Golf Course Maintenance Weekly - Day 4 Range Improvements 5/26/16

We pushed right to the end to complete all of the work we planned to complete during the driving range closure the past 4 days. Below are some final pictures of process and completion.

The contractor put their finishing touches on the right hand net installation last evening. This was the main project that necessitated the range closure in the first place. All of the other projects we worked on were ancillary to the main project of the net, but needed to be done and were easier to complete when the range was closed.

Reconfiguration of the irrigation proved to be the most taxing and time consuming.

Once we completed the grass tee irrigation diversion away from the mat pad we had to do the same to the backside of the pad.

We also needed to get the clean driving range mat re-installed but first we needed to install the drainage panels underneath the mat.

These drainage mats assembled pretty easily just with a slight downward kick with the bottom of a shoe.

Reinstalling the clean mats was much easier then removing the dirty waterlogged ones.

We just rolled them out with the help of Kevin and the Kubota Tractor.

First roll reinstall complete.

Second roll chasing or pushing the irrigation effort, depending on one's perspective.

Another item on our scope of work was adding a few rocks for zeroing in yardage with range finder devices. We had a few areas selected for us  so we just needed to find some boulders and plant them.

Planting rocks.

Completed Project Views

Again the right hand net to gather and catch errant range balls before they got out on #18 was the driving force of this project and 4 day closure. Here is a completed view in which the net can be barely seen in this picture which was what we were going for.

View of the left side with three extra range finding targets.

A view from an area that looked like a bomb went off just this morning as evidenced by a picture above. Keeping the artificial mat dry was something that needed to be done. It was allot of work. It won't keep all of the moisture off of the mats but at least irrigation is not triangulated directly over the mat any longer. 

The mat pad now has drainage panels beneath it and the concrete pad has drainage inlets installed as part of the pad. The cleaned mat on top of the  drainage pads feel different underfoot, softer almost like there is a carpet pad of sorts underneath. Likely there will be some settling as there was allot of dirt, algae and grunge in the fibers of this mat. Let's give it some time and then asses.

Thank you for your patience with the four day closure while we completed this project. We had hoped to do this in January or February and not inconvenience you in the prime golfing season but couldn't finagle the capital funds till now. Anyway it's done. I know the mats will be drier to hit off of especially in the morning. I know there will be less range balls out in #18 and when you are hunting for yours when you go left on #18 you will be safer than before the net was there.  You now have a few extra targets to aim at and we all will have a healthier and greener range because of the aerification and fertilizer. And I believe the irrigation and drainage infrastructure improvements will serve us well moving forward. Thanks again for you patience.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 5/25/16 - Day 3 Range Improvements

Day 3 of our 2016 Range Improvements brought completion to some of the items listed on our original scope of work.

Drainage Inlets that were installed day 2 were set in concrete today

Core aerification was completed on the entire range but while doing so we encountered a unexpected issue that required attention before going to the next step.

The issue was that the aerifying process dislodged and brought to the surface years of imbedded range balls that needed to be removed prior to breaking up the cores with the verticle mower.

We estimated over 1000 lost balls.

This is what an aerifyer can do to a golf ball.

With the balls removed we can now progress to chopping up the aerification cores with the verticle mower.

After that we can sweep up the debris.

We finished up all the tree pruning we could on Day 3 yet had to reallocate man power to other priorities so we could complete the entire job on time. We could probably do a week or more's worth of tree pruning on the range.

Reconfiguration of all of the irrigation around the synthetic mat concrete pad is proving to be a time consuming process. Here we are filling irrigation line ditches. There is allot of meticulous hand work involved when cutting irrigation lines in existing turf.

Below is the contractor putting the finishing touches on the net install.

We chose an option of using treated 2"X 12"base boards along the bottom of the net like the right hand side netting protect the netting of getting hung up and ripped with the ball picker.

Finished netting up the right hand side. This should gather the vast majority of balls that escape the range and get out into #18.

Day 4 will be our final push. We will finish the irrigation reconfiguration, install drainage panels on the concrete pad and reinstall the flushed  driving range mat. Additionally we will place some more yardage rocks so you can zero in more yardage targets on the range. One more day.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 5/24/16 - Day 2 Range Improvements

Progress continued on all items listed in our scope of work on Day 2 of our range improvements evidenced by the pictures below.

In the GCM yard Kevin and Larry continued to wash the driving range mats with high pressure and more importantly high volume water from the golf course irrigation system. It takes a harness attached to the mat to be SLOWLY pulled by a tractor to move the fibers in position for flushing.

We switched to  a larger pipe today making the process easier and slightly more efficient. It will take 2 guys 4 days to get these things clean.

Back at the range, Miguel jackhammers the concrete pad which he saw cut yesterday in preparation for drainage inlets to carry off  any irrigation or rain that might get under the driving range mat.

Drainage pipe exposed and ready for drain install.

Installed drainage inlet and pipe into existing drainage line.

Another task listed on the scope of work was getting golf course irrigation directed away from the artificial mat and pad which we have identified as a cause of premature mat deterioration. Our irrigation water comes out of the pond between holes #1 & #9 and not the cleanest as far as particulates. Moving  irrigation and maintaining coverage is something we are proficient at.

However it looks like a bomb went off when we are in the process of doing it.

On the left hand side of the range the contractor installs the posts for the net.

Out on the range we are aggressively core aerifying during the 4 day closure.

Aerification pattern.

We continued tree pruning as well on day 2. Below are the guys spreading the chipped material in the rock formation at the top of the range.

More progress will be made on day 3 as we wrap up drainage, irrigation, net installation, aerification and tree pruning. Thanks again for your patience.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 5/23/16 - Day 1 Range Improvements

We made good progress on day one of our planned driving range improvements. The improvements we are focusing on during the four days driving range closure are:

• 300' of netting up the LH side or range to catch balls from entering #18 FW.
• Improving the drainage of the synthetic "Tee Line" driving range mat.
• Redirecting irrigation patterns away from the synthetic "Tee Line" driving range mat.
• Clean the synthetic "Tee Line" driving range mat.
• Tree pruning.
• Core aerification and fertilizing
• Installing "Yardage Rocks"

Mondays Progress

First step was to remove the sections of dirty driving range mats and bring them to the maintenance yard.

 Once the mats were delivered to a sloped section of the maintenance yard, Kevin and Larry started a process of using golf course high pressure and volume water to flush all of the dirt and debris from the fibers of the mats. 

The process has proven to be painstakingly slow, however effective. 

The finished product felt better under foot as allot of dirt and grime have been washed out of the fibers. 

Looks allot better as well as compared to these rolls of dirty mats.

Now that the mats were removed and concrete pad exposed we can start installing some drainage in the pad to help remove inevitable moisture that will accumulate. 

Here is Miguel saw cutting the pad for drainage inlets that we plan to install that will remove water that accumulates under the mat.

On another front here is the contractor drilling holes for the installation of the poles to support the left side net. Poles will be 8' high and are installed 3-1/2' in the ground. 

All holes drilled without hitting any irrigation. Positive sign.

Enrique working on some tree trimming on the range. I suppose it is fairly obvious by our scope of work listed above that when there is an opportunity to close the  driving range you want to get as much done as you possibly can. Tree pruning is one of them.

My intention is to update every day during our progress this week so interested members can keep up with what is going on out there.  Thanks for your patience during the closure.