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.

Paramount Country Club-- A Restoration, Before and After

Its always a thrill to return to a project and see your finished work.  With new construction this can mean waiting an entire year for the grow-in process to be complete.  In the case of our restoration work at Paramount CC we have gone from 2011 to 1921 in a matter of days.

Paramount CC 7th, before restoration

 Two bunkers were deleted, one from the right and left.  The grassing lines were also adjusted to match the squared off edges of the green with the fairway.  A great look, straight from golf's golden age.

7th hole--in-progress

The transformation happened so quickly in part due to the decision to re-sod all of the disturbed areas instead of re-seeding.  By transplanting sod locally from the nursery and other rough areas out of play, we were able to achieve a finished look very quickly.  

After restoration

Some might ask why not have new sod delivered to the areas of disturbance and the answer lies in the photo illustration below.  Bringing in "new" sod  from off site often leads to a mismatch in color and a look that might take years to blend in.

This was found at a top 100 golf course located in Westchester County.   Clearly the sod surrounding this new sand trap was transplanted from another  location, not a good look.

West Palm Beach Golf Course

West Palm Beach Golf Course
A challenging 200+yard uphill tee shot, 9th hole

If Florida has the most golf courses of any state in the union (1200+) then Palm Beach has got to have the record by county.  Despite the endless amount of golf that can be played, many of the options are disappointingly similar.  Much of the dissapointment, especially in South Florida, comes from a somewhat standard “look” to the bunkers and maintained areas of the golf course.  

Sharp, clean bunker edges and manicured collars around the fairways and greens is a common style for golf courses of this region.  There has to be some extra cost associated with maintenance of the is caliber (Doral Blue).

The West Palm Beach Golf Course shows its true colors by highlighting a sandy wide open expanse for golf.  With an assist from Mark McCumber in 2009, the original Dick Wilson design was renovated by scraping away dozens of acres of maintained turf and overgrowth in the roughs.  Uncovered is a public golfing oasis tucked in-between the ocean, just 2 miles east and I-95, which runs adjacent to the front nine.  There is still a great natural setting despite the brief distraction of the highway (not every golf course is blessed with perfect location).  With constant ocean breezes that sweep across the entire layout there is always a challenge to negotiate.

Rough edges seemlessly blend with the surrounding landscape while sandy ground and scrubby plants dot the areas bewteen fairways.

For a $40 green fee one should certainly enjoy an afternoon here.  The experience was such a nice change of pace to what I have come to expect from Florida golf.  There is no water, no O.B., and hardly any bermuda rough!  West Palm Beach has got an inland links of its own, who knew?!