Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Bunker update

     Today Schaefer-Meyer was busy taking the old drains out of 2, 5, and 6 bunkers.  Ground is still frozen.  They can't do any shaping until frost is out of the ground.  When you have frozen soil you cannot shape, the soil comes out in slabs.  With 8 inch thick slabs you cannot fill or do any shaping.  If you have a twitter account you can follow the construction progress there also.  My twitter account is @ed_wachter   I usually post where Schaefer-Meyer is working  each morning.

Digging out old drainage in left bunker # 2

Bunker update

     Holes 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, and most of 16 are done.  Schaefer-Meyer sodded the rest of the back nine holes and the grass area of # 8 green.  We still need a little sod on the fairway bunker on # 16 and more sod on # 17 rough.  Bunkers look really good here are a few pictures of 8, 11, 13, and 14.



 # 8 before sod

 # 8 after sodding

 # 11 sodded

 # 11

 # 13 looking from behind bunker

 # 13

 # 14

# 10 bunker transformation

Here is some pictures of # 10 from pre - construction to finished product. 

 

 Shaping left bunker

 New bunkers roughed in

 Bunkers with liners installed

 Sodding right bunker

 View from approach

View from left rough

Bunker update

     Sorry for the delay in updating my blog.  Here what has happen in the past 2 weeks.  All bunker liners have been installed.  Bunker sand was installed on holes 10, 11, and 16.  Drainage  for 9 and 18 rough was installed.  We have hole 10 completed and 16 almost done.  Next week we will finish holes 11, 13, 14 and 16.  Here are a few pictures.

 Sodding right bunker #10

 Raking left bunker #10

 # 10 completed

 Sodding Green side bunker #16

 This machine rolls out sod

#16 green side bunker completed.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 



     On this day of Thanksgiving we pause and take a moment to be grateful for all our blessings: the freedom which this great country provides, the opportunity for growth and achievement, good health and the confidence and trust you have given to us. I can  speak for my entire staff, everyone here truly loves and cares for Franklin County Country Club. Our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Bunker update

     Drainage and pea gravel has been installed in 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, bunkers.  We have started to place liners into bunkers.  We have 10 and 11 finished.  Rain has stopped the liner installation.  We will pick back up on Friday.  Liners are important they keep subgrade from coming up into sand.  Bunkers will be completely enclosed with liner.  Sod line will come right down to 4 inch edge.  Sod will say over part of the liner.  This will keep our bunkers clean.  Here are a few pictures of my staff installing liner.  From a distance looks like we have white sand in our bunkers.  Sorry for the illusion. I would have loved to use white sand but that would have added $50,000 to the cost of the project.

# 11 before liner

Installing liner

Finished

 

 # 10 laying liner in right bunker

 For every 1,120 sq. ft. roll of liner you need to nail 1000  6 inch staples to hold liner in place.

 Right bunker # 10 completed

# 10 bunkers

 

12 green 13 tee's

    If you have been out playing golf this past week you have seen the clearing being done behind 12 green and around 13 tee's.  This is being done by the Villa's.  They are clearing the under brush and dead and soft wooded trees.  They also need to make some repairs to the lake dam.  All healthy hardwood trees on our property were flagged and saved.  They will fix the ditch that runs through the area.  When finished this will look much better.  The most important part of this is the prevailing summer southwest air flow will help 12 green. The prevailing wind was non existent.  If we can get enough air movement in the valley we might be able to stop using the fan on 12 green.  Even if we still need to use the fan the added air flow will improve one of our weakest greens.  The whole area will be seeded when finished.  The cost to the Club for them to do this clearing is $0.00.  For the Club to do what they did would have cost us a months worth of labor for 4 men or added expense to rent the proper equipment to do the job they did.  This is a win win for the both of us.

 Looking behind 12 green

 

Looking from 12 green over 13 blue and black tee.  The prevailing wind is in between the condos directly over lake.

 

Greens

     Greens have been rolling real nice lately.  We are mowing greens about 2 days per week. and rolling 3 days.  Last week we spiked and topdress all greens.  Spiking will help with some needed water movement into the green profile.  Yes we are still watering our greens.  Normally we are blowing out our irrigation system this time of year.  Not this season we will keep system charged until Mother Nature says close it.  Greens 10 - 12 are still filling in.  They have come a long way since mid July.  Seeding and plugging is working and they will be back to normal next spring.  Enjoy the warm weather while it last. 

 Top dressing greens

Picture of # 12 late July



Picture # 12 mid November

Bunker update

Schaefer-Meyer has made some great progress on the bunker construction.  Bunkers on 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16 all have drain lines installed and pea gravel covering them.  The  next step is to do some fine tune grading and install the bunker liner.  We are getting real close to getting these holes completed.  # 18 is almost ready to have drain lines cut in and they began to shape the right bunker on # 1.  The way it is looking now they are planning on finishing 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16 and then start to work on the cart paths on holes 9 and 10 before it get too cold. 

 Gravel blanket in 10

 Installing drain lines # 11

 # 13 gravel blanket

 # 14

Aerial view of # 18

 

     Here is 3 different aerial photos of 18 bunker from the air.  Love the way this bunker is shaping up.  It is ready for drains to be installed.

 

 

 

d

Greens

     We have been busy getting greens ready for winter play.  Dan is cutting 3 cups locations in the greens.  This allows us to move holes to a new location.  The reason we do this is when ground freezes we can not cut a new cup in frozen ground.  Last season we moved our 3 cup locations three times.  We had enough warm time to be able to move cups to new location.  Our course receives quite a bit of winter play.  The cup location can be worn down if we were not able to move locations.  You will see green metal covers covering the extra cups.  Please do not move the cup location.  The Maintenance staff will take care of it.

Cup cover over cup

Bunker update

Schaefer-Meyer has cut in all trenches for bunker drains on holes 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16.  These holes are now ready for corrugated drain tile and pea gravel.  We are getting real close to having these holes full of sand and sodded.

Right bunker # 10 

 Left bunker #10

 # 11

 # 13

 # 14

Green side bunker # 16

Bunker update

Schaefer-Meyer is making some good progress.  Holes 11, 13, 14, and 16 are just about ready for the drainage to be installed.  # 18 bunker has been cut in and needs just a little bit of finish grading before it can have drainage installed.  We are not far off from having sand installed on these holes.  # 10 has been a little bit of challenge for them but they have it figured out and will have bunkers cut in tomorrow.  Here are a few pictures of 11, 13, 14, 16, and 18.

 # 11 green ready for drainage.

 # 13 minor grading in bottom ready for drainage

 # 14 bunker repositioned ready for drainage

 # 16 green side bunker has drain line cut need pipe and gravel.

 # 16 fairway bunker ready for drainage.

 # 18 bunker cut in needs final grading ready for drainage.