Dear Columbine Members,
As you can see in the picture below…work on the GCMP has come to a halt. The contractor will have a small crew for the rest of the winter but for all intents and purposes the project is at a standstill. The weather hasn’t been very cooperative…. having three large snowstorms before Thanksgiving hasn’t been the ideal scenario.
Although the weather this fall hasn’t been the most conducive for a major project, a lot has been accomplished over the last 10 weeks. Since officially starting on September 9th, I would estimate the GCMP is over 60% completed. The following are some of the major accomplishments thus far:
·
8 holes (2-8) finished with only minor punch
list items remaining
·
115 trees and stumps removed (in the last year)
·
Another 5 holes (1,9,16,17, & 18) under
construction
·
31 new bunkers finished with another 25 bunkers
roughed in with all new drip irrigation surrounding each one
·
550 tons of new sand installed and compacted
·
Two entire greens stripped of sod, relocated,
and sod re-installed
·
10 of 10 new tees built with 5 being sodded
·
Hole #6 completely rebuilt
·
400 linear feet of irrigation main line moved along
with the replacement of over 60 sprinklers
·
Thousands of linear feet of new drainage pipe
along with 40 new drainage sumps
·
Over 250,000 square feet of new sod installed
As you can see, the contractor, architect, and grounds staff have been very busy. I would have liked to have had a few more weeks under our belt before winter set in, but this is what you can expect come spring. I estimate we need 8 more weeks to finish the project, with the punch list taking another 2 or 3 weeks after that.
The new greens on 6 & 10 along with the new sod on the fairways and approaches will need the month of May to really look, feel and start to play like the rest of the course. The sod planted in the fall and next spring will need to be rooted in before the desired heights of cut can be established and be maintained like the rest of the golf course. Please be patient as I push the playing surfaces as hard as I see fit and weather allows.
The bunkers on the other hand have already proven to be much more playable and consistent right away and shouldn’t be an issue. Although we will be adding additional sand throughout the spring, I don’t believe it will interfere with member enjoyment.
As you can see, this spring will be very busy but exciting as we finish up the GCMP. The grounds staff will be busy the rest of the winter as we have another 30 trees that are scheduled to be removed. Once spring does arrive, we will be back at. Let’s hope for a nice warm and early spring!
Lastly, I would like to thank the entire membership for the kind donations to the employee holiday fund. Handing out the checks to my staff always makes for my favorite day of the year. All the Grounds Department employees feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful and thoughtful membership. Again…thank you!!
If you have any questions or concerns about the project or next year please feel free to email me at hlynch@columbinecc.com or call me at 303-726-0811
Sincerely,
Hugh Lynch
Head Golf Course Superintendent
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