Eureka! We Have Sand!

9th Hole found in the sand.

With just my luck we actually have a huge ridge of sand that encompasses the entire length of the 9th hole.  600 yards long by 100 yards wide nothing but sand, from tee to green.  From this treasure trove we will top dress the fairways and greens and also use for the bunkers.  This parcel also presented the opportunity to create an alternate par-3 8th hole out of pure sand.  Cool!  Here is a picture of the work in progress.

Alternate 8th hole green site

After stripping the native sod, I excavated the bunkers that surround the left and right sides to build up the green pad. Currently, the green is 125 yards from the back tee and slopes 1% from back to front with no movement from side to side.  I've let this sit for a couple of days as I am moving on to more pressing bunker work and contemplating my options to blend the green into the surrounding landscape.

Check out a related blog post back in November when I visited St. George's Golf Course in Long Island

Does Form=Function?

Clay Dough

Nothing makes me miss the sandy links of Bandon, Oregon more than 150 acres of solid Uruguayan clay.  Its dense and solid as a rock and probably better suited for pottery than building a golf course.  I am always looking for a silver lining and I have found that there is a nice sculptural quality to the medium but it can be nearly unworkable without the proper conditions.  A little bit of moisture can be your best friend while carving into a hillside.  Too much water and you might be looking at a 2 day rain delay while you drain the water out of your bunker which is swimming with frogs and mosquitos!  There is a '0' rate of percolation through a well packed bunker floor and may as well be a lake waiting to happen.  I've now learned the hard way to dig temporary outlets in all of my bunkers prior to finishing, in case of a heavy deluge.    I don't have any pictures as it has been just too painful to look at.  Instead check out some more bunker work in progress...

Bunker complex left of 2nd green.  Front right trap was deleted to improve visibilty and redirect water .

At 275 yards the par 4 8th is driveable.  A centerline bunker now lurks just in front of the ideal landing area which will kick your ball towards the putting surface.