider, and closer to the edge of the green. This will be more challenging for some golfers, but at least you will have a fair opportunity to recover from a predicable lie. I am confident that the new design will also add interest and challenge to a fairly short hole.
Once the area has dried we will resume shaping the features and begin work on the final drainage design. I hope to have this completed by the end of next week. Once this is complete we will remove the remaining turf from the work area, reshape the features to provide adequate surface drainage, and then install the subsurface drains and catch basins. The final design will account for future renovation work and drainage from the right hand bunker, which will be completed at a later date. Once the drainage is installed and the final shaping is complete we will order the sod, hopefully by early November. I am considering a couple of different sand sources, and have not decided when I would like to add the sand. There is no rush as the bunker will remain closed until after the sod is established, which may take all winter depending on the weather.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Breaking Ground
Thankfully the heat and stress of a long, difficult summer has come to an end. This will allow us to shift our focus away from routine maintenance and move on to projects that improve the condition, appearance, and playability of the golf course. Before this season started the Grounds Committee discussed a number of issues throughout the course that they would like to see addressed. High on the list was the bunkers around the fourth green. While everyone agreed that this was perhaps the greatest opportunity to make a significant improvement, it was unlikely that we be able to fund such a project so we chose to examine smaller projects that would be less expensive but would still have a significant impact on the course. The Course Improvement Tournament in July raised far more money than we had anticipated which meant that we might be able to return to our original goal of correcting the problems on four after all. After purchasing much needed sand for the bunkers on holes one and two, I started investigating the possibility of using the remaining funds to rebuild one or both of the bunkers around the green. 
I generally use two main resources when developing a plan for this type of project. First, I use aerial photographs from 1934 to examine how the course was initially built so that I can determine how the original architect intended the holes to be played. Last year this was the key reason we decided to remove the bunkers from the seventh hole, as they were not part of the original design. The second resource I use is the Master Improvement Plan Report developed by Ken Dye. The recommendations in this report reveal opportunities to accentuate the original features while updating the course to account for modern technology. This will be the key reference used for the renovation project this fall.
Due to financial constraints, we will not be able to consult with the architect directly, nor will we be able to implement all of his suggestions. Therefore the finished product will reflect his recommendations but may not be a direct interpretation of his design. One of Mr. Dye’s guiding principals is that “deficiencies of a hole that is too short or lacking in challenge can be corrected by deepening the bunkers”. In the report he also compares the design of this green to work completed by A.W. Tillinghast at Winged Foot where flashed sand faces are used to add visual interest to the golf holes. Therefore, consistent with the recommendations outlined in the plan we will be raising the greenside face of the left bunker to improve visibility from the fairway, as well as lowering the floor slightly to add challenge to recovery from approach shots that fall short of the putting surface.
In addition to the aesthetic upgrades we will be addressing the drainage issues that have caused the deterioration of the existing bunkers. For a number of reasons the existing drain that connects the two bunkers and moves water to the woods right of the fifth tee is not effective. First the pipe does not extend the full length of the bunkers. Second, the stone trench was covered with a fabric that prevents the water from entering the pipe. After we determine the final depth of the bunker we will install new drains that cover the full extent of the bunkers as well as the faces. This should eliminate any contamination of the sand by native soil, which occurs as a result of pooling and washouts caused by heavy rainfall. These pipes will empty into a series of catch basins that will also collect surface water from the area between the fairway and green surrounds. Due to the size of our staff and available equipment, the scale of the project will be much smaller than what is outlined in the master plan and the finished product may not be as dramatic as the architect had intended. Instead, we will provide a modern interpretation of the original design that will resolve the drainage issues, enhance the challenge and visual appeal of the hole, and provide a foundation for further improvements in this area.
I generally use two main resources when developing a plan for this type of project. First, I use aerial photographs from 1934 to examine how the course was initially built so that I can determine how the original architect intended the holes to be played. Last year this was the key reason we decided to remove the bunkers from the seventh hole, as they were not part of the original design. The second resource I use is the Master Improvement Plan Report developed by Ken Dye. The recommendations in this report reveal opportunities to accentuate the original features while updating the course to account for modern technology. This will be the key reference used for the renovation project this fall.
Due to financial constraints, we will not be able to consult with the architect directly, nor will we be able to implement all of his suggestions. Therefore the finished product will reflect his recommendations but may not be a direct interpretation of his design. One of Mr. Dye’s guiding principals is that “deficiencies of a hole that is too short or lacking in challenge can be corrected by deepening the bunkers”. In the report he also compares the design of this green to work completed by A.W. Tillinghast at Winged Foot where flashed sand faces are used to add visual interest to the golf holes. Therefore, consistent with the recommendations outlined in the plan we will be raising the greenside face of the left bunker to improve visibility from the fairway, as well as lowering the floor slightly to add challenge to recovery from approach shots that fall short of the putting surface.
