Dear Spring Run Member,

If you were near the clubhouse Monday, you would have seen Ryan Golf begin the renovation of the practice green. If not, we have some pictures included that can give you an idea of what it looked like. It was quite surreal looking as the sod and a corresponding inch of root zone was sliced uniformly in contours around the green. Many people commented it didn’t look real and were surprised at what the slices of turf looked like when they held them up close.

The construction crew wasted no time as they used a bobcat to scoop the slabs of turf into the middle of the green, and then used a loader to carry them to a dumpster. We saved several cart loads of sod to use at the sod nursery behind #3 green, but the rest had to go.

Next, the soil was extensively tilled by a tractor with rototiller mechanism, and was then shaped by a loader that adjusted the soil elevations to match the design created by course architect John Sanford. Tuesday morning, fine shaping will continue, supervised by an architect from the Sanford Design firm. Once the exacting contours and are achieved, the architect will sign off on it, and the contractor will begin to sprig the green with Tif Eagle Bermuda grass at a rate of 35 bushels per acre. The sprigs will be cut into the soil and will begin to grow in about a week. The grow-in period will last approximately 8-12 weeks before it is ok to putt on it. Throughout this period, the maintenance staff will be applying fertilizer and keeping a watchful eye while watering the turf throughout the day.

The goal of the project is to remove the severe ridge along the back portion of the green, and smooth out the dip at the bottom by the drain. Ultimately, there will be two flatter surfaces, an upper and lower, which will more closely resemble the undulations of the current greens, and most importantly, the speed, so you know what to expect when you go out there to play.

The project was paid for entirely through the reserve fund, and will not require any additional cost to the members. It should cost less than $20,000 in total to complete it.

If you have any questions, please reply back.

Thank you.

Mike