Another one bites the dust!  That is a phrase that has become quite common amongst the golf course maintenance team in reference to emptied pallets, with now two and a half trucks of sod (53 pallets/27,500 sq. ft.) on the ground.  Our staff has performed above and beyond and has actually caught up to Aspen’s progress.  A handful of bunkers still need to be filled with sand but otherwise the majority of work only remains on number eighteen. 

A lot of work has occurred on number nine alone.  The fairway bunkers, particularly the right, have changed drastically from both playability and aesthetic perspectives.  Both are very visible from the tee, which will benefit guests unfamiliar to the club.  They are also angled more with the corner, making them more appealing as well as potentially more penal to the longer hitters.
 

The greenside bunkers have undergone their fair share of change as well.  The right side has slightly decreased in size while becoming much more maintainable.  The front has significantly decreased in size from the “approach” side as well as the “top”.  This bunker is also one of four receiving the Better Billy Bunker Liner System (click the link to learn more).  The front is receiving this liner system for drainage purposes as well as the prevention of rock contamination.  For years this bunker has been notorious for revealing small stones and rock that end up resulting in the excavation of boulders. 

I am sure that I speak for all of us in the golf course maintenance team when I say thank you for the Christmas bonus donations.  The generosity is absolutely appreciated.  I would also like to personally challenge CCC’s membership and ask that the next time you see one of our team members, stop and say thank you.  I cannot properly put in to words (rare for me!) how proud I am of their accomplishments over the past few weeks.  The workload that has been placed on them to allow for this project’s completion is well above the norm, however they have taken it in stride with tremendous effort and attitude and will continue to do so.

Merry Christmas!

Another week in the books and a massive amount of work behind not only Aspen, but our maintenance team as well.  Construction is currently taking place on number nine fairway bunkers while another handful or so are near ready for sod.  Our maintenance team has laid one of the roughly three trucks of sod to be installed during this project.  11,000 square feet of Tall Fescue sod, stapled into the ground on the steep slopes, in two days, is a very commendable accomplishment!  As of today holes 1, 2, 3, 10 are completed, short of Aspen pushing sand to the edge that was pulled back for sodding.  The sand will then be plate compacted one time resulting in roughly five and a half inches of sand across the entire bunker.
 

The old bunker back left of one green is on display here.  After removing  the sand, filling and grading with soil, sod was then laid.  The area that we affected tied in directly with Aspen's work on the remaining renovated bunker at number one.	Along with the bunkers on one and two, number three received work from both Aspen and our team.  The first two have been renovated, with our team removing and sodding the back bunker.  Also, all of the existing sod was removed and replaced between the bunkers and the cartpath.

Most of the renovation work on Aspen’s end has actually been completed.  They have holes 9 and 18 remaining, as well as tying in loose ends, but their progress has been fantastic and the potential for an earlier than anticipated completion exists.  There is a chance for another sod truck to arrive by week’s end, assuming the snow can disappear from the sod farm in Maryland and they are able to harvest!  Best case scenario would be holes 6, 13, 15, 16, 17, and part of 9 to have sand in and sodded by Monday. 

Aspen Golf has been on-site for a week now and they are progressing at a blistering pace.  Of the twenty-one total bunkers they will be responsible for, nine have already had some sort of work performed.  As it stands now (midday Monday) holes 1, 2, and 10 have sand in them and are ready for sod before they can be finalized.  Numbers 3, 6, and 13 have at the least the old sand removed and some shaping done.  Following are some pictures to assist those who have not been out on the course in visualizing the work completed thus far…

The weather has been great for not only Aspen but for our department as well.  The removal of the back left bunker on 1, the right and back bunkers on 2, and the back bunker on 3 will all be handled by our team.  We plan to have these ready for the first load of sod when it arrives, more than likely sometime this week.  While winter looks to make its first real appearance of the season this week, the cold will not slow down progress; precipitation will be the key moving forward as wet conditions this time of year severely threaten productivity.
 

10 Before (above) & After (below)	2 Before (above) & After (below)
1 Before (above) & After (below)	Beginning Work On 3 & 6