Red Tees

Written by Jerry Richard Friday, 18 May 2012 10:03

The final 2 red tee decks on #2 and #15 were dug out and shaped this week along side the other work.  Liberating some fill from the bunker on #14 proved to be valuable as it quickened the work.  As I reminded members earlier on, we are not a construction company and we have a golf course to maintain at the same time as this work proceeds.  Tying in projects together makes them cheaper and faster to complete than doing one at a time.  In order to complete the work work often has to be taken away from course maintenance but that is the price for in-house work.  After the aeration we were able to get caught up with rough mowing, and all in all it was an amazingly productive week. Next week we will work on final grading and maybe even some sodding.

The mini-ex proved valuable for digging out the tee deck cavity of topsoil.  We then filled it with subsoil from the #14 site and capped it with very clean topsoil originally on the site...

Bunker Renovations

Written by Jerry Richard Tuesday, 15 May 2012 10:03

Several people have asked about the work being done on #14.  I know that not everyone reads this blog and it is impossible to tell everyone individually what we are doing.  In a nutshell, the club approved a renovation plan to all our bunkers back in 2007 with the help of a contractor, which saw #6 and #1 bunkers completed in 2007 and 2008.  As the economic downturn deepened, it became problematic to continue with the program until last fall when we decided to attempt some of the work ourselves, which would keep the program moving and save construction costs.  In finishing the right side bunker on #14, we set ourselves up to do further work, starting with the completion of that hole in this year.  Further work is planned on #2 and #7 later on.

The purpose of the bunker renovation program consists of several mandates, which tie in to the fact that the average life expectancy of a bunker is 10 years or less.  The changes include:

• Relocation of bunker based on tee deck relocation, and changes modern styes of bunkering and to the game itself over the years. 
• Adjust bunker size for easier maintenance, reducing out of play areas and eliminate any redundant bunkers.
• Enhance aesthetics.
• Improve playability.
• Replace poor drainage, worn sod edges, contaminated sand and tarp barrier.
• In some cases, use excess soil gained to build more tee decks or other course features (like on 14).  

Project Work

Written by Jerry Richard Monday, 14 May 2012 17:08

We have about half a dozen projects on the go as well as aeration which makes for a busy schedule but we are making wonderful progress so far.  The rented trencher broke down and so we cannot hook up the well until we get another one.  The bunker on #14 is almost shaped but we need to haul away many loads of dirt so that final grading can proceed.  All our tractors for hauling dirt are tied up aerating.  The extra soil will go over to build the new red tee on #2 and #15, both locations very close to the construction site.  We will use the mini ex to do a final grade on the #2 green/silver tee deck which will be ready to seed and sod very soon.  It is very exciting to get these projects completed so early in the year.  We are setting up to have a marvelous spring.

Today I will get a final grade on #2 tee and get it ready for sodding and seed.  I am also prepared to start digging out the forward red tee as well and haul the soil right from #14 into the cavity...

Aeration Begins Today

Written by Jerry Richard Monday, 14 May 2012 10:02

The front 9 will be closed today for course aeration.  Any Superintendent will tell you that this is the single most important operation performed on the greens each year.  The benefits go far beyond just poking millions of holes in the turf.  In our case, it is a chance to remove some of the excessive organic matter that lies below our greens, creating anaerobic and wet conditions during rainy periods.  Aeration, like the word suggests, allows oxygen to penetrate the soil more easily to support rooting and creating pore spaces.  It also reduces the stresses of compaction and allows more sand incorporation.  The weather looks to be perfect for this onerous operation which should take 2 days at least, barring technical issues.

The last wind storm took down half of a cedar behind #3 green...with the help of the mini excavator on site we dealt with the other half...

Lighting for Sign

Written by Jerry Richard Friday, 11 May 2012 10:50

For some time we have been looking at putting a permanent light at the front "Craigowan" sign at the main entrance.  We have it approved this year on our capital jobs list and so wth a trencher already on site on another job, we have pushed to get it done this week.  Trenching in the line ourselves was no problem so all we need is an electrician to hook up both ends.  We have had problems over the years during evening functions for visitors to find the entrance.  We tried solar powered lighting but the street light above it prevented it from coming on.  Last winter, the street light burned out just before an evening function making the entrance very dark.

The power for the light didn't have to come from too far away, the range hut has adequate power to run the timer light...