Replacement Dozer

A few days ago our CAT D6N XL committed suicide. Well, the starter did. I was shaping the 13th green (omen?), turned off the machine to speak with Kai, turned it back on 30 minutes later, pushed off some piles of dirt on my way to the base, parked it... and all was fine.

In the morning the engine wouldn't turn over. Looked inside to find the starter caught fire. bIZZArO.

Today we got a replacement, another D6N XL.

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

Getting the Driving Range ready

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This is one big clay monster. Get it wet and you don't want to go near it. Chechek is out on the grader smoothing the beast out. Next comes irrigation for the target greens, compacting the trenches and cleaning up these areas one more time. Then we'll cap it with topsoil, and Chechek can do his magic again.

Have to say it looks good.

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

Ringing Tees 2

These tees will be buffered by sand on 2 to 4 sides. Tex is out there with his excavator doing the work. Like everything this will be the first salvo... we'll go back and refine them after the rootzone is in the tees.

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

Before and after Greensite 6

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This greensite is along the river.

The previous builder stockpiled clay for the greensite. Because it was poorly stockpiled it held water and certain parts of the piles just oozed when moved. The old greensite material was converted into a mound.

Initially we planned to create a version of an old dyke wall left of the green, but this changed as we had mountains of organic material from stripping the fairway before sand was to be driven in. The piles we converted to mounds; not the round, dome shaped mounds you often see. Instead I pushed, slashed and squeezed the material, and then had guys hand rake them. Now we're trying to make believe that these are river dunes. Having worked on a river project with such dunes in the adjacent property, I think ours turned out pretty good.

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

Cleaning up around 18 Green

The previous construction company built the 18th green from topsoil, so we, like on all other areas where they'd started something, went in and cleaned up their mess. First we stripped out the existing greensite, which was too high, had lumpy mounds tied into it, blocked the view of putting surface and the holes in the valley below.

To the right of the original green was a large boxy cut for a bunker. We've cleaned this up and are going to use this former bunker as the area for the greensite. Chechek is out there cleaning up the area, piling up the crappy material.

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

Summary of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of May

Couldn't have had a more perfect timing for the guys to have a long weekend.
It rained, and today it's clearing, warm and drying.

The non-socialists even got a couple days off due to rain.

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

sOCIALIST hOLIDAYz

It's May 1; a socialist holiday.

I'd told the workers that I'm surprised the government still honors this day from Communist times. I'd have eliminated it, and perhaps replaced it with Independence Day.

Not being a socialist, I was out there working.

The crew has today off, and on the 3rd it's Constitution Day. They're having a nice looooooooooong weekend.

Enjoy guys :)

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