In addition to the aesthetic upgrades we will be addressing the drainage issues that have caused the deterioration of the existing bunkers. For a number of reasons the existing drain that connects the two bunkers and moves water to the woods right of the fifth tee is not effective. First the pipe does not extend the full length of the bunkers. Second, the stone trench was covered with a fabric that prevents the water from entering the pipe. After we determine the final depth of the bunker we will install new drains that cover the full extent of the bunkers as well as the faces. This should eliminate any contamination of the sand by native soil, which occurs as a result of pooling and washouts caused by heavy rainfall. These pipes will empty into a series of catch basins that will also collect surface water from the area between the fairway and green surrounds. Due to the size of our staff and available equipment, the scale of the project will be much smaller than what is outlined in the master plan and the finished product may not be as dramatic as the architect had intended. Instead, we will provide a modern interpretation of the original design that will resolve the drainage issues, enhance the challenge and visual appeal of the hole, and provide a foundation for further improvements in this area.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
A Spring to Remember
It has been a few weeks since I had time to sit down and update the blog. The weather has been extremely cooperative and the many long-time members have shared comments that the golf course has never looked so good this early in the season. The warm spring and dry weather has the greens nice and firm, and we have finally been able to catch up on some of our early season maintenance.
We charged the irrigation system early last month and found numerous heads that had heaved and broken over the winter months. Leveling and repairing the heads has consumed a large amount of our valuable labor resources, and there are a number of issues that still need to be resolved before the hot weather arrives in a few weeks.
Spring clean up was a bit of a challenge due to the early arrival of spring. The warm weather in late March and early April coaxed the grass out of its winter slumber weeks ahead of schedule and forced us to mow on a regular basis when we would normally be wrapping up our winter projects. To complicate matters a bit more, there were regular wind storms that brought down limbs and debris and forced to clean up over and over again.
Finally we have been able to refocus our attention on the drainage project on the 7th hole. The sumps behind the green have been finished, and we hope to extend the drains in the approach starting early this week. We will be installing catch basins in the middle of the fairway to collect runoff and drains extending across the approach into the rough to improve the condition of the area in front of the green. Finally we will provide surface drainage for water that used to collect in the trench left of the approach in the rough. Sod will be installed over the trenches on the left and rear of the green. The next priority will be grinding the stumps on the 4th, 7th, and 8th holes. I hope to rent a machine in the next week or so and cover the scars with sod left over from the drainage project.
Looking forward we will be discussing future projects to be funded by the “Bunker Bash” scheduled for later this season. Potential projects include installation of drains in front of the 3rd and 8th greens, purchasing a truckload of sand to repair the practice bunker and replenish the bunkers on the 1st and 2nd holes. Larger projects such as the 4th fairway and the hill on 6 remain high on the priority list but require more money and labor than we can afford at the present time. We hope to use smaller projects and improvements to inspire future investment in the large scale projects that will likely require outside contractors for planning and completion.
We have an exciting golf calendar in the next few weeks and I for one am looking forward to shifting our attention from completing projects to improving playing conditions throughout the golf course. The greens are playing nicely and the fairways are nice and firm thanks to the warm dry weather. Soon we will be able to work on improving the smoothness that will restore the speed that will have even the best putters scratching their heads.
The guys have been working extremely hard this spring, and we appreciate all the positive feedback we are receiving. Your continued support and participation will serve as our inspiration to keep improving the golf course and maintain a positive outlook for the future. If there are any issues you would like me to address in future updates, or projects you would like us to consider, please feel free to post a comment on the blog or share your thoughts with a committee member. Thanks again for your continued support, and we hope to see you on the golf course soon.
We charged the irrigation system early last month and found numerous heads that had heaved and broken over the winter months. Leveling and repairing the heads has consumed a large amount of our valuable labor resources, and there are a number of issues that still need to be resolved before the hot weather arrives in a few weeks.
Spring clean up was a bit of a challenge due to the early arrival of spring. The warm weather in late March and early April coaxed the grass out of its winter slumber weeks ahead of schedule and forced us to mow on a regular basis when we would normally be wrapping up our winter projects. To complicate matters a bit more, there were regular wind storms that brought down limbs and debris and forced to clean up over and over again.
Finally we have been able to refocus our attention on the drainage project on the 7th hole. The sumps behind the green have been finished, and we hope to extend the drains in the approach starting early this week. We will be installing catch basins in the middle of the fairway to collect runoff and drains extending across the approach into the rough to improve the condition of the area in front of the green. Finally we will provide surface drainage for water that used to collect in the trench left of the approach in the rough. Sod will be installed over the trenches on the left and rear of the green. The next priority will be grinding the stumps on the 4th, 7th, and 8th holes. I hope to rent a machine in the next week or so and cover the scars with sod left over from the drainage project.
Looking forward we will be discussing future projects to be funded by the “Bunker Bash” scheduled for later this season. Potential projects include installation of drains in front of the 3rd and 8th greens, purchasing a truckload of sand to repair the practice bunker and replenish the bunkers on the 1st and 2nd holes. Larger projects such as the 4th fairway and the hill on 6 remain high on the priority list but require more money and labor than we can afford at the present time. We hope to use smaller projects and improvements to inspire future investment in the large scale projects that will likely require outside contractors for planning and completion.
We have an exciting golf calendar in the next few weeks and I for one am looking forward to shifting our attention from completing projects to improving playing conditions throughout the golf course. The greens are playing nicely and the fairways are nice and firm thanks to the warm dry weather. Soon we will be able to work on improving the smoothness that will restore the speed that will have even the best putters scratching their heads.
The guys have been working extremely hard this spring, and we appreciate all the positive feedback we are receiving. Your continued support and participation will serve as our inspiration to keep improving the golf course and maintain a positive outlook for the future. If there are any issues you would like me to address in future updates, or projects you would like us to consider, please feel free to post a comment on the blog or share your thoughts with a committee member. Thanks again for your continued support, and we hope to see you on the golf course soon.
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