A Quick Fairway Expansion

As part of the Master Restoration Plan of year 2000, one of the original goals was to bring fairway turf closer to many of the bunkers to, "make them more integral with the fairway", as well as where appropriate, provide fairway behind bunkers, where a carried shot challenging a bunker, would be rewarded with additional roll.

This fairway expansion work (beyond larger re-contour expansions during the implementation of the Master Restoration), as you will probably recall, has been recently done in locations on fairways #3, #4, #7 and now this week on #8.

The former bunker on the right side approach of #8 green was a large, long, parallel bunker. The restored hazard became two bunkers which were turned more perpendicular, "stacked", (one above the other), to make up the elevation rise, and brought much closer to the putting surface. This left a rather large area of rough which was a perfect location for fairway expansion to "make them more integral to the fairway" as well as to visually enhance this area.

So this week, with weather still cooperating, and both sod (some from repositioning of fairway and rough in this area, some from #18 project) and cores available, (#8 is our last fairway to core aerate) we addressed this expansion.

Fairway removed in foreground (was under Oak Tree) -
Expansion area prepared for sod & cores

Fairway sod repositioned to area closest to bunkers


Harvesting cores-soon to be the new fairway


Cores spread and leveled - Seeding and Rolling will follow

Completed project with intermediate rough repositioned
in foreground (slightly darker green), and new expansion
area closest to bunker

There are several other areas throughout the course where we will eventually implement this same fairway expansion work, both on the leading side, as well as the sloped, back side of bunkers. I'll keep you posted!