Bunkers Take Shape

With perfect construction weather this week and a combined effort from both Wadsworth Golf Construction and Skokie Country Club Grounds Operations Staff, the bunker project at #18 is taking shape at a rapid pace.
My last post showed where we had removed the sand from the old bunker and began to remove sod so that the new bunkers could begin to be shaped and molded into the new planned designs.
I also showed fill material being stockpiled to be shaped into what will be a the 'bony ridge' or mounded area on the west side (#18 tee side) of the new bunkers.

Original bunker ready for modifications to begin

With most of this work completed prior to this week, Wadsworth mobilized and began to shape the new dual bunker complex and build the support mounds or shoulders surrounding the bunkers. By Tuesday the bunker shapes were taking on their new shapes and by Thursday the shoulders were in place and very close to what will be final elevations and shapes. The 'bony ridge' was also beginning to be rough shaped.


Shoulder shaping of furthest bunker begins


Bunkers "roughed in" - getting closer to final shape


Hand cutting of bunker perimeter

Trenching and drain line installation


Rough shaping of material for 'bony ridge' begins


Much progress will happen today. While Wadsworth puts the finishing touches on the shoulder heights and shapes, hand cuts the perimeter edges of each bunker, trenches and installs drain lines in each bunker floor, and further shapes the 'bony ridge', we will be re-routing and installing irrigation, installing one new section of drainage near the 'bony ridge', and final smoothing and preparing the bunker shoulders for sod. Late morning we're expecting our first sod delivery and by the end of the day we should have a portion of the bunker surrounds sodded.
Looking forward to a good day!

While this is all in progress we have (at least) four other projects in the works including:

• Fairway expansion at #8 (the approach area near the "stacked" right green side bunkers).
• A drainage collapse at #11 (18" clay tile line, left side rough) where we've added additional tile in this area (desperately needed), and planning to add more, while we're making the repair.
• Repairing (sodding) some of the haul road area adjacent to the Forest Preserve west of hole #13. Much of this sod is the harvested sod from #18 bunker area.
  
• Removing brush along side the Grounds Operations Center/Paddle Complex entrance road, placing fill material and grading in preparation for additional Paddle parking stalls.

I'll blog about these projects, and more about the new bunker complex at #18 as soon as possible.