Master Plan image of 7th at Brightwood |
Part Two – Year in Review – My Business
Overview
It was a very busy year
for construction work. The spring started well with a few construction projects
finishing up. The summer was steady with St. George’s being the prime focus.
The fall saw an incredible run of projects leading to a quieter than normal
early November finish. It was a very solid year.
Numbers and
Lists
Travel
Miles Driven: 30,305 km. (not including rental car miles)
Flights Taken: 54 (this is pretty normal for me)
Total
Miles Flown: 23,565
(nearly
half of previous the year)
My Business
Courses Visited: 30
American Work: 20%
New clients: 5
Construction Projects: 9
Interviews: 3
Phone Interviews: 1
Face Time
Interview: 1
Potential New Clients: 1
Interviewing gets more bizarre every
year. From RFP’s clearly written by your competition, a member openly suggesting
the club should hire them, being told before an interview the club intends to
hire an American. So, why am “I” here? We had to include a Canadian. I wish you
picked a different one …
New Clients
In 2019
- Brightwood Golf
& Country Club – Completed a Master Plan for them this year
- Cataraqui Golf
& Country Club – Drainage and Restoration Planning
- Mactaquac Golf
Course – Golf Course Report
- Penfield Country
Club – Completed a Bunker Renovation Project
New Clients in
2020
- Midvale Country
Club in Rochester
- Antigonish Golf
Course in Nova Scotia
2019
Construction Projects
- Pepper Pike Club Bunkers – April, May, September
and October
This fall we completed the bunker work on the golf course. Every bunker
is now finished and we even managed to get the new 11th tees done too.
We fixed the chicklets at the 12th. Long story, but funny one too. While
there is more grassing work to do, a few trees to remove and tees to build, we
are most of the way in our Legacy Plan. Mike of Precision Golf was a Rockstar
this fall. Kenn Happ keeps moving turf for me to make the grassing lines much
better every time I visit. Ans always a shout out to my man #FlymoNate
- St. George’s Bunkers – April to August
This was a complete surprise for me. We had finished two green rebuilds late
last year and this was talked about, but I did not see converting all the
bunkers to Billy Bunker in the Spring and Summer of 2019. Golf superintendent Ian
McQueen knew the Bentonite Liner they were installing works, but was not the
best answer for all the high steep faces. For that amount of bunkering, he felt
he needed to have Billy Bunker. I agree. KCM Construction, led by Bryan Smith
rebuilt all the bunkers and converted everyone over to Billy Bunker. This included
the creation of a lip detail using topsoil filled burlap bags hand dug into the
faces for stability. In the end the project would use 15,000 bags. I went over
to thank the crew that did this work every visit. They are the men that make a
job special. In the middle of the project we got a 5” rain storm that flooded
the nearby highway making National news. And Ian had no washouts! Billy Bunkers
work.
On a personal level I got the chance to repair bunkers that been either damaged
or altered over the last 20 years. I had some new images and took the
opportunity to improve on accuracy and detail. We returned the scale to a
couple where more recent tree removal allowed for the entire bunker to be
rebuilt. Ian’s ready for the Open. If there was more Bentgrass available we
would have had more of the grassing lines back in place. That’s the next
project at St. George’s
- Ashburn (Old) Front Nine Greens – August and
September
The largest project I had this year was the rebuilding of the Front Nine
greens at Ashburn Golf Club. Last year’s Back Nine greens were in play and Rene
George delivered some amazing greens for sodded greens. Best I’ve seen.
This was the nine holes with the most original Stanley Thompson greens. I had to adjust a few to address drainage and slope issues pin, but I tried to leave the greens mostly intact. Everything went really quick until interrupted by a Hurricane. 1000 bags of sand and full tarping of the open sites managed to minimize the damage repair to one day. The only casualty is I still have back issues related to the day we were moving sand bags. Something popped and I’ve not been the same since. The work was done by NMP Golf and supervised by my good friend Geoff Proffit. This was his last large project and I’m thankful I was part of that. Geoff, at least in my eyes, is a legend. Job went smooth because Gordie Smith is such a great man to work with. Hope to get the chance again on something New.
This was the nine holes with the most original Stanley Thompson greens. I had to adjust a few to address drainage and slope issues pin, but I tried to leave the greens mostly intact. Everything went really quick until interrupted by a Hurricane. 1000 bags of sand and full tarping of the open sites managed to minimize the damage repair to one day. The only casualty is I still have back issues related to the day we were moving sand bags. Something popped and I’ve not been the same since. The work was done by NMP Golf and supervised by my good friend Geoff Proffit. This was his last large project and I’m thankful I was part of that. Geoff, at least in my eyes, is a legend. Job went smooth because Gordie Smith is such a great man to work with. Hope to get the chance again on something New.
- Beverly Range – August, September
This project was a small one compared to the others, but kind of grew
into something a little bigger. Credit to General manger Mark Cunningham for a
grander vision. The construction was by Flightline Golf. The range will have
more tee and much better visibility than before. Jamie Steele did a nice job in
opening up the views to the land below while providing some strong targets to
hit to. Thanks to Golf Superintendent Scott Dyker and his staff for all the
clearing … and growing.
