Recapturing

Starting with the bunker renovation in 2012-2013, we have been working very hard to keep all of our renovation projects consistent with the goal of recapturing the vintage allure of the golf course which dates back to the golden age of golf architecture.  The golden age of golf architecture is basically that period between 1910 and 1937 when most of the top 100 golf courses in America were built. Tacoma's American Lake course opened in 1906, but it was the great renovation of 1923 that resulted in the playing field that we enjoy today. In the last 100 years, there's been a few major construction projects, but the bones of the golf course are still much like they were in the beginning.  With that said there are still some things that have changed just simply because it's hard to stop change.  These are the changes that are happening right before our eyes, but they happen so slow that many people never notice they're happening at all.  A good example of this is the growth of the trees.  It literally can take generations before a tree causes problems.  Of course now that Tacoma is well over 100 years old, there are many trees that are causing problems, and that is something we're addressing today.  Another problem that occurs slowly over time is edge migration.  The edges of bunkers migrate (see my post about this CLICK HERE), and so do the edges of putting greens.  With respect to the putting greens we've been working hard to recapture lost putting surface and also push greens out to create new areas.  In order to do this we first remove the collar dams, or "build up" of topdressing sand around the greens perimeter (CLICK HERE to read more about collar dam removal).  Once the excess sand is removed and the grass is put back, we can then start mowing the green out to where we want it.  Here's a series of pictures for this process which we recently completed on the 2nd green.

The first thing we do is paint out where we want the finished green edge to be.  This gives us a good idea of how much of the perimeter we need to strip off in order to achieve this new green shape.  

The next step is to cut the grass with a sod cutter and then roll it up and set it aside. 

Here you see the grass has been put back, the edge is repainted and we've started mowing the new green areas.   It takes several months to train the grass down to the shorter mowing height.  It takes maybe a year or so of regular mowing and topdressing before the new areas are good and smooth.  

We've completed this process on 14 greens so far and the new green shapes have created many interesting conversations.  The new green shapes have many straight edges and corners with an overall squarish look.  Many folks have said they aren't too keen on the new look and many folks say they love it.  Well let's just say the new look is really an old look, and very much consistent with the original golf course in 1906 (click HERE for a map of the first course at the American Lake site), and also after the great redesign in 1923 (Click HERE to see a map of the course after the 1923 redesign).   You can still find squarish looking greens at some of the greatest clubs in America like at Chicago GC (Click HERE), but many of those great old clubs have had renovations to their greens, and the vintage look became less fashionable.  Most recently, several golf courses have undergone renovations with an emphasis on restoration.  Like us, they are trying to recapture the vintage allure, and the brilliance of some of the great golf course architects of the past.  There's no better example of this than what we just saw this past year at the U.S. Open hosted by Winged Foot.  Click HERE to see a great blog post on this project.  Also, click HERE to see some great stuff put out by the USGA on this very subject.  Interestingly, Winged Foot was built in 1923, the same year Tacoma unveiled it's newly renovated golf course which is essentially the same golf course we enjoy today.  

Time to Strip

This picture shows "cross grain cracking" on a painted surface.  This problem occurs when there is an excessive build up of paint and is common on older homes, especially historic homes which have been painted many times.  The only solution is to strip off all the paint and start over.  This is similar to the problems we see on older, historic putting greens when there is an excessive build-up of sand.  No, the greens aren't cracking but when we get too much sand built up on or around putting greens, the solution is to strip it off and start over.  

That's what we've been doing around some of the greens.  Here's a picture of #5 where we removed excess sand which built up in front of the green and impeded the run-off of surface water.  These areas of built up sand are often called "collar dams" because they act like a dam and stop water from running off the green.

We then stripped off the area near the bunker which had a build up of topdressing sand and of course sand splashed out of the bunker.  The problem here is that over time the build-up of sand exasperated the natural tendency for greens to change shape and the putting surface retreated away from the bunker.  Now that the excess sand has been removed, we can start mowing the green closer to the bunker as it once was and recapture hole locations that have slowly been lost over time.  

We then moved over to #8 and again started with the approach.

After the approach was put back together we moved to the back of the green.

Finally we finished up on #8 with that back area.  All together we removed over 10 yards of sand from around the 8th green.  You will immediately notice that the putting green and surround look much more natural with smooth transitions over the contours. Again this is going to allow us to mow the green out to where it once was and get back those lost hole locations.  This next picture shows the new green edge on holes 5&8 once the whole process is complete.

This is a time consuming endeavor and takes a tremendous amount of labor so we'll continue to pick away at it each winter but honestly this is the kind of project which is never finished.  Once we've gotten around to removing all the excess sand around the greens, we can always do the same kind of work on the tees,  Sand build-up on tees creates a different set of problems which I'll discuss at a different time.  Applying sand to turf really is a little like applying paint to your house.  Both processes are essential but over time the build-up starts to create problems and you gotta strip it off.

