Sand Valley Golf; Design and Construction Blog: The center of the operation: Da Voiteknik 8600

Short Project History; The Good and Bad

This blog reveals a snippet of the daily challenge of building a special golf course. The only value in something like this for future investors and golf architecture aficionados is to tell the truth; warts and all.

Before arriving at Sand Valley the project was being constructed according to the "detailed plans" of another golf architect using a "golf course construction company" that had built a number of courses. They broke ground in June 2006. After 10-months the builder had proceeded to rape 14-holes and was fired.

I have been brought in to fix the problem, using locals to build the course. In the process all plans except the general routing scheme have been abandoned. The current course is being designed in the field, seizing every opportunity to improve the course as we go. That's the value of time. You can see the project from all angles, in all conditions, you have time to think about the problems and come up with the best solutions, and then refine them with the guys doing the building... in real-time. This is how many of the great courses were constructed. It only makes sense. More time, more input, more communication produces the best possible result.

That's why Sand Valley, though it had a rough start (using the "Typical Method") should have a fantastic finish.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The center of the operation: Da Voiteknik 8600

Some projects have bits that become iconic to those building it; people, machines, moments. We've had all three at Sand Valley, with Da Voiteknik 8600 the butt of many jokes.

We needed a trailer to haul this and that from the site. The typical stuff; wood, branches, debris, smaller quantities of construction materials, so at the time our general manager thought he found us a real deal. We could have this thing for free! One hitch... we had to send it to the local shop to get fixed. I guess he didn't ask the price, and they saw a city slicker ready for a real bargain. When we finally got the trailer to the site (after a long delay) we learned we could have bought two almost new trailers for the same price!!!

The name honors the tough negotiator, and the number reflects the price.

It's our mechanized icon.

Da Voiteknik 8600 (center... of attention) was worth the price, just in jokes.

It works! Except the adaptor to connect the hydraulics the fixer-uppers put on wasn't compatible with our tractor.

Tony Ristola

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Short Project History; The Good and Bad

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The center of the operation: Da Voiteknik 8600