4 months later.......

Well, that went fast!!

Now that the golf course has closed for the season, its time to look back on what we were able to accomplish this year. This season was extremely busy at Wirth,  as I've demonstrated here by being a little slow with the updates, my apologies. The task of maintaining a golf course is not as simple as one may assume, along with new construction and multiple other projects on site, these updates became a lower priority. So, this post will be a large update to show the progress we made this year!

Overall the construction went very well. Duininck was able to complete construction on schedule, which allowed ample time to begin the grow-in process. At that point we were gifted with ideal weather and the new turf areas were given a great starting point. As you will see below, these areas look great for the short time period they had to begin growth. With that being said, these areas will NOT be ready for play when the golf course reopens in the spring! Appearances are deceiving, although they look green and healthy, they would not be able to tolerate the wear and tear of daily play. We need to allow the turf to develop a strong root structure so it can withstand the effects of golfers. This will take time, once we warm up in the spring it will be a few months before that root system has developed to the point that it can handle daily golf. This of course is also dependent on the weather. We need a good winter and spring with proper growing conditions to continue the grow-in process. If everything goes well, we hope to be able to open the new holes mid-summer. Again, with that being said, there is no definitive date for opening and timing of that can not be addressed until next summer.

Now that I have my disclaimer out of the way, lets start with the new holes at Theodore Wirth!

Par 3 Course- Hole #1
The new first hole at the Par 3 Course was the first one to be completed. During the late stages of construction we did have several significant rain events that caused some minor issues, some with construction and others with unaware users, flooding and cart track damage respectively.

Above: This green was seeded on Friday August 25th, this picture is the next Wednesday the 30th! That was a remarkable start for our first seeded green to be sprouting already.

Above: This is September 6th, about a week after seeding the rough area. 

Below: Same day. Notice the progress of the green seeding in just another week. The area around the green was sodded to prevent erosion onto the green surface in case of significant rain events

Below: September 26th, The entire hole has established to the point where we could regularly mow. The tees and greens were mowed with a walking greens mowers, while the sodded areas were done with a regular lawn mower. The sod in this area was mowed one final time with a larger machine at the end of the season, otherwise everything was done with walking mowers.

Championship Course- Hole #11

To make room for the new #12 tee box, the 11th hole green complex needed to be moved. The green was moved roughly 20 yards to the right, the bunker was relocated to the left side and the approach was shifted slightly right.

Above: July 27th, drainage has been installed in the green and shaping of the approach is underway.

Below: August 17th, Sod has begun to be laid. This morning saw us get some rain, so Duininck's crew is re-leveling the front of the green and cleaning up some mud that washed onto the sod.

 Above: August 24th, Sodding has been completed and final preparations are being made for seeding of the green and fairway. Seeding of the green was completed August 31st.

Below: September 29th! One month after seeding this green has established very well. At this point, we were mowing the green and collar several times a week.

Championship Course- Hole #12

The new 12th hole is a short par 3. This was actually a golf hole in the past, so its fun that this area has been restored to be a playable golf hole again. The green is surrounded by three bunkers, one in front, one on the right, and one behind to catch balls that go over, hopefully before they head down the steep rear hill. 

Above: July 24th, The green and the surrounds are shaped in for the first time. 

Below: August 21st, The tee surrounds have been sodded. In the foreground, you can see that the fairway and rough areas have significant shaping left to be done.

Above: September 8th, The green was seeded on August 31st, so after a week you can begin to see some of the seedlings coming up. 

Below: September 26th, The tees have grown in well and even the rough has begun to grow. The rough areas were more challenging, they do not have irrigation, so watering was done manually. Also, the peaks on these mounds have a tendency to be much drier areas. The progress of the rough seeding was beyond our expectations by the end of the season. 

Below: September 26th, The green here has also established well. One unique issue with this one was the deer traffic. Many deer are in this area and they happened to wander across the green several times leaving indentations in our new green. We began topdressing all new greens with sand to begin leveling out the surface and firming up the soil structure.

