Loss of Dignity, Failed to Mention and New Drainage!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Thursday, September 27, 2012 and I want to show you some of the drainage Golf Course Services, Inc. has been installing the past couple of days.  However, before I do I feel it is necessary to recognize those competitors this past weekend who felt the 2012 Club Championship was a bloodbath and henceforth will be known as "The Club Championship from Hell".  I apologize if the challenging setup removed some of the fun for you in this year's event!  Keep in mind as I stated here two days ago, the date on the calendar along with the weather and our preparations led to a culmination with the golf course providing one of the sternest tests of golf in years.  Perhaps I allowed my enthusiasm for the course conditions to get the better of me and cloud my judgement at times but know I was merely trying to showcase what our wonderfully restored Donald Ross design is capable of when given the proper chance.  It's at times like these I like to borrow a quote from the United States Golf Association and modify it to fit Carolina, "I am not trying to embarrass the best golfers in the club, I am merely trying to identify them."  Having said that I promise to file 2012 away in the memory bank and strive for a stern but fair test of golf in 2013 while yielding more opportunities for lower scoring! 

Now back to fun golf...as soon as the aerated greens heal :(

The other day when blogging about the aeration of the putting surfaces I failed to mention something which hadn't happened here in quite some time but unfortunately happened as we were ready to embark on our mission Monday morning.  If you check the July archives of The Greenkeeper you will see on July 16th I posted "Fairway Aeration Cancelled, Goldilocks and Other Stuff!"  If you scroll down to the "Other Stuff" section I talk about the frustrations this year with staff desertions/defections.  At that time we had endured 5 desertions/defections this season and after that post things settled down quite nicely.  The replacements we received fit in quite well and two months past with no issues... and no warnings.  Unfortunately, I was met Monday morning with the announcement three guys went AWOL Sunday evening!  The timing of their decision would not have been good at any time, but on the first day of putting green aeration I cannot repeat the words uttered that day.  I must offer up a big kudos to those members of my staff that pressed on!  We managed to make it work after two very long days!

Now back to drainage!

Golf Course Services, Inc. has wrapped up installing the additional fairway drainage on number 8 and have now started working on number 7.  Here are some photos detailing the project thus far:

Trenching Across Fairway



Pipe, Gravel and Sand

Gonzalo Checks The New Catch Basin

Compacting the Trench

 

Putting the Turf Back in Place

Finished!

 

Here is the first look of the work currently going on at number 7:

Removing the Turf and Trenching

View From Other Side

I will post more photos next week.  Until then...


See you on the course,


Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent