Progressing Through the Course

 LaBar has now moved to the 2nd tees to demo the mens tees in preparation of shaping the new 1st green.  Currently 11,16,17 and now 2 are under construction.  Play will still be allowed through this area until further notice.

Starting To Take Shape

 The new 16th hole is starting to take shape.  Green will be getting drainage and mix in the next two days and Andy will be in tomorrow to approve bunkers etc.  Once irrigation goes in, green and surrounds will be sodded and bunkers will be completed.  Hole is starting to look cool!

Don't Blink!

 

The much anticipated renovation has finally begun.  LaBar Golf Construction came in a week ago like gangbusters and have the new 16th green in place and ready to be finished in a matter of days.  Most of the finish work hinges on irrigation for the sod, so we will have our consultant come in and stake the new 16th hole this week.  In the meantime, LGI will shell the green, add drainage and finish the bunkers.  Once irrigation is operational, we will strip the existing 16th green and move it to the new green.  A lot of moving pieces as the project continues.  With perfect weather, you can expect LGI to move quickly through the course.

Getting Closer to the Renovation

 

We are only a few weeks away from the official start to the renovation.  We have been busy trying to knock a few projects out to ensure we get more work done out of our budget this fall.  Above you will see the view from the new white tee on the new number 9.  A lot of mounding had to be removed to construct the tees and open up the view of the soon to be new 9th fairway.  A much shorter walk from 8 tee and a strong finishing hole for sure. 

The second picture is the new fairway line that was painted out by Andy Staples two weeks ago.  We must start cutting the rough back and start topdressing, seeding and spraying out the undesirable grasses now while we have another month of great growing weather for seed.  It is our hope we get this fairway expansion to match the rest of the fairway by summer of 2026.  By scalping it saves us a significant amount of money vs sodding.

Stress Evident on the Course

 

With no significant rainfall in over 2 weeks, temperatures in the upper 90s and increased cart traffic on the course this year and the stress is evident everywhere.  We have always used less water in years past throughout the course to allow the course to play firmer, but this year our lack of irrigation accuracy has exposed our weaknesses.  Not to mention outings and outside events crammed on top of each other and the course already looks tired and we are just entering August.  In the pictures above you will see where carts funnel and regardless how we irrigate, the turf cannot tolerate it.  We also have these same stresses on fairways where carts enter and exit and around fairway bunkers, where traffic is funneled.  The only solution is to increase our water usage to "hide" these stresses, but this can jeopardize our Water Allocation Permit and more importantly our turf health and playability.  While we did get over a half inch of rain last night, the forecast called for 1-3" which would have been good for everything including filling our ponds.  We will be back at irrigating again in another day or so with lower temperatures and lower humidity on the horizon.  The new irrigation system will definitely help us next year with more accurate coverage and control capabilities.

Limit Disruption to Members

 

As you can see by the picture, this is the first time we are crossing the front of a fairway and once the trench is dug and existing pipes are hand dug, the pipe can then be installed.  We shut down the 8th tees at noon on Wednesday and will reopen by the afternoon today, disrupting about 24 hours of play.  The smaller pipe you see to the right of the trench will recirculate water from 13 pond up to 4 fairway, to give the ditch a more natural look as it runs through the 3rd and 4th holes.

Brutal Weather

 

It is bad enough we have had triple digit temperatures a few times now in the last 2 weeks, but during an outing when we need to quickly get water on greens makes it even more challenging.  Leaving greens on edge requires more men to be on them more often.  Keeping greens as dry as possible during this heat is actually better for the turf.  Over watering with high humidity and heat can lead to a slew of problems.  Unfortunately when we are busy, we often have to improvise and put 2 men on a green to get it done before the next groups are hitting in to the green.  The challenge with this job is to provide the best conditions no matter what the weather is with as little to no impact on the golfer experience.