Hole 4 Renovation

A major step forward in the bunker renovation has taken place over this past winter and into the spring. After several meetings and site visits by renowned Canadian architect Ian Andrew as well as many discussions amongst the Greens Committee, a Master Plan was created that has gone through the entire golf course hole by hole, offering a new set of hazards, replacing the bunkers on the course that are in need of an upgrade with many bunkers needing reshaping and new contours, and the aggregate composition within containing contaminated sand after many years of silt runoff and compromised drainage systems from years of freeze/thaw cycles disrupting the constructed grading to efficiently disperse water away from the bunkers after heavy rain events. The design of the bunkers is brought into question as well with a sizable portion of the square footage being of a disproportionate aesthetic value over playability and certainly maintenance. The new bunkers, as seen by the renovations already completed on 5 and 10 do not have high flashing faces as seen in many of our current traps. By bringing the grass down the face we are able to mitigate the issues brought on by washouts and silt contamination. Less labor spent on bunkers after rain and a longer lifespan of a bunker that is able to stay free of undesired material, be it silt or stone. 

The work on the fourth hole began last year with a phase of tree removal to the left side of the fairway. The grouping of trees has grown unmaintained over decades and had been casting increasing amounts of shade to the green which has at least contributed to, if not been a primary cause of turf decline coming out of winter. With an overabundance of obstructions causing shade during the growing season, the turf has had many less hours of crucial morning sunlight. The cumulative effect over time is that the turf is incrementally less healthy and performs more poorly as a putting surface. Shallower roots make surviving harsh summers more difficult. Less photosynthesis means thinner turf that is more susceptible to disease and less resilient to excessive foot traffic. This escalation of stress also favors more poa annua infiltration as opposed to a stronger bentgrass population. There can be detrimental effects of shade over the winter as well: With shorter days and the sun rising at a lower angle, there is even less sunlight reaching the green thorough the day. Winters with high amounts of snow and ice take much longer to melt as spring gets closer. The greater duration of time under ice leads to a greater chance of damaged turf. We have taken a considerable step in the direction of prioritizing turf health by completing this work.

After the tree removal there was considerable work in remediation with the amount of lumber and tree stumps. Our crew made good progress in the fall cleaning up the downed tree and brush. Turf Masters finished the cleanup by grubbing the large stumps that our rented mini excavator could not move. They made quick work of the cleanup and began stripping the sod away in preparation of the cut and fill that took place. The idea is to cut down the mounding left of the fairway, bring it to fairway grade and extend the fairway to the left all the way to the green, filling in the greenside bunker.

The bunker, which was slated for removal in the master plan, was one of the more frustrating traps on the course. The biggest issue being that the drain line had heaved to the surface several times over the years and while we have dug out the tile and reset it to grade, the stone aggregate the tile is buried in has worked its way through the sand and was contaminating the bunker sand with rocks, which is obviously not the desired state from a maintenance standard and certainly not desired from a playing standard.

While there is certainly a place for the aesthetic value a sand bunker can create, ramifications in the form of misappropriated labour resources inevitably takes away from opportunities to work on other tasks or areas of the golf course. The area will now serve as a bail out from approach shots to the green.

A new greenside bunker will be constructed on the front right side of the green. This will turn out to be surprisingly enough a welcomed result for some as wayward approach shots that miss right tended to bounce hard away from the green under firm conditions.

Construction of new greenside bunker. April 4th

An additional portion of the renovation to mention was to work the wooded area on the right perimeter of the hole. While the work on the left side dealt with sunlight issues, we needed to address another key element that determines turf health, which is airflow. Undergrowth of trees and bushes have crowded this portion of the course. We identified the healthy and desired trees that should be preserved while selecting trees and bushes that inhibit airflow, encroach and steal water and nutrients from their surroundings for removal. Turf Masters was brought in for the completion of this job. The result will be improved airflow to the fourth hole as prevailing winds in the summer typically come from the south/southwest. The area will have improved aesthetics as the to the 5^th hole and Fish Lake will be improved. The result will have similar features to the work we did between 1 and 6 green a couple of years ago that was well received by everyone. Drainage in the right rough should be improved as water will pass quicker through the area, improving playability as the rough was frequently saturated, making mowing and playing much more difficult.

Stay tuned for an update on turf health as we remove the tarps and start preparing the course for play!