Finishing the fairway on 15

The start of shaping of the first 100 meters of the 15th fairway was interrupted by snow and rain a coupe weeks ago; or it feels that long ago. Today, we managed to get all the fairway contours shaped so the irrigation team can come in and do their thing.

Once they are done we will go in and finish the bunkers.


Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Big Fairway Feature on Nr. 11

Today was spent pushing in material for the large fairway roll on 11. It’s not going to catch drives, or make them bounce left or right. It will make the approaches of longer hitter who chooses to play wide of the fairway bunker and towards the flatter section of fairway more interesting; blind.

The roll ties into the strong contours in the near vicinity.


Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Shareholder Walk Through

A group of shareholders walked through the project today, and they’d have seen a fair bit of work in varying stages. Areas completed except for rootzone on the tees and greens, to areas still waiting for work to commence.

The heavy lifting is pretty much done. No more need for massive cuts and fills. Now it’s a ton of small projects that have to be completed with care.

Joining our crew is Tex... a guy with 30 years construction experience. He’s worked in Germany most of that time, was hired by US golf course construction companies. Here his Number 1 responsibility will be to ensure the rootzone on the greens follows the contours shaped in the subgrade. These greens are rolling, so it’s going to be a challenge… but Tex (because he looks like your stereotypical cowboy) is more than up for the job.

INSERT PHOTO

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

First Stork Sighting

The big Black, white and red beaked birds are back, indicating spring is here indeed.

A great sight… I remember their circling the golf course in September getting ready for their trip to the South… now they’re back to feed on all the frogs coming out to get some warmth.

We will be erecting areas that allow the storks to build nests; that combined with our habitat should ensure regular sightings of these beautiful birds.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Again?

We had a light dusting of snow and by late morning it was gone, and the ground was surprisingly dry.

Everybody was doing their thing… trees being cut, irrigation being installed, trenches being backfilled, fairways section being grubbed.

Spring was here about 2 weeks ago, and the forecast says it’s on its way again…

…Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!


Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

U-S-A… U-S-A!!! (USA 3- Polski System 0)

Oh! What a Night!
International Football (Soccer) Match! USA 3 – Poland 0

A good day on site followed by an even better evening.

Jin Ling had invited me out with some of the guys on the crew to watch the Poland - USA soccer match played in Poland. I asked if he really wanted me there when the US team gave the Polish side a lesson? Of course he laughed, and a side bet was made.

It was a very embarrassing evening for the guys as they had to listen to one enthusiastic US supporter shout U-S-A… U-S-A!!! before the game, after the game and after each goal. At least 3 times too many for their liking. Fun was had by all (especially the US supporter). Maybe next time guys… :) Then again... maybe not! :)

Five beers!

















Tomek shows "the agony of defeat".


















"The Mechanic".


















Kamyl... aka Jin Ling.


Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

The very last bit of shaping on holes 6 & 7…

These holes have been long done, but a couple of drainage points required a little strengthening, so today things have dried out enough to get the last bit of rolling fairway into place.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

2008-03-19 : We interrupt this work schedule with a little snow

… and then Easter.

The weather was really good in the last days, and then England, Germany and north of us got a freak blast of winter. White stuff and all.

Then came winter.

So… there is no work to report during the six days.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Irrigation Team, Rounding the corner on 15

The irrigation crew has rounded the corner of the 15th fairway.
We have three rows of heads spaced about 20 meters apart, and the guys have worked over half the hole. Working from the green back to the tees, they’ve rounded the corner of the dogleg and are on their way to finish the last 120 meters of fairway on this long par-5.

But to finish the hole someone has to finish shaping the bunkers and contours at the start of the fairway.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

What We Have here is Failure to Execute…

Some people just don’t want to work, and then they get fired.
How many chances can you give someone who takes two days to do a two hour job?

