Once final shaping was complete irrigation was trenched in around the bunker. These are small, pop up misters that allow us to prevent the steep grass slopes from drying out without runoff. Drainage was installed in the bunker floor and connected to the existing underground network running through the course. After that the turf was replaced and finally the sand installed.
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| Kris Spence Giving Direction on Adjustment |
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| Irrigation Installation |
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| Drainage Installation |
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| Turf Replaced |
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| Sand Installation |
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| Misting Irrigation! |
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| Finished Product |
Currently work is quickly progressing on the second new bunker. Shaping is complete, irrigation is in and drainage is being installed as I write this. By day's end the bunker will be complete as the process moves rapidly at this stage.
So tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and folks wishing to get in a quick round before the turkey, or maybe a quick nine afterward are welcome to do so, but for those unfamiliar things are a little different. The club is closed with no staff and thus golf tomorrow exists in a raw and simple form, members and their guests helping themselves and walking the course. It has become a tradition at Carolina Golf Club and I think it makes us unique. Of course I have my own Thanksgiving tradition, I enjoy a very quiet ride to the course for a quick patrol of the grounds making sure everything is in order and nothing is out of place. If there is no concern for frost I will exit through the back gate by the Turf Care Center and return home to my family. After all, grass doesn't know what day it is. If there is a likelihood for frost I will hang around behind the clubhouse and converse with those early arrivals to ensure no one inadvertently damages the turf before the frost lifts. The forecast for tomorrow morning calls for temperatures in the 40's meaning no frost expected tomorrow, so come early if you wish and if I don't see you, Happy Thanksgiving!
For the past few years I have used this forum to express my gratitude for a variety of people, places and things as Thanksgiving approaches. Each year is different, bringing with it new challenges and triumphs and 2016 was no different. Whether it was the weather or something else causing bumps along the road the journey this year wasn't always smooth, but then again that's what makes it all more special when you arrive. This year I'm thankful for:
10. Arnold Palmer! The King passed away back on September 25th and it was a sad day for the golf world. He did more to grow and promote the game of golf than anybody else, and was the coolest guy on the planet at the same time. I joined the USGA in 1992 while a student in college. I remember receiving a form letter signed by Mr. Palmer as he was the Honorary Chairman of the USGA's membership campaign. I phoned my grandfather with excitement telling him I received a letter from Arnold Palmer! Earlier this year I told you about traveling to Oakmont for the U.S. Open (CLICK HERE) but what I didn't tell you was I also played golf at Latrobe CC that Saturday morning before returning to Oakmont that afternoon. Following golf my group had lunch in the Men's Grill and just prior to leaving Mr. Palmer was escorted into the room and sat nearby. We were invited over to say hello and pay our respects and I took great thrill in telling Mr. Palmer the story of the letter and how much he meant to me and my family. It was an emotional moment as it was evident his health was declining and I sobbed all the way to the parking lot.
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| The King! |
8. Tad Moore and Hickory Golf! I believe it was sometime back in March when I saw Tad Moore featured on Golf Channel's Morning Drive. I immediately visited his website CLICK HERE and it was love at first sight. I've always fancied myself somewhat of a golf historian and traditional enthusiast, but playing golf with hickory shafted clubs and replica era golf balls has been more fun than I ever imagined. I birdied the first hole I ever played with them (No. 1 at Carolina Golf Club) and I even managed to try them at other Ross venues such as Mimosa Hills CC, Southern Pines CC, and Mid-Pines. To answer your question a solidly struck shot feels so solid, but a "squirrely" shot is really, really "squirrely"!
7. GCSAA! This year marked the 90th birthday of the professional association dedicated to serving its members, advancing their profession, and enhancing the enjoyment, growth, and vitality of the game of golf. I've been a loyal member since 1997 and was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to association headquarters in Lawrence, KS this year not once, but twice. I was asked to serve on the Education Task Group which selects all the continuing education offerings at the upcoming Golf Industry Show in Orlando, FL next February. I was also selected by my chapter, Carolinas GCSA to serve as Chapter Delegate which brought me back to HQ for the annual Chapter Delegates Meeting last month. Two very humbling experiences.
6. BIGGA! I joined the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association as an International Member in 2010 both to broaden my professional development and deepen my connection with the roots of my profession. They offer a certificate that is regarded by many as the pinnacle of professional achievement and this year I succeeded in accomplishing that professional goal I set many years ago. To be able to call myself a Master Greenkeeper is a distinction I take very seriously and I am honored to join their ranks. My wife and I have planned a trip to their conference in January where I will be recognized along with three others who joined the ranks of MG's in 2016!
5. Hermine and Matthew! It may sound crazy but if not for the rains associated with Tropical Storm Hermine in early September and Hurricane Matthew about five weeks later conditions would be drastically different in our area. Currently there is severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought just to our west and the only thing keeping those red colors out of our immediate vicinity is the rainfall we received from these two tropical systems.
4. My Staff! How could I not thank the hardest working greenkeeping team in the Queen City! In what was another year of record heat, humidity, and drought this team produced some amazing course conditions during our peak golf seasons. These guys work very hard to ensure your course is properly prepared and ready for your enjoyment, please join me in thanking them for their efforts when you see them.
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| 2016 Carolina Golf Club Greenkeeping Team! |
2. Stephen Woodard! Mr. Woodard has been chairman of the Greens Committee for the past five years and I have enjoyed working closely with him preserving, maintaining, and enhancing your golf course. His calm, cool, collected leadership will be missed as he rolls off the Board of Governors after this year. Many of you may not know this but Mr. Woodard is a reinstated amateur and once won a professional event contested on a golf course where I was working. In May of 2000 I was Assistant Superintendent of Augustine Golf Club in Stafford, VA and we hosted the Augustine Classic, a Teardrop Tour event Stephen won in a three-way playoff over Tim Petrovic and somebody else. Others in the field included Zach Johnson, Jason Gore, and the Pappas brothers.
1. Roger Wolfe! It would be wrong of me to not express proper thanks to the man responsible for me being your golf course superintendent. Mr. Wolfe had enough faith and trust in me to lead this club on an ambitious four-phase master plan renovation that he recruited and brought me to Carolina from my home in Virginia. What we accomplished in those earlier days is way more than I ever imagined possible when the project was just beginning, and it's why I have remained and made Carolina my home. I thank you Roger and wish you and your family nothing but the best in your future endeavors.
Now I know what you're thinking, how could I leave out the most important person in my life. Especially when we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary earlier this month. Mrs. Greenkeeper is my rock and without her and our family I am nothing. She is my best friend and most trusted advisor and believe me, she knows where she stands...
Multiple reasons I'm #Thankful4Golf as I've spent my life dedicated to it professionally but No. 1 is meeting Mrs. Greenkeeper playing golf! https://t.co/NfXsIK8Sye— Matthew Wharton (@CGCGreenkeeper) November 23, 2016
God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving,
Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG
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