One More Week Then The Weather Goes South

A Brief Update On The LREP Progress:

• There are some major areas requiring sod work this week. Obviously #10 is a priority and that is scheduled for Tuesday until Thursday. The greens site and the fairway bunker complex on hole 12 should be finished by Thursday as well. The right side of #15 still has more finish work before sodding can begin.
• Wall construction on #18 pond is waiting for the builders to arrive on site. Hopefully this week.
• 2 more cartpaths are ready for paving this week. 13 green to 14 tee and 14 green to 15 tee.
• The Royal Mayfair Grounds Crew is right behind CTC installing sand where we can. As of Sunday we can only fill the right side bunker at 17 green. In the meantime we will sod any areas that become ready as each day goes by.

The weather is forecast to change dramatically by Friday. I hope its wrong but it appears we are in the final stretch for work this fall. The sense of urgency I have felt since September 6th has increased dramatically but the crew and I can only do so much when forces outside of our control dictate what we can and cannot accomplish. Keep your fingers crossed.

Wade

LREP Progress Report - October 26

Cart Path Paving

• Answer Asphalt completed the surfacing of the new paths yesterday. A marked improvement to the overall look in these areas. When the curbing is added, landscaping is finished and small convenience zones are laid down we will now have clean, long lasting, low maintenance cart paths.
• We will be starting 2 new paths this week. From 13 green to 14 tee and from 14 green to 15 tee. I have figured out haul routes that will leave the least amount of wear and hopefully we can rent some Dura Mat ground protection from an oilfield supply company.

Hole #10

• Sodding of the entire hole is scheduled for Tuesday November 1st. We estimate a total of 124,000 square feet or 2.83 acres of sod. That's 460 big roll units!! English Lawns from Vancouver (they have an Alberta base) will install the sod. They come highly recommended. The owner is known as "The Sodfather". That made me laugh.
• We will do what we can at the tee complex and the Short Game Practice Area before the really cold weather sets in. Fortunately this area should clear off first and dry up rather quickly next spring.

 

Retaining Wall In Front Of The 18th Green

• Construction of the wall should begin next week with completion around the 15th of November. That is a project that can proceed even if the weather does not hold up. Pond filling this fall is still an option at the moment. 

Bunker Renovations

• We are making good progress. CTC is nearing completion with fairway work on holes #13 and #15, greenside work on holes #11 and #12 and of course, the new fairway bunkers on #10. The Royal Mayfair Crew is sodding and installing sand as soon as CTC completes their work . I know I sound like a broken record but each nice day goes a long way at this time of year.

Stay tuned,

Wade

Points To Consider For The LREP Open House

Hole #10 looks like a mess

• Yes it does. But it will all come together quickly next week. The irrigation will be completed by Monday and topsoil arrives as well. Grading and final shaping will occur throughout and then big roll sod is scheduled for early the first week in November. 

The new cart paths from 12 green to 13 tee and from 15 green to 17 tee appear to be too wide

• Remember you are looking at the base. Actual paving width will be narrower and curbing has to be added as well. I will paint the actual width for the open house. Paving will be completed next week. I think they look great. Subtle grades will ensure water moves off the paths and curbing will be installed early next spring. We will then put the edges and slopes "back together". We may be able to get the paths from 13 green to 14 tee and 14 green to 15 tee done as well if the weather holds.

The equipment has beat up the rough, especially on #1, #17 and #18

• It looks worse than it is. With plenty of verticutting, aerating and overseeding most of the damage will recover over the 2012 season. Some areas will need sodding. The rough on 1, 17 and part of 18 are in rough shape. We will deal with it in the spring or maybe this fall if time permits. Point to consider: no fairways have been damaged aside from #9. 

The new tees on #13 and #18 will not be ready next spring

• Correct. We need to focus on getting the course back in play as soon as possible next spring. They can wait and be worked on while the course is open. When the gold tees are on those tee decks next season you had better hit it long and straight.

#10 looks easy

• Looks can be deceiving. There is no room for error anymore (par 4 vs a par 5). It is still risk/reward and demands some shaping of your tee shot. Many golfers will be hitting into a tight green complex with mid irons instead of short irons or wedges.

A lot of bunkers need sand installed

• Yes they do but that is a task that can be worked on even when it is cold and snowy (to a point). We will be attempting to fill all the bunkers. Even the new ones, which is a departure from last year's procedure. The erosion wasn't much of an issue last spring so we will just keep the new sand away from the edges to protect against that potential problem. It is better to drive the heavy equipment on frozen turf than to install sand in the spring and have to wait for the ground to firm up after the thaw.

I need a holiday :)

• After winter arrives that is.

See you Sunday,

Wade

Updated Course Information and LREP Design Changes

Course Information

• 1st winter fungicide application will be complete when the front 9 tees are sprayed on Tuesday.
• Fairways will be sprayed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Notification will be posted on the hole being treated and beyond that point.
• Greens will be rolled as required from now until the end of the season.
• Leaf removal will take priority on those holes being sprayed.
• Course closed October 30th. There are those that feel we should play beyond that date and there will "likely" be little or no ill effect on the course. There is no guarantee one way or the other. Why risk it? At this point in the season my greatest concern is doing everything we can to ensure the health of the course going into winter so that conditions are good for the beginning of the 2012 golf season. The winter weather is out of our control but many other variables are and now is not the time to gamble with them.

LREP Update

• Pond liner on #10 will be completed by Monday afternoon except for a small section next to the retaining wall.
• The retaining walls on #18 and beside the 11th green should be built by the end of the month and then we will fill the lakes.
• The entire 10th hole irrigation is being renovated this week. Once that is complete the final grading can commence and sod can be laid down. It is hoped this can be finished by the end of the month.
• The bunker renovations are proceeding pretty much on schedule even though it doesn't seem like it to the casual observer.
• The irrigation upgrades to all the back 9 greens are finished, tested and working. 
• Cart path renovation and paving from the 15th green to 17th tee will begin Monday.

Design Changes

• The 15th hole has seen a major change in bunker placement. Ted Locke has reduced the bunker complex on the right and added a new bunker in the left rough just ahead of the fairway drop off. Aside from the old bunker complex being a maintenance nightmare the addition of the left bunker will stop many shots from bouncing off the mounding and into the trees. It looks very good at this point. Come out and see for yourself during the open course tour next Sunday.
• The cart path at 12 green has been moved to the south of the green and will travel through the trees and exit at the corner of the back tee on 13. The right side of the green will now have more room to receive errant shots allowing a better recovery option. Again check it out next week.

All for now,

Wade

Fairway Topdressing and Greens Mowing

The fairways have been topdressed with sand once. We have now decided to go with 2 applications of sand this fall. The first pass was heavier than the second (which should be finished by late Friday). We have the use of a second fairway topdressing unit so we now have the time to add more sand than originally planned  This is an opportunity too good to turn down with the reduced play this week.

The front 9 greens will be cut on Thursday. Again with the lack of play and the wet weather we gave them a break. It is also very difficult to get a good cut when they are consistently damp. The sand sticks to the reel units on the mowers and tracks across the surface of the green. Also, the mowing height is raised as sand builds up on the reels (long story just trust me on this one) and cut quality is adversely affected. However we have reached the point where we now have to mow and just deal with the results.

LREP work has stalled in the bunkers, however there is plenty to do elsewhere. Focus for now is concentrated on #10, the pond on #18 and continued irrigation work around the greens.


Wade