#15 Cart Path

Removing old cart path

If I asked anyone who plays at Bailey Ranch where the roughest piece of cart path was on the golf course, I'm sure #15 would be at the top of everyone's list.  It's no secret that the area at the bottom of the hill has been a problem for longer than I'd like to admit.  Several years ago, this portion of the cart path began to settle and asphalt was brought in as a temporary solution to smooth out the cart path.  This seemed like a logical solution at the time, but admittedly coming back to this project to fix it the right way was lost in the shuffle over the years with regarding project priorities.  Since there are fewer projects on the list, and with the growing season behind us, I decided last week to make this project a priority.

Last week, staff began the process of removing the old asphalt and concrete to make way for the new material.  Once the old cart path was out of our way, forms were installed and new gravel was added, then compacted.  Long pieces of re-bar steel were laid in a grid pattern on top of the gravel to give the new concrete additional strength and guard against cracking in the future.  On Thursday of last week, the new concrete was poured and left to cure over the weekend.  Today the staff removed the forms, back filled soil along each side of the path and laid fresh sod to complete the project.  

I couldn't be more proud of the work the staff put into this project.  Although this kind of project may be a little outside their normal scope of work, they all worked together and the finished product speaks for itself.      

New gravel base being compacted

Brushing the concrete provides traction

Finished product

More Drainage

Digging up box right of #6 green

This off-season, one of the major objectives for the grounds staff will be drainage work.  Over the past twenty years, much of the drainage infrastructure that was installed, has aged and is in need of repair.  The staff will not only be adding new drainage to certain areas around the course this winter, but adding, repairing and leveling existing drainage.

One of the projects that has been on my list for quite some time, has been raising drainage boxes in basins throughout the golf course.  The majority of these drain boxes have sunken so far down that they have made it difficult to mow without damaging the turf and/or mowing equipment.  As you can see in the picture above, each box must be dug up, raised up to grade, back filled, then topped with new sod.  Drain basins in green surrounds are our first priority.  Once these are complete, the staff will move on to the remaining basins.

Finished product left of #6 green

#6 Drainage Upgrade

New basin going in

Last week, our irrigation technician, Joe Miller, spent some time upgrading the drain basin on #6 fairway.  We've had trouble with the basin washing out and eroding over the years.  It was determined that the basin would need to be enlarged to handle the water that flows into the basin from the tee box and upper portion of the fairway.  Since this basin sits approximately half way down the hole, there is a fair amount of acreage that this basin must drain. The original drain basin, which is in the top of the picture to the right is a 12" square box that is designed for 4" drain pipe.  There is 6" drain pipe already in the ground, so all that water coming down hill had to squeeze through that smaller box and continue down hill.  It's no wonder this box failed.

Joe tore out the old box and built a custom 18" circular basin which will handle significantly more water.  We shouldn't have any more problems with water backing up and pooling in this basin.  Yesterday Joe dressed up the basin with new sod and put up some rope to keep people out of the area.

Finished product