Week 3 and 4 Recap

Just as we were getting settled into the pace of construction, our contractor manned up and added more staff to really shift us into high gear.  Needless to say, time has been thin and incredible amounts of work has been completed.  The following picture narrative shows how much the course has changed over the last 2 weeks.

Hole 1, Par 4

After.  Left fairway bunker will really make you rethink club
selection off the tee.  Collar expansions around green added.

Hole 2, Par 4

View from tee.  Three bunkers are visible until...

You drive up over the hill and see the fourth bunker.  Plenty
of fairway right of these bunkers.

New bunker left of approach with collar expansions around green.

Hole 3, Par 5

View (and shots) to green made possible by removal of
Willow and Silver Maple.

You would not be able to see the locusts behind the green
before tree removals.

View from left approach bunkers to green.  Massive approach
expansion along with a shorter left green side bunker to help
encourage more aggressive play.

These bunkers right of approach and green will be impressive.
A right green side bunker was removed in favor of a bentgrass
collection area.

Hole 4

Significantly wider approach and collar
with new right rear bunker

Hole 5, Par 5

New fairway bunker inside dogleg will challenge many tee
shots.  Removal of mounds around green help hole blend in
with the other green sites.  Wider approach and collar around green.

Hole 6, Par 4

Now there will be 3 bunkers right of the green with a fall off
area left of the green.  More mounds removed from green
surrounds help hole fit the course.  Tree removals right of green
expose sugar maple, sun and create larger scale.

Hole 7, Par 4

At one point, 60' willow trees lined the pond's edge.

Now with selective tree removals, views of the green look great.
A new back tee will really bring the new fairway bunkers into
play.

Hole 8, Par 3

It's amazing the visual impact stylized bunkers and short grass
have on the look of a hole.

This bentgrass expansion wraps itself around the back of the
green.  An additional back right bunker may be small, but
will add some interest to the hole.

Hole 12, Par 4

Moving the fairway bunkers to the inside of the dogleg creates
strategic golf with more risk/reward opportunities.

This collection area right of the green allows more options for
errant approach shots.

Hole 17, Par 4

Not a large change, but the green side bunker just looks awesome.
Another collection area right of the green will restore an
original design feature of this hole.

It really is impressive how quickly this project is moving.  Thankfully we have caught great weather to work with only two days lost to rain.  Our next move is to finish drainage and grassing of the bunkers on two and three.  After that is done, we only have 9, 10, 11, 16, and 18 to work on with approximately 15 bunkers left to renovate or build.  When the bunkers are complete, haul roads will be repaired and work will continue on grassing lines.  Areas at the beginning of fairways will be renovated and dormant seeded to either rough or fairway.

It is hard to believe we have had 25 working days on this project with 37 potential working days left until Thanksgiving.  Hopefully this weather pattern continues so we can wrap the bunker portion of the project up before November weather really sets in.  I cannot say enough great things about the team we have assembled on this project.  It has made the hours worth the time and effort it takes to renovate a course, but having a few laughs along the way makes the time pass quickly.