10.30.17

Chilly start to the week and potential wintry mix later could slow progress down just a bit but the guys from TDI have accomplished a ton over the last few days.

Today Kevin is back on site to give his guidance and input as we march down 15 and 16. The majority of the TDI crew is trying to catch up with laying sod while Jairo and Juan put the shape to everything. Last weekend they were able to finish a lot of the sod on 13, 14 & 10 and should have those three holes buttoned up by the end of the day tomorrow.

There has been a lot of green lifted on 16 in order to gain some depth to the drainage and get water moving away from the hole quicker. As they complete the grading they will replace the sod and start the work at the bunkers.

4K landscape has also been on site over he last 3 weeks working on the hill sides. You will notice them working around 5 tee and right of 5 fairway this week. Check out their hydro seeding and mulching process on 1, it looks pretty incredible.

Aerification has healed in very well. Greens are about 90% and will be slow to progress from here. We have returned back to normal mowing heights and will continue to roll to smooth the surfaces. In a few short weeks we will apply a protective spray and top dress greens to “put them to bed” for the remainder of the year.

10.26.17

Good Morning!

Fall weather is really here this week! We were reminded this morning that it’s nearly November with temperatures in the low 30’s and plenty of frost to cover all turf surfaces. Frost lifted rather quickly and we were able to open the course by 10:30. Please call in advance on cold fall mornings to find out if there is any frost delay.

The project is moving along quite well with work finishing on 10 and starting on 15. While we have hit the halfway point of dirt moving we are still finishing details on the first holes that were worked on. We estimate that the project is about a week behind due to additional tee work on 13 and 14 but TDI has increased their labor force and hopes to catch back up quickly.

Irrigation contractors have been keeping up with the process so all pipe to reinstall is caught up as well.

The new condo project on 14 is officially underway and they have started the clearing process for the building pads. These new condos will have an amazing view of the Back 9!

One of the last major projects is the seeding of the fescue areas. We are about 90% complete on all large flat areas and the hydro seeding is underway. The progress looks great and we are on track for a successful grow in.

With all of the projects underway we are constantly uncovering old secrets of the Columbus Country Club and should have a better understanding of the current infrastructure as the projects come to an end. We have found many old drains that should help dry the course out, unknown irrigation lines to help troubleshoot irrigation issues, unknown power lines that will certainly need to be addressed in the future. Without many great records or as-builts every day we uncover a new “ah-ha” moment.

Last but certainly not least… Aerification is healing in great! Greens are almost 100% recovered and fairways only a few days behind. We will start pushing greens back down to normal maintenance so that they can start the spring off right!

All for now. Hope to see you on the course soon!

Sincerely,

J.R. Lynn, GCS

10.14.17

We have completed the greens aerification process on the championship course as well as the par 3 and the forecast looks like weather will allow us to start on fairways and tees next week. The local toro dealer was very helpful in lending a specialty aerifier to help complete the process.

Greens will be slow and soft while they recover but we are trying to help speed the recovery process as much as possible. We have applied a small amount of fertilizer to help them heal and should be able to start mowing them again early next week. Even though there are aerification holes, please continue to repair your ballmarks as they will likely be more pronounced than usual.

TDI has completed rough shaping of #14 and is working on installing drainage in the bunkers. Juan has already moved the dozer to #10 and will begin rough shaping the green complex this morning. They should make pretty quick progress down #10, which will be one of the most improved holes on the course in my opinion. The new vista that has been created with the tree removal project is astonishing.

I just realized I failed to post some pretty cool drone shots that were taken a couple weeks back. A very special thank you to Oscar Giller who took some time out of his busy afternoon to stop by and get a few shots. He has agreed to stop back out to help document the project.

Enjoy the weekend!

– J.R. Lynn, GCS

10.10.17

Aerification is here! We are almost complete with the main processes on greens. We have punched the front 9, removed all plugs, spread sand, brushed in, spread gypsum and will eventually add a little fertilizer to aid in recovery. This along with the restoration project has been a very busy time and I apologize for not getting a blog out sooner. I will have some pictures to go along with this post that show our aerification process as well as the back nine restoration.

Recovery on greens should be fairly quick as we have been diligently filling all holes with sand. By topping off all aerification holes we will create a smoother surface from the start with less potential of traffic creating uneven and bumpy surfaces. This is very crucial to the success of the process and I appreciate your patience as we have battled the wet conditions to complete the process. In an ideal scenario, everything would be perfectly dry and the turn around time would be less than a day for 9 holes. We will make it through the majority this afternoon and should be able to allow play first thing tomorrow.

The back nine is also moving along quite well with contractors moving away from 11 and 12. They are now putting the finishing touches on 13 and starting to head up 14. I think that over the next two weeks we will see huge progress as we move out of the bottom corner. Rain has slowed the project down a little but the contractors were able to smooth out the sand in bunkers and finish sod in some areas. This has been the best group of contractors I have ever worked with, the entire group has come together and working towards the same goal!

Below is the start of the work on 14 green

The last update is in regards the the seeding completed in house and with the help of Matt Grimm. We have completed about 60% of the flat fescue areas and already seeing germination. We have also had great success with the primary rough…. below are a few pictures from the rough and fescue seeding.

Thank you for all of your support!

– J.R. Lynn, GCS