Frost and rain are back
35 degrees brought some decent frost on Wednesday morning. This was the first day we had really seen any frost form on the fairways, although it was light. The bermuda may finally start turning its winter color, despite the inch of rain Sunday and more rain today. With the winter solstice only 30 days away it is time to start limiting cart traffic where we can. Next week we will put out small posts in the fairways that will mark where to retreat back to the path. The geofence will be just behind the posts and will slow your cart if entered. Please try to spread your wear with the carts as the bermuda has already started its 6 month slumber. Beating up the same area over and over (like at the end of the post in the picture) only results in thin and/or dead turf in the spring.
On to the fun stuff. On 12 Sabot the drain basin where we wanted to connect our new french drain to turned out to be clogged. After some digging on Friday last week, we found the pipe went right under a junky black locust tree. The tree was removed and the clogged up pipe was pulled out.
The pipe had to of been installed before the tree started growing because it was directly under the stump and the tree was about 25 years old. This black mass is a circular 8" concentration of roots that were completly clogging the pipe. The roots found that water and just filled in over time.
Mario and Fortino rigged up a new piece of pipe and this whole system is flowing again. Putting a new piece of pipe in that costs about 5 times as much as the old pipe you are connecting it to makes you think a little.
The trencher was working on the other side of the path, cutting in a new french drain to help move the water that gets trapped by the cartpath into the now unclogged drain basin.
The right side was sodded back (now including the sand pit where we connected to the larger existing pipe) and the guys moved over to the other side of the path.
This drain runs all the way up to the fairway and connected to an existing pipe just in front of the green tee. The entrance to the fairway should now be more accessible and dry. We have a pretty sizeable drain line marked out for 2 Sabot fairway next week!
Back on the Manakin it is all hands on deck in the bunkers. 18 is all filled up and packed in thanks to the rain and the smooth tire tractor.
Although 11 is not far behind, 17 is our largest undertaking in a single hole for the Manakin. At just under 10,000 square feet we are looking at $50,000 worth of drainage materials and sand going in on this hole alone. All 5 bunkers were dug out this week and only the first fairway bunker on the right is awaiting drainage.
The smaller greenside bunker was just dug out by hand while the excavator worked on the larger traps.
The old drainage was all removed and replaced. About 50 tons of gravel has gone in so far on 17. Six trucks of concrete (54 yards) are set up for Monday which should be close to filling up all 5 bunkers. Tuesday the white sand will come out and one of our prettiest holes will be looking great just before it turns brown! Enjoy the cold rainy day today, it has been a while!