18 Green Renovation, Day 5: Visualization

After moving earth for the past 4 days, today was a day where we could visualize the final layout of the new green on 18.  Soil was moved from the transition area in the middle to the crown of the bunker face to raise and contour the area so that water drains to either side of the bunker, not into it.  Oliphant's main shaper worked on fine tuning the middle of the green further to its final grade as well. 

The transition from puttable green, to false front, to approach was completed today also.  Sod was laid back down onto the new approach and rough surrounds from the front to the middle of the green, after fertilizer and other soil amendments were added. 

Words cannot express how happy Greg and I are with the crew that is completing this renovation.  They are highly experienced, efficient, and dedicated to their craft and we are lucky to have them here at Elcona.  Hats off to Cam and his crew. 

If the weather holds together, tomorrow will be full of sod replacement and fine tuning a couple of transition areas mainly where collar and rough surrounds meet.  Once all of the higher mowed turf is laid, greens sod will be replaced.  We will have as many guys as we can efficiently have complete the job, and the goal is to be complete.  Enjoy the pictures, and let's hope that the heavy rains stay away another day!

Ryan

Cam marking final transit measurements

Work on approach to green transition

Work on bunker face slope

Approach sod being placed while Greg scopes the final grade

Javier shaping the front of the green one more time

Completed approach. You can see where the false front will be.

Green after Day 5.  Starting to really come together!

18 Green Renovation, Day 4

On 18 green today, the rootzone on the upper level was tilled to break up any compaction layer that had been present, additional sod was removed to begin the final transition from puttable surface to approach, and some final shaping was started at the transition from upper to lower levels.  The shaping process started in the back of the green and worked its way forward.  Soil was also added around the top of the bunker face to better direct surface water away from the bunker. 

When you look at the pictures of the front of the green, it may seem like quite the severe slope coming off of the bottom shelf to the approach.  Plenty of shaping and final grading still needs to take place, so while we can start to visualize what the new green will look like, it is too soon to have a true idea of the finished product.  The goal tomorrow is to have the final grading and shaping done and have Shawn Smith give the final approval before sod is laid back down. 

Ryan

Greg rototilling the upper rootzone

Final grade work on the back approach/green transition

Crew beginning front transition and shaping

The beginning shaping of the transition from back to front shelves



Front of the new green.  More shaping to come.

Re-sloping the top of bunker