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon… Not

It’s windy and cool, so this one is a day to do some writing...preparation for the book about this project.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Another Black Saturday

Yesterday guys were told to stick around and wait out the morning shower. It was forecasted to last an hour, and it lasted an hour. Some guys just don’t listen and left for the day; with consequences.

In the end less than half the guys working in the field showed for work.

The work is tough enough as it is. I don’t need a situation where half the guys are carrying the water for the entire team, and making life miserable for them. If that’s the case, we will find new, supportive team members, and the loafers can take a hike.

Monday they will be reminded this isn’t a project run by the former Communist Polish Government where they pretend to work, and can do as they please.

It came as a shock, but I showed some guys an email I sent my brother on June 6 of last year. It went as follows:

Hi,

Usually my job entails helping guys understand their work. A challenge when you don't know a word of their language... or only a few. Of course profanity comes first. What is really amazing is I have to play babysitter to make sure a number of these clowns do any work at all. I've got one guy though that doesn't understand a word but is a real pro. Hard worker, wants to know his job, and we get along great. He rarely smiled when I met him, but I keep giving him the thumbs up... we've got our own sign language working. Could use 20 of him.

Jeezus...I must be getting old. :)

Compacting and Floating Part II

Were about half way through compacting the trenches and sprinkler heads on holes 6 & 7, and the compacting revealed areas that would have sunk; not many but in our case one instance is one too many. Fixing these areas after the grass has grown is a nightmare.

Now that they’re compacted, and smoothed out by floating (a wood box dragged behind the Smithco (Ferrari) sand pro) the surface looks perfect, and should remain so.

If the lines sink, you have to fill the sunken ground, compact it and seed it. In some cases you have to remove the turf before filling. Then there is the problem with mowing. As the grass is establishing, you don’t want to run over it with a mower…killing it, so you’re dancing around these areas. Doing the job correctly the first time save tons of head aches.


Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Happy Birthday Tomek!

We’ve had nightly rains of the heavier kind, but there are a lot of odd jobs to do, and now is the time to get them done.

Today we began grubbing the 2nd fairway the old fashioned way (as explained in the March 4th thread). On fairway 2 we cut a swath of about 70 meters by 40 meters to make way for the start of the fairway. Now all the organic garbage has to be taken out of the ground.















Monk Tomek at the helm of the Volvo 210.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

It’s been raining…

…but there is still a lot to do. Tadek took our Smithco (Ferrari) sand pro and pushed piles up around the sprinkler heads for Janosh to compact.

The lines and areas around the heads were compacted with the mini-excavator. I don’t trust they were properly done, so tomorrow Janosh will begin the insurance policy of compacting all the lines and around all the sprinkler heads. We can work here because it’s sand; if it were any other material, it wouldn’t be possible.

Sometimes rain is a blessing. In this case it gave us the time and opportunity to correct less than perfect work. And the water with the sand will ensure the lines won't collapse.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Expanding the waste area on 11

The ladies will have to carry the ball another 15 meters, making their tee shot a 40 meter carry over a low sandy waste.

In making this sacrifice for the aesthetics of the course, on this short par-5 for women (a long par-4 for men), they also saved us the installation of a couple sprinkler heads.

Thank you. :)

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Walking, Photographing and making notes

There wasn’t anything new going on, the guys continued with familiar projects, it was too wet to get the bulldozer out, so I walked, photographed and took notes of things that need to be done.

From the photos I made some 360 panaoramics. They will be posted in future blogs and compared with those taken early last April.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

A picture or three is worth 1,000 words

And can save as many head aches.

I went golfing today, took my camera with me and shot photos of construction mistakes.

Specifically about poor drainage and irrigation work so the guys can see what sunken lines and sprinkler heads can do to ruin the aesthetics of a golf course.

Pass the aspirin :)


































The lines were not properly compacted, have sunken and are clearly visible. We won't be making such errors at Sand Valley. Right guys?

