I'm sorry that it has been a few weeks since my last update. Since my last update, here is what has been finished.
1. #12 green and irrigation have been completed. Below is a picture of #12 green.
2. #10 green has also been completed. Kris' crew worked on Thanksgiving to get the green sodded due to the fact that we had rain earlier in the week. Below are some of the process pictures and the finished product.
Despite the fact that we have had a great, warm fall to work on our project, we all know that cold weather is just around the corner. We have decided to stop working on greens at this point to limit our risk with the sod going into winter. We will complete our final 2 greens (#11 and #13) in the spring when weather permits. This decision was made the week before Thanksgiving. I'm glad that we made that choice because we had our first snowfall of the year earlier this week! If there is one thing I have learned in my 4 years here at Roaring Gap, it is that we always seem to get snowfall before December 15.
In an effort to continue to be productive, Kris' crew has begun working on the drainage project on #7 fairway. This was originally planned for the spring but we decided to move forward while the weather was cooperating. It won't be completed until the spring, but it does give us a head start which is always beneficial.
Drainage in front of #7 Green.
Above is a picture of the gravel bed over the drain tiles. This is installed over the whole drainage area to accommodate the springs that occur on this hole. Over time, springs may move where they rise to the surface. By placing the gravel bed, if a spring moves, the water will rise to the gravel and move to the drain tiles instead of rising completely to the surface. This will provide a firmer playing surface which is much needed on this hole.
Low spot on the left of #7 fairway.
Below is a picture of the old terra cotta drain pipes that have caused some of the problems on #7. Over time the original tar paper that was used to hold the sections of pipe together has degraded. This has caused a separation between the tiles which is one of the primary causes of the sinkholes in the fairway. Part of the work being done is to remove the terra cotta pipes that are found to try to fix this problem. Some of the sinkholes are also caused by springs, so our hope is that by performing all of this work, we can remedy a great deal of our problems on #7.
Most of our work for the fall will be wrapping up within the next two weeks. I will try to post one more time to let you know when the work will be stopping before picking back up in the spring.