Bunker Stairs

Tacoma's award winning bunker renovation was completed in 2013.  The hazards created by that project are visually dramatic and pose a considerable challenge to players.  Getting up and down from a bunker at Tacoma is hard enough, but for some folks it's also hard just getting in and out.  A great example of that condition exists with this bunker which fronts the 18th green.

The Committee has heard the concerns and the decision has been made to install some stairs in a few of the bunkers which have the most difficult ingress and egress.  A staircase in a bunker might not be something you see every day but it really isn't that uncommon.  For example, check out this bunker at Garden City Golf Club.

And here's a bunker at Ganton golf Club.

Recently, these stairs were installed in some bunkers at the Country Club of the Rockies.

Notice not all bunker stairs are the same.  Different styles of bunkers require different styles of stairs.  Here's what we did here at Tacoma.

Once we decided on the location of the stairs, we started by setting the lowest step.  Notice we drilled holes through the steps and anchored them with metal stakes.

We then excavated up and out of the bunker and continued to install steps until we reached a logical stopping point. 

 To finish the job, the surrounding soil was shaved down with a shovel to create soft edges like those that define the bunkers.

This resulted in a staircase that looks appropriate with the style of bunkers here at Tacoma.

Early reports from players are that the stairs are working good.  So far the stairs you see here on 18 green are the only ones on the course but we will be installing stairs in some other bunkers.  The stairs are immovable obstructions and I urge you to familiarize yourself with rule 24-2.  The rules surrounding immovable obstructions are unique when the condition exists in a bunker.  To see Rule 24-2 click HERE.  For a great explanation of the rule I found this.....Click HERE

The Punchbowl

Here is a really neat aerial from 1957 showing the 16th hole (4th hole at that time).  Notice the green complex back then had no trees around it, and the no bunkers.  The bunker you see behind the green in this photo is actually the fairway bunker for #11.  The original green complex on today's 16th hole was a classic example of a "punchbowl".  What is a punchbowl?  Well it is exactly what it sounds like.  A "punchbowl" green is a putting surface that sits in a depression, so that the putting green appears as a "bowl" with a relatively flat bottom and sides rising up from that bottom.  The bottom is the putting surface, the "sides" of the bowl typically consist of mounding around three sides of the putting surface.  The front of a punchbowl green is open to the fairway to allow golf balls to run onto the green.  The idea of a "punchbowl" is nothing new.  In fact it is one of the oldest golf course design concepts so it's really no surprise to see it at Tacoma which is one of America's first 100 clubs and one of the oldest golf courses.  Click HERE to read more about the origins of the "punchbowl".

Unfortunately sometime after 1957, misguided tree plantings were made around Tacoma's punchbowl green.  Even worse, roughs were allowed to encroach on the green so the opportunity to run the ball along the ground was taken away.  Above you see what #16 green looked like in 2011 before we started any renovations.  In 2012, Mother Nature helped us out by killing some of the trees behind the green in a freakish wind event.  Then we started renovations and began mowing the course with less roughs and more short grass around all the greens.  Now today in 2015 we have decided to further restore the punchbowl and this is the story of what we did.

First we dismantled the last remaining flowering cherry tree from behind the green. Ornamental trees like this are so inappropriate on a golf course, especially 10 feet from a putting surface like this one was planted.  Its shallow root system was undermining the green and the roots themselves were along the surface making it dangerous for anyone to strike a golf ball in that area.  Anyway we removed the tree and all of its root system.

Then we brought in some new trees.  Now these are not ordinary trees.  We brought in endangered Garry Oak trees as part of our oak savanna preservation plan.  This is a historic moment because for the first time we are actually taking steps to replace some of the treasured oak trees that have been lost over the past century. These trees came from a nursery that has made a serious commitment to preserve the Garry oak.  The folks at this nursery seek out oak trees that are scheduled for destruction and then move them to their preserve where they can be cared for while a new owner is found.  Thankfully, we found these people and have formed a friendship.  We now have a great resource for future plantings of native oaks in order to preserve and protect the oak savanna here at Tacoma C&GC.

 The trees we brought in were not small.  Each one weighed close to a ton.   I needed help getting them from the parking lot to the site behind the 16th green and my friend Micah had the perfect machine.  His skid steer has smooth tracks that allow him to carry heavy loads right across fairways leaving little to no damage.  It took Micah only about an hour to carry the trees out to the 16th green which will be their new home for the next several hundred years.

