Native Area 6-7-8

We finally had an opportunity last week to burn the brush pile that was in the native area between 6-7-8.  This has been a long time coming, but with the restrictions our fire department puts on us it required a specific set of conditions in order to burn.  We've burned a number of other locations on the course, but the close concentration of dry native grass without an immediately available water source made this one more demanding.

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Burning out the tree stumps

This wider view shows how the pile has been pushed together for more complete burning.

Bunker #18 - Sand

There is now sand in the newly rebuilt bunker on the front left of #18 green.  Sod will be placed on Friday, weather permitting.

(click for larger images)
Sand has been placed in the front left bunker on #18 green.  You can see a little of the added berm at the top of the bunker.

Another view of the bunker with sand added.  Sod is expected to be laid tomorrow.

Looking over the bunker and toward the green.  Notice the slight berm at the high side of the bunker.  This should divert most rain water around the sides of the bunker.

#18 Bunker

Work is nearing completion on the rebuild of the left front bunker at #18 green.  Like the other bunkers that we've rebuilt this winter, this one suffered from wash outs when any kind of heavy rain occurred. It should be completed very soon.

(above)  the bunker prior to work starting

(above) following excavation and initial shaping.  There would later be a berm added at the top to divert water runoff away from the bunker.

After shaping but before the berm was added.  The yellow circle is the area that will be further excavated and filled with sand.

Another view of the reshaped bunker

#10 Bunker Completed

The rebuilding of the left front bunker on #10 is now complete.  We experienced a few days delay due to a combination of equipment problems and a rain that made things too wet to work for a couple days, but otherwise this rebuild went just as smoothly as the two before it.

What this means
With the completion of this bunker rebuild in just over 5 months we have rebuilt or removed every bunker on this hole.  The rear bunker was converted to a grassy area starting on August 29, 2011;  the right front bunker was rebuilt starting on January 9, 2012; and the left front bunker was rebuilt starting on January 23, 2012.  Our visitors that have not played here since the August 2-Man Scramble will see a drastically updated hole when they return this spring.

These bunker rebuilds should save us many, many hours of manpower each season that we have previously spent raking and basically rebuilding them each time we experienced a heavy rain.  With their grass faces and flat sand areas they should suffer little or no erosion problems.

Shaped and Ready!

Alex was able to get the bunker on the left of #10 green shaped today and ready for final excavation, sand, and sod.  In the attached pictures you can see the painted yellow line which represents the size and shape of the finished bunker.   The area inside the painted yellow line will be excavated and filled with sand, the area outside will receive zoysia sod.

We've been very fortunate this winter that the weather has cooperated and allowed us the opportunity to complete projects like this. 

LEFT Front Bunker on #10

Demo and reshaping began today on the left front bunker on #10.  Similar to the right front bunker on 10 and the right front bunker on #1, this bunker will have the steeply flashed face removed and replaced with a grass face to prevent the erosion problems we've experienced in the past.  With the nice weather forecast this week Alex expects to have this bunker completed in fairly short order.  Most of the shaping is completed today (Monday) and barring weather issues he should do final shaping and excavate for the drain next.

#12 Cart Path

Remember the area at the bottom of the first hill on #12 where the cart path has a drainage whistle under it and those nasty, dangerous metal grates?   Shazzam!  The grates are gone.  The whistle is no more and the area on the fairway side has been filled in and sodded.  We left the concrete spillway on the right side of the path for now as a deterrent to erosion, but the metal grate is gone, replaced by a layer of concrete. We think this will be a nice improvement to the area.