- Cherry Hill Renovation Project – August,
September
I’ve spent my career working with
John Gall. He was the superintendent I worked with on the restoration of St.
George’s which made my career. We then worked on the restoration of Scarboro
and finally Cherry Hill. These were all big projects for me. So, it makes me
happy “and sad” to say John has retired. At least that means I won’t get my notebooks
crewed up by his dog. Jeremy
Krueger will be a fine replacement and together we will continue to refine the grassing
work and remove some trees.
The construction work at Cherry Hill was a collection of small projects. John
had picked away at the grassing lines, but on a few holes, we needed some
mounds removed to finish that work off properly. Flightline Golf and good
friend Darren Hancocks made the changes and built some tees and paths. Then General
manager Caroline Molen asked the perfect question, “What’s left?” and that led
to two new bunkers. The big stuff is done. Unless of course you want to talk
network fairway drainage. That will come.
- Penfield CC Bunkers – August - October
The work at Penfield Country Club started in September and carried on till
the early November. I honestly never thought we had a chance of getting the
entire course done in one fall, but my buddy Tony Gratzey and the incredible Jamaican
crew at Faery Golf were so efficient. They overcame everything from bedrock to nasty
weather.
The project took very modern bunkers in some strange locations, put them
in better locations, then gave them an old school look that combined elements
of Charles Alison with a little local Donald Ross for character. This leaves me
with one hole to eventually fix, but that will take a bigger commitment. I’ve
already got some ideas on that one.
To make this job go even better Doug Vanderlee began to mow an acre or
two of rough to become future fairway. He was as committed to seeing the
grander vision come together. He pushed forward when I wasn’t sure we should. He
was a great partner all project. Thanks to Tom Schoenle for giving us the
ability and occasional the financial flexibility to make every right call. The
results speak for themselves and he needs to get credit on this too.
A special shout out to members who thanked Tony and his staff at every
opportunity. I’m always impressed when club members go out of their way to be
friendly with the crew. Most clubs’ members are excellent, but this was at a
new level of amazing.
- Laval-sur-le-lac Range – September - November
The project required deviation from the original plan because we found
bedrock “everywhere.” That’s easily managed when it’s a hole, much easier when
there’s many of them, but really difficult when its one location and you’re
short of fill. We ended up going outside the site for additional fill to solve
the issue. The work will achieve the visibility that the club wanted for the
target fairway. When the weather will allow, the work is being done by NMP Golf
and managed by the Golf Superintendent Luc Ladocuer, but its been a tough go
right from the start of construction.
- Highland CC - October and November
This was the final stage of a bunker renovation project at Highlands CC.
The entire project was an opportunity to update the details, add a liner,
change out the sand and occasionally move things to where they work better. We also
used this as a chance to tone down my original work. Finding people to do hand
work is an issue in golf, so it was time to look at the bunkers and make sure
this project would become more sustainable for the long-term. I think we did a
nice balance of retaining the character, but making it a little less
complicated to maintain. Work was done by Vergeer Golf and managed by Greig
Barker the Golf Course Superintendent.
People wonder why I’ve recommended grass faced bunkers when I’m asked to
produce something original in renovations. Fist up, I do believe in them
conceptually because they get the bunkers closer to the green, but the main
answer is the long-term sustainability is better unless you can afford
something like Bentonite or Billy Bunker.
- Wheatley Hills – November
We stopped restoration work to address the clubhouse area. I worked with
a landscape designer to co-ordinate the paving and path systems around the
clubhouse. His stair work work and walking paths done last year were beautiful.
We just needed to address the golf areas. So, we rebuilt the putting green this
fall and got the grades to work without walls and stairs. This was a project
where a lot of people in a lot of disciplines worked together to make a complex
little area work. I loved what everyone accomplished and now none of the path
system is visible from the patio.
This was quite a year of construction for me, but it’s also the end of a
great run. I had consistent work with the same clubs going for the last few
years. Each one of them is essentially done. I was lucky to have all that work
to do.
2019
Construction Work?
Pepper Pike Club – Spring and Fall
One or two visits for grassing and tee work
Kawartha Golf & Country Club - Summer
We will be adding two new holes to Kawartha to replace the current 15th
and 16th holes. The new three and new five will replace the holes.
The 14th will revert back to its original alignment and play as a par
four.
Wheatley Hills Country Club - Fall
I expect that we will finish the remaining bunkers on the 11th
and 14th holes.
In Summary
I really don’t have much construction for next year. I have a full Master
Plan for Edmonton and some reports for two clubs to put together beginning in
the Spring. I expect to have a quiet year.
Rather than fret and begin to look for work, I’m committed to making
better use of the extra time available to do other things. Whether playing more
golf, a few overnight kayak trips, spending more time up north, or finally setting
up the wood shop out back, this may be an interesting year for life beyond golf
architecture.