Range update!!!!

Holy mackerel! Has it really been 3 weeks since we started the range project? With member-member and aerification time has flown by. The next thing you know it will be Christmas. Barring anything unforeseen, the project will be completed by the end of next week. The crew will be wrapping up by laying sod and doing a few odds and ends.

Short game area

This is the view from bridge of the short game area. In the immediate foreground is the practice bunker. The grey looking area is the chipping green. This bunker can accommodate 6 players hitting to an actual green, to give you the on course feel to your practice session. We will be seeding the chipping green in the coming weeks and it will be ready for play in 6-8 weeks. There will be fairway height grass all the way back to the bridge from 12 green. Adjacent to the right of the chipping green, the flat area is the championship/blue tee. Where the cart is parked in the middle of the picture is where the new white/blue tee is located. The other flat area (not pictured) is the new gold tee. These tees will be sodded within the next 10 days and will be ready in a few weeks.

Fairway practice bunker

 The one piece of feedback we got for the range was the need for a bunker to practice fairway bunker shots.   This will give players a 40-50 yard shot into the chipping green. In turn, you will be able to turn the other direction and hit onto the range for practice of any distance you chose. This will cover any situation that you may encounter during your round. The area between the bunker and the green will all be fairway grass. Fairway also extends off the left hand margin of the picture. This coupled with the area between the creek and green gives players multiple angles and distances up to 50 yards to hone their short game.

close up of grass, not very exciting.

 The main tee was sodded about 10 days ago and is coming right along.  The new tee is comprised of bermudagrass. This is different than the grass on course but was chosen for its ability to recover from divots. The sod's roots have tacked, and as you can see above the seams have started to knit. We are hoping to mow it for the first time either late this week or the first of next week. At this point we are looking to have the tee open around the middle of September. Soon we will open the mats to allow wood and long iron practice. The far end of the range will remain open until the grass tee is ready to have someplace to hit mid to short irons off turf.

More of an on course feel.

In front of the tee is rough height grass. This is to give the practice experience a more realistic on course feel. With any sport, simulating real "in game" situations will help improve your experience and sharpen your skills.     The project has progressed well and I believe the new range will be a great amenity for the club for years to come.