Championship Course- Hole #18

The new 18th hole may become our next signature hole! This hole will be a challenging, but fun short par 4. The pro tip for this one is, hit it straight! This was the last hole to be completed, the green was seeded September 6th. This green also saw some deer damage, which was significant enough to warrant additionally seeding. Also, a few weeks after this green was finished, we began rolling the greens in addition to topdressing, again trying to level and firm up the surface.

(Note: These photos are not in chronological order like the rest, but by area)

 Tees

 Above: August 1st, the 18th tee box has been staked out and rouged in. This was the first step in the tee construction process.

Below: September 1st, one month later, this is the result. Sodding has been completed and the tee surfaces have been seeded.

Below: September 26th, Another month and the seed has fully sprouted. The thin stripes on the tee surface are from the walking mowers I mentioned before. These mowers have a single cutting blade, where our riding mowers have three. These units are lighter and safer to use on the weak seedlings, there is less likelihood of turf damage from a walking machine versus a riding mower.  

Fairways

Above: September 12th, the 18th fairway and rough seed have begun to grow. If you look closely, you can see the green is also turning green .

Below: September 22nd, ten days later and it almost looks playable. (Note: IT'S NOT) 

Greens

Above: August 16th, The green surround has been shaped and graded, the only green side bunker on this hole has been sodded.

Below: September 15th, roughly 10 days after seeding, this green was showing some healthy growth. The stakes you may notice around the greens were intended to deter deer. They had a silver pie plate and metal tines. The pie plates were supposed to shine and shimmer to scare them away in the day, while the metal tines were meant to be wind chimes, to make noise when the plates weren't shimmering at night. We did see a reduction in deer traffic after installation but not completely. Admittedly, these were probably better in theory than in practice.  

 Below: September 26th, this photo was taken just before the first fairway mowing. (See below for just after a mowing) Now its really starting to look like a golf hole. The green continues a strong grow-in and the fairway really took off. 

I cant finish without sharing a bad photo also: Below you will see what happens when someone doesn't appreciate the efforts that have been made. This happened within the first two weeks of seeding the 18th fairway. It was muddy and wet, they got stuck in the bottom left. With this area being so young, the seed was lost in this area and no grass established in the tire ruts. Our grounds team has repaired this as best we could at the time and will do additional work in the spring. I share this to remind people that we put in this effort for our patrons and ask that everyone follows the posted rules and signs. We want these areas to be ready for play as soon as they are able, it would be unfortunate if that was delayed due to one parties disregard. 

I also cant end on that sour note, so here's one more nice shot of the new 18th hole!

Thank you to all our patrons who were respectful and patient of this process and we look forward to seeing everyone on the course next season. If all goes well this winter and spring, we will open these new holes sometime next summer for everyone's enjoyment. We are excited for people to come rediscover Theodore Wirth Golf Course!

Wirth Renovation Update

This morning saw the golf course get 2.1" of rain! This was much needed but a little more than we desired for the golf course and construction plans. However, the last few weeks have seen great progress with the project. The bunkers are almost complete. All the sod has been laid and only one bunker remains to be filled with sand. While this sod establishes, please follow the posted signs and remove your ball from the sodded areas with a free drop, the sod is unstable while the roots develop. Balls that land in the bunker may be played from there. Please enter sodded areas through openings in the rope lines.

 Above: 9th hole bunker final grade and drainage installed

Above: Future hole #16 (Temporary 18), fully sodded

 Below: Duininck crew filling #9 left side with sand

Shaping and grading of the new 12th hole and 11th green complex are currently underway. The Par 3 course hole #1 is close to being seeded, with that occurring hopefully in the next few weeks. Irrigation has nearly been completed on the new 18th hole and is fully complete on the new Par 3 course hole #1. 

Above: #18 green at sub-grade

Below: Par 3 course #1 green getting topsoil

Below: Irrigation section installed on Par 3 course #1

As these areas reach completion, it is essential that they remain off limits. These new areas will take time to establish and any early activity will negatively impact the end results. Please enjoy watching these holes take shape from afar, let them grow properly, and sometime next season we will have exciting and healthy new holes to play. Thank you for your cooperation!

Holiday Weekend Update

The tee’s and greens on the new 12^th hole are roughed in! Work this coming week will begin re-building the 11^th green. The new hole 18 is graded and construction is proceeding on the tees and fairways. Bunker improvements throughout the course are underway and will continue throughout the next two weeks. Par 3 Hole 1 is being prepped for irrigation installation.

