More Drainage

The rain gauge doesn't lie.  Although it seems like we've had the best fall weather, the rain gauge says we are 3/4" over average in the last 14 days.  Given that, it's no surprise that many of the winter wet areas have resurfaced on several fairways.  The last several days have been dry so we're quickly trying address some of these spots before the rain returns.  Essentially, to correct the poor drainage in these areas, we're just removing the soil to a depth of about a foot and then replacing the bad soil with straight sand.  Somewhere in each of these areas we dig deep enough to hit that gold colored, sandy layer.   Anytime we get into that layer, we know the area will drain indefinitely.  Below is a before, and after picture of the projects on 4 approach and in front of five approach.

DRAIN ON 5 BEFORE SOD

DRAIN ON 5 AFTER SOD

DRAIN ON 4 BEFORE SOD

DRAIN ON 4 AFTER SOD

Below is a picture of 9 approach where we're working today.  Anyone familiar with the golf course knows how wet it can get in this area during the winter months.  We're also taking the opportunity to widen the opening to the ninth green since we are doing a lot of sod work here.  The right edge of the fairway cut will move closer to the bunker short of the green allowing well struck shots to release to the green and not get held up in the rough.

As you can see these projects are getting completed with new sod that blends in very well with the existing turf.  That's because we're using sod from the beginning of 12 fairway which is very old fine textured Poa annua turf like the rest of the course.  With the recent construction of the forward tees, it is clear that we do not need to mow the fairways as close to the teeing ground as we have in the past.  In fact the beginning of 12 fairway will look a lot better with a little more separation between the teeing ground and the beginning of the fairway.