Moving right along..

Even though I haven't updated lately does not mean things haven't been happening. We started off the week with rain days Monday and half of Tuesday. The crew hit the road running with continuing work on 17 and starting on #9. They will wrap up most of the construction on 17 this weekend. As I type they are installing the drainage and finishing the floors to the green side bunkers. This afternoon they will move to the approach bunker and install drainage and finish the floor. When #17 is wrapped up they will move to finish #9 and begin on #18.

17 green complex with 2 new green side and 1 new approach bunker

On #9 the 5 new bunkers have been rough shaped. There are 3 green side and 2 in the fairway. The left hand fairway bunker has the unique reverse back to front feature that will give all the shots a down hill lie. The right side fairway bunker is small but the back side was built with a down hill slope to give the ball and extra kick towards the green to reward the player who challenges it and succeeds.

Overview from 9 fairway

One cool thing we did during this project was set up a time lapse camera that takes pictures every 5 minuets on some of the holes. The first couple of hole we were still trying to figure out exactly how to get it to work. We did manage to catch a majority of the work on the left side of #12. 

Yesterday the last hole, #18, was laid out and the new tee on #16 was staked. This will wrap up the construction for the spring. As of right now, the guys are on schedule and will be wrapping up all the work for the spring in the next 2 weeks or so, weather permitting.

Make a mess and clean it up....

Although the weather these last couple of days has not been great, the crew has made tremendous progress. The 12th hole has been completed. The bunkers have sand in them and all the sod has been laid. The greens complex on 16 has been completed as well. Sand has been placed in the fairway bunkers on the left side of 16. The right hand bunker will be filled tomorrow and sod will be placed around the bunker edge to protect it in case we have rain over the weekend.

Right now, 5 and 17 are in a state of flux. By the end of tomorrow, all of the construction will be completed on number 5. All the bunkers have been shaped and drainage is installed. The fairway will be extended up the left side near the green. The old bunker in the back left has been deleted and some subtle mounds have been added. The old fairway bunker has also been removed and filled with the spoils from the other bunkers being constructed.  Now this hole will await sand and sod next week.

Number 5 getting ready for sod and sand.

The green side bunkers on 17 are starting to take shape. Dirt is being moved around, areas are being regraded, and the topsoil is being stockpiled. The topsoil is saved to use later in the area that was disturbed by the machines but will not be bunker.

Alvero, the master of the skid steer, in action.

This weekend, the crew will be taking a well deserved couple of days off to go home and visit their families. With the weather forecast calling for warmer temperatures, I would like to remind everyone to please stay off of the newly sodded area, they will play as ground under repair.

Busy weekend.

With the great weather the golf course was very busy, and the crew was just as busy working. Since the last update they have gotten close to getting two holes completed. On 16, the greenside bunker drainage was installed, sand was put in, and tomorrow more sod will be put in place along the left side of the green.  The fairway bunkers are awaiting drainage and will get sod as soon as the drains are installed.

Number 12 has both bunkers completed and sand installed. The biggest piece of work here was installing additional drainage to capture the water coming off the hillside and green surround. This drain line runs from the back left bunker all the way across the fairway to the creek. Sod will also be installed around the bunkers here tomorrow.

5 had the most dramatic changes. All the old bunkers have been deleted and 2 new greenside bunkers have been rough shaped on the right of the green and 1 bunker in the fairway on the left. Sod has been stripped in the rough up the left side to make room for the fairway expansion.

I've learned that golf construction is a lot like building a house. The dramatic stuff happens quickly, then the details take a while. You get a house under roof then the drywall and plumbing take time to complete. You get sod stripped and bunkers rough shaped, then you add drainage, sand, and sod.

Not the best pic, but you can see some of the changes.

Green side up!

Despite yesterday's weather, between the BCC staff and the crew from McDonald and Sons, we were able to lay between 9,000 to 10,000 square feet of sod. The BCC staff laid the fairway extension, which is on the left side of the picture below. McDonald's crew laid all of the sod for the green expansions. Getting the greens sod laid is an intricate and time consuming process to get the seams to match and be as tight as possible. These guys are truly professionals and did a great job. With a little topdressing, fertilizing, and a couple of passes with the roller, these areas should quickly fill in (as long as the weather cooperates). 

I can not express enough, how impressed I am with the amount of work that has been accomplished in 7 days. With the vision of architect Andrew Green, on site leadership of job foreman Jason Richter, and tremendous work of the six crew members (that is not a misprint, there are only 6 guys and Jason) I could not be more happy with the progress that has been made to this point.

I keep adding pictures of #12 because that hole lends itself to the unique opportunity of having pictures taken from a great perspective. I promise work is happening to the other holes. We have more pictures that will be posted soon.

Rule #1 (and only rule) of laying sod: Make sure it is laid green side up.

The calm before the storm?

With the impending weather headed our direction for Tuesday night and Wednesday, the crew has been working hard over the last couple of days to get prepared. All of the greens reclamations have been prepped and are ready for sod. The sod for the greens will arrive overnight Monday and will be laid Tuesday. The right side of #16, both rough and fairway expansion, have been sodded. The fairway sod was the grass that was stripped off the new fairway bunkers. The old fairway bunker area on #16 has been sodded as well. The 3 new fairway bunkers have been rough shaped on 16.

Right side of 16 green.

In addition to the greens sod, the fairway expansion on #12 will be sodded tomorrow. The greens side bunkers have been rough shaped and are ready for the final prepped.

12 green, waiting for sod.

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Here today, gone tomorrow.

Currently there is a lot of sod being removed and a lot dirt being moved around. The green expansions on 9,12,16, and 17 have been stripped and sand has been incorporated into the soil profile. As I type the bunkers on #12 are being shaped and almost the entire greens surround has been stripped and regraded.

Now you see it......

Now you don't.....

The fairway bunker on #16 is gone. Most of the sand was mixed into the existing topsoil and some subtle mounding was added in its place. So far, even with losing most of the Tuesday to rain, I think great progress has been made.