 Positioning them was more difficult than I thought it would be, but of course I have the most amazing staff and they got it done in typical, brilliant fashion.  The oak trees should be very happy here since they will be in full sun which is what they like.  If you're going to have trees on your golf course, a Garry oak would be a good choice.  Since they're deciduous, light and air passes through them in the winter allowing for good turf conditions in surrounding areas.  In addition, they do not have surface roots or even shallow roots.  You can grow grass right up to the base of them and play a golf shot from around them without fear of breaking your club or wrist.

Once the trees where planted, sand was brought in and used to grade the slope so that it was smooth and ready for sod.

 Today we are now mowing this area at fairway height and the punchbowl is almost fully restored.  In order to fully restore the punchbowl we would have to remove the bunker and take short grass all around the left side of the green.  I'm sure that would be really neat, but right now we do not have that as part of the plan.  I'll never forget the morning in May 2012 when we started our bunker renovation.  This bunker on 16 was where we decided to start so it was going to be our first attempt at building fescue bullnosed bunkers.  John Harbottle III got to the site before me since this bunker was only a few hundred feet from his house.  He called me on his cell from this spot at 16 green and said "Joel, I'm thinking we should just remove this bunker since it's only been here since 1989."  When I got out to the site we discussed it together.  John knew that it should be removed but eventually we decided to just build it.  If the bunker project would have ended here I think things would have turned out different.  No doubt we will be discussing the merits of this bunker over the next couple of seasons and who knows, maybe it will go and the punchbowl green will be fully restored.  

For now, the bunker John built here is really cool and the newly restored slope behind the green is very cool.  The introduction of 5 new endangered oak trees is honestly one of the most exciting things I've ever done.  The 16th hole at Tacoma is arguably one of the best holes on the course and now it is even so much better.  I can't wait to hear the stories of shots played on and around the restored slope.

6 & 18 teeing ground

How's this for a great old picture of Tacoma's 6th hole.  One of the interesting things about the routing at Tacoma is that #6, #7, and #8 have always been #6, #7, and #8.  All the other holes on the course were at one time a different number.  Anyway, this picture was taken in 1984 and if you look close you can see that back then you hit from what is today the 18th tee.  The hole played this way for over 80 years.  In 1989 the course underwent a major revision with the construction of the practice range and what is today holes 13 -15.  As part of that revision, the hole remained #6 and the green remain unchanged, but the tee moved to what used to be #9 tee. Check out this 1979 aerial picture of the course.

You can see that originally the 9th hole was what today is the 18th hole and you teed off from today's 6th tee.  Now I don't have an old picture of how the original 9th hole looked but that's okay since due to the most recent, award winning renovation, I have a new picture of it.  Look here.

This picture was taken during the Member Guest.  For one day of the event, the tees are moved to their nostalgic positions and the holes are played the way they were laid out originally.   This has been done for the Senior Member Guest also.  Considering how old the links are at Tacoma, when the tees are positioned like this, you're playing two of the oldest golf holes west of the Mississippi River.  That's pretty cool.  So now I've been asked several times why it is we don't switch the tees like this more often.  The answer to that is simple.  Currently these historic tee positions only exist from the blue tees.  Since on a normal day there is play from every tee, it wouldn't work to just reverse the blue tees.  But don't worry, the current golf course master plan includes restoring the old teeing grounds so the original routing in this part of the course can be played any time.  Look at this diagram of the teeing grounds.

That green arrow is pointing to what represents one of the last remaining cart paths on the course which is adjacent to the teeing grounds and restroom facility.  The plan is to remove this path as we have done to almost all the paths on the course.  In its place will be the new championship tee for the 18th hole when the tees are placed in the original configuration.  This area is exactly where the original tee was so it will be a true restoration effort.  Below is how it will look once completed.

 The finished teeing grounds for 6 and 18 will provide the opportunity to play today's modern routing as depicted below.........

 or the routing which the Club's founders laid out over 100 years ago as diagrammed here. 

This will truly be a unique area that will allow all players the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of angles and yardages for the two holes.  I've played several courses where teeing grounds for two holes shared the same location, but none was like the special experience a player will have here at Tacoma if this project is completed. 

HEY...........WE WON!!!!!!

Remember back in April when I sent those pictures to Golf Inc. magazine in an attempt to win the "Renovation of the year" contest.  Well guess what?  WE WON!!!!  Click HERE and it will take you to the article announcing that Tacoma Country & Golf Club has won second place (first place in the United States) for the best renovation at a private club in the under a million dollar category.

For a turf nerd like me, this is a HUGE accomplishment.  I couldn't be more excited.

Of course I need to congratulate the renovation team one more time. For the design work, I must say "Great job!" to Nick Schaan from DMK (David Mclay Kidd Golf Design)!  That guy really knows his stuff.  For the construction and shaping, all that can be said to Kip Kalbrenner from Ridgtop Inc. is "Brilliant!"  I honestly don't think there is anyone more gifted than Kip.  Not only is his artistry