Bunker Project Underway

McDonald & Sons golf course builders started work last week to complete the final phase of our greenside bunker renovation. Work commenced on the large bunker to the left of 12 green and by weeks end all four greenside bunkers on 12 and 13 had the old sand and drainage removed. Three of the four also had new drainage and the gravel layer installed. As you will recall from the past two years, the gravel layer will be sprayed with a polymer that binds the stone together creating a permanent barrier and drainage layer. We will notify you as to when this will be done because it is important to stay out of the bunkers for 24 hours to let it cure. Currently the plan is to apply the polymer in two phases, 12 - 15 when they are ready, then 16 - 18 upon completion.


The sand that was removed from the greenside bunkers is being added to some of our larger fairway bunkers. McDonald & Sons dumps the sand and our crew spreads and grades it. Although there is some contamination in the old sand, it will help in some of the fairway bunkers that are slow to drain or don't have enough sand depth. In the coming years we will be turning our attention to the fairway bunkers with our capital improvement plans.


Remember that all recently installed sand, whether it is new sand or old sand that has been re-used, will need some time to settle and firm up. Please enter and exit bunkers from the lower, flat side in order to not leave large foot prints. Even after the sand has settled, if you walk up a steep slope you will leave deep footprints. This is due to the angle rather than the depth of sand. All of the new bunkers are checked on a regular basis and maintained with a four inch depth. Occasionally, due to usage and maintenance, additional sand is needed in order to attain a four inch depth. Over the winter we added a couple of inches to some of the bunkers we renovated last year because there was less than four inches.

Excess soil being removed during demolition of old bunker.



Bunker floor being shaped after old sand and liner removal.

With dry weather this final phase of bunker work will take about four weeks to complete during which time the bunkers on 12 - 18 will be in various stages of construction. We will also be adding sand to and grading some of the fairway bunkers on 17 and 18. In order to keep making progress we will not be able to completely stop work for every group that plays through. Please pardon the disturbance while we complete this important course improvement.

Winter and Early Spring Update

It has been a mild winter and it looks like it's going to be a short one too. Warm temperatures last fall helped the course to recover from one of the hottest and driest summers on record. There are still some areas that need to fill in and the mild temperatures will help speed up that process. Spring has arrived early this year as well and we are seeing temperatures well above normal for this time of year. Although we will need to make adjustments to our plans to compensate it is a good thing to have more time to grow healthy turf before the heat of the summer gets here again.

Over the winter, the crew has been busy keeping the course playable for the mild days we have had while also finding time to complete some projects. Every winter, when the weather prohibits us from working out on the course, we bring in all of the course accessories and refurbish anything that we can. Yardage markers, cart signs, rope stakes, benches, bag stands, and trash cans all get sanded and a fresh coat of paint or stain applied.

When we can work outside and don't have course set up to do, we focus on cleaning up the native areas and the perimeters of the course. Over time, small trees and brush grow up along the edges of native areas and tree lines and they start to encroach on the course. This not only interferes with the playability of the course but shade, restricted air movement, and root competition also make for more difficult growing conditions for the turf. We have also been trimming areas where you have to carry native areas off the tee for a better view of the landing area such as on hole 8, 15, and 16. A lot of marsh and pond edges were trimmed this winter too for a cleaner, more maintained look.

Last but not least John Melson, our equipment manager, has been busy as usual taking care of the equipment when it's not being used as much. He spends a lot of time pressure washing, rebuilding, and sharpening in the winter as well as uses the down time to take care of some of the bigger repairs such as putting a new clutch in our older tractor.

Stay tuned to our new blog for regular updates as we move into the growing season. I plan on using this site to get a little more in depth information out to those who are curious as to what we do behind the scenes and why we do it. If you have any suggestions as to topics you would like more information about let us know. In the next couple of months we will have lots of topics to cover such as bunker renovation (starting this week), aeration, Audubon projects, and some very important spring fertilizer and plant protectant applications. See you out on the course!