Golf Course Maintenance Weekly - Day 4 Range Improvements 5/26/16

We pushed right to the end to complete all of the work we planned to complete during the driving range closure the past 4 days. Below are some final pictures of process and completion.

The contractor put their finishing touches on the right hand net installation last evening. This was the main project that necessitated the range closure in the first place. All of the other projects we worked on were ancillary to the main project of the net, but needed to be done and were easier to complete when the range was closed.

Reconfiguration of the irrigation proved to be the most taxing and time consuming.

Once we completed the grass tee irrigation diversion away from the mat pad we had to do the same to the backside of the pad.

We also needed to get the clean driving range mat re-installed but first we needed to install the drainage panels underneath the mat.

These drainage mats assembled pretty easily just with a slight downward kick with the bottom of a shoe.

Reinstalling the clean mats was much easier then removing the dirty waterlogged ones.

We just rolled them out with the help of Kevin and the Kubota Tractor.

First roll reinstall complete.

Second roll chasing or pushing the irrigation effort, depending on one's perspective.

Another item on our scope of work was adding a few rocks for zeroing in yardage with range finder devices. We had a few areas selected for us  so we just needed to find some boulders and plant them.

Planting rocks.

Completed Project Views

Again the right hand net to gather and catch errant range balls before they got out on #18 was the driving force of this project and 4 day closure. Here is a completed view in which the net can be barely seen in this picture which was what we were going for.

View of the left side with three extra range finding targets.

A view from an area that looked like a bomb went off just this morning as evidenced by a picture above. Keeping the artificial mat dry was something that needed to be done. It was allot of work. It won't keep all of the moisture off of the mats but at least irrigation is not triangulated directly over the mat any longer. 

The mat pad now has drainage panels beneath it and the concrete pad has drainage inlets installed as part of the pad. The cleaned mat on top of the  drainage pads feel different underfoot, softer almost like there is a carpet pad of sorts underneath. Likely there will be some settling as there was allot of dirt, algae and grunge in the fibers of this mat. Let's give it some time and then asses.

Thank you for your patience with the four day closure while we completed this project. We had hoped to do this in January or February and not inconvenience you in the prime golfing season but couldn't finagle the capital funds till now. Anyway it's done. I know the mats will be drier to hit off of especially in the morning. I know there will be less range balls out in #18 and when you are hunting for yours when you go left on #18 you will be safer than before the net was there.  You now have a few extra targets to aim at and we all will have a healthier and greener range because of the aerification and fertilizer. And I believe the irrigation and drainage infrastructure improvements will serve us well moving forward. Thanks again for you patience.