Above: Par Course #1, view from the new tee

The 11th hole is now playing with a temporary green. The green was bulldozed to make room for shaping around the new 12th tee complex. The new green will move approximately 20 yards to the right. When playing the 11th hole, please follow the posted signs through the silt fencing to get to the 12th tee box. 

Above: #11 Green and approach being graded

Below: Adding fill to #18 approach

Also this week, we saw Duininck install our first new irrigation satellite for the new holes. These new satellites will enable us to properly grow in these newly seeded and sodded areas. The upgraded technology will allow us to more efficiently and effectively water the property, versus the very outdated irrigation controllers that we currently have. This new controller is very exciting for me!

With the bunkers being under construction for the next few weeks, please remember to clean your shoes if you enter these areas. I'm sure many of you have noticed the footprints being tracked across the greens from the bunker areas. Please help us keep the greens clean by being aware of where you are and have been walking. Thank you.

Bunker Renovation Project

This last week saw Duininck make strides on our bunker renovation portion of the project. They graded and shaped all of the bunkers. In the next few weeks they will finish the final grade, install bunker sand, and lay the new sod. During this process, these areas will play as "ground under repair." Please remove your ball if necessary, taking a free drop, and don't forget to check your shoes. Avoid tracking dirt and mud onto the green surfaces.

Above: #9 green before

Below: #9 being graded

Below: #9 green after grading and shaping

The work area looks rather large, but in the end all the new bunkers will not be that large. One of the main advantages of the bunker project will be improved drainage. These old bunkers did not drain properly, holding water for long periods after heavy rains. With some simple drainage and the design features of the new bunkers, these conditions will improve greatly. 

The painted section above will roughly be the size of this bunker by #3 green.

Below: #8 green-side bunker being graded

  

Following up on questions from the last post, here is a rough map of the changes to the back 9. This shows the placement of the new 12th and 18th holes. 

Over the next few weeks, Duininck will be making strides to complete the bunker project. While in the process, please avoid entering these areas whenever possible. If crew are working in the area, make sure to maintain their safety, ensure they are aware of your presence. Once they complete the bunkers, it will take time for the new sod to root in and be ready for play. Additional signage and roping will be in these areas to help us allow these areas to grow properly and be ready for play sooner. Please help us by following all posted signs and ropes as we work to better your golf course!

Wirth Golf Course Renovation

Welcome to the Theodore Wirth Golf Club blog. Over the next few months we will be discussing exciting changes to the golf course. There will be two brand new holes and a new green complex on the championship course, and the par 3 course will have a brand new first hole. Additionally, all the bunkers on the golf course will be rebuilt. Duininck Golf has begun construction in the past few weeks, with the work expected to finish up by late September. I will periodically be updating you on the progress for the duration of the project.

Who am I? My name is Chris Aumock. I am the new Golf Course Foreman at Theodore Wirth. Before coming to Wirth, I spent the last three years as the assistant superintendent at North Oaks Golf Club and had previous stints at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, NJ and Manitou Ridge in White Bear Lake. I am looking forward to the opportunity of being part of these exciting changes at your golf course!

The area above will soon become our new 18th hole. This short par 4 will pass through this corridor with the center of the green being located at the white post.

The new par 3 12th hole will be built to the left of the current #11 green. 11 green complex will be rebuilt to make room for the new 12th tee. The picture above is taken from the new tee site.

The new par 3 hole #1 will be entirely moved to the left, creating a new, exciting backdrop for your starting hole.

We are extremely excited for the changes coming to Wirth over the next few months. This process will take time, upon completion of construction there will be a period of grow-in for the new turf. Hopefully, these holes will be open for play late next spring. During this process, we will have 3 temporary greens on the back 9, and the par 3 course will have a temporary 9th hole. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and patronage. Please come out and play the golf course, watch these changes unfold firsthand. While doing so, please refrain from exploring these construction areas, allow us to prepare these new areas properly for your future enjoyment. We know you will enjoy these changes to your golf course and are excited for you to rediscover Theodore Wirth!