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

The Crew had the day off… and enter a new nickname

Making it the last normal weekend for a long time to come (aside from state holidays).

But there was some activity, and Bacon, after stopping a couple potential thieves just earned himself a new nickname; Rambo.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Vandalism

It happens. Golf courses are large expanses of property, and you can’t protect it all.

We had some moron go out and damage our irrigation system. Nothing serious, just irritating as it will take a few hours to repair.

Now we have hired a security force, and the guy looks like The Terminator’s big brother.

I wouldn’t want to mess with him or his buddies. He looks like he enjoys catching vandals.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

15 Green gets one last alteration

Ahhh... the beauty of having the luxury of time to look things over.

Before the irrigation guys get here, I has a couple truckloads of sand brought in to elevate the front left of the 15th green. After a few hours with the dozer (15 minutes of dozer work) and sand pro it looks even better. But the idea wasn’t just about looks, I wanted it to shed surface water faster.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Back in the Triangle

Between 15 and 16 is a sandy waste to be covered in beach grasses and thin fescues.

The bunkers for 16 have been cut for a while, but those to the east have gone through a couple versions, with the third and looks like final version currently completed.

These will make a good view from the clubhouse, help connect the bunkers on 7 and 15 green, and all the bunkers coming to 10, around 8 and 11 tees, 12 and 14. It also gives us a connecting point for the bunkers on 2 and 4.

INSERT PHOTO

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Grub a Dub Dub

Grubbing is removing root-like material from the subsoil.

We planned to grub the 9th green with a separator bucket (where you scoop up the material and the debris is separated from the soils), but the machine with the necessary hydraulic connections is coming later, so we will do it the old fashioned way. One bucket at a time with one or two guys picking out the organic debris by hand as the machine operator jiggles the bucket, revealing the stuff we don’t want.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

The Irritation Team on Fairway 16

Jin Ling doing his best imitation of Albert Einstein and Martin (Thumbs up).

Jin Ling, Mr. Happy, and Martin are starting irrigation on the 16th fairway.

The general procedure is to:

1.Cut the trenches using our 5-ton mini excavator.
2.Lay the pipe and cable.
3.Cut the pipe and make the connections for the sprinkler heads.
4.Wrap the cable around the swing joint where the sprinkler will be attached in the future.
5.Tape the swing joint to the marking stake.
6.Compact the trench using a compactor. First compacting the subgrade material, and then the topsoil layer. This compacting is done to ensure we don’t have the trenches settle, making ugly ruts through the finished fairway.

Then there are pressure tests to do once the pump station is in operation… flushing out the lines and then attaching sprinkler heads.

It’s why these guys are called The Irritation Team. You have a golf course all shaped, drainage in, and these guys come and rip everything up, sometimes flood your fairways during “flushing out” have to go back, dig up fairways to repair leaks…

...OH! The irritation :) ... Team.












A view of the 7th with irrigation lines installed.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Kai on 14

14 is the most natural hole on the course. It’s textbook. You have a tee then a valley and the green on the other side. To the left is ample room covered in native beach grasses. Simply a beautiful setting.

This par-3 is a mid-long iron depending on the wind, the green will slope right to left at the back, left to right for the front portion, and generally back to front... I think, it hasn’t been shaped yet.

There will be a bunker, or I should say there is a bunker eating into the front half, 2/3rds of the green. Kai was busy today carving out the greenside section. It will be a couple meters deep, and tie into the beach grasses that run the length of the river. It will extend back towards the tee, but that will come later.

Did I forgot to say there is a river left of the green? There is, and along with the bunker it will come into play with the back left hole location.

Bunkers to the right of the green are being thought through. The quarry is close at hand, and I’ve been thinking it should meander close to the green. Only time will tell.

Enjoy.

INSERT SKETCH

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Today it rained

That’s a famous line from some movie or book, but I can’t remember which. Well, today it rained and everyone went home at 10:00.

Office work beckoned.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080