2023 Drainage Update #6

Drainage work has been the topic of the winter on the golf course here at Granite Bay and for good reason. The historical rainfall average for our area is 24" per year, but in the last eighteen years we have only met or exceeded that average five times, including this year. The eighteen-year average is almost 19", so by both measurements the 2022 - 2023 rain season would be considered a "wet year".

Combine this with us basically working with a new golf course since our 2021 renovation & turf conversion, and it's easy to see that drainage work would become a priority. Additionally, if you consider the new sets of fairway bunkering on #12, which accentuated the "trough" topography of that hole, you can see why we have had to spend so much time on this hole alone. 

Below are more pictures highlighting the details from this week's progress on drainage, despite the weather.  Next week looks wet as well, but we hope to continue during a small window of opportunity late in the week by shifting gears from #12 to the chipping green where we have drainage issues to take care of as well. We will keep you appraised of our plans as the week and weather materializes.

The above chart shows actual rainfall data accumulated by GBGC's on site weather station. As you can see, we have only exceeded the regions historical average five times in eighteen years, got close to this average another two times, so seven out of the eighteen years we were near or over historical average. This does speak to averages in general but supports the notion of the new normal of drier winters, just not the one we are experiencing.

Wet conditions but clear skies allowed us to get started on the next section of drainage work on #12

We knew it was a bit risky to get started with the weather forecast we were looking at but took the risk and had to scramble to get gravel in the drainage ditches during a rainstorm.

Here is the drainage crew filling ditches in the rain on Wednesday. The crew finished up on Thursday ahead of rain that started in the afternoon right on schedule and contributed to overnight rainfall amounts of over 1.25".

Overhead view highlighting the lack of standing water in the area's that were addressed over the past two weeks after the 1.25"+ of rain on Thursday PM through early Friday AM. 

December picture of #12 during a rainstorm. The difference between then and now would be that when the rain stopped, our new drainage would remove the accumulated water quickly allowing the fairway to dry out more rapidly.

#12's drainage progress over mostly the month of February 2023. Over 1000' of drainage and still more to do at the beginning of the hole.

Liborio, Mauricio, Felipe under Enrique's leadership (L to R) are primarily responsible for this essential drainage work. 

Chipping Green Drainage

We need to do some drainage work on the chipping green as well, and next week could provide the opportune window to get this job done between storms. We will communicate through the Golf Shops morning e-mail if this window opens on Wednesday, and we decide to tackle it. The chipping area will have to be closed at a minimum while we are doing the work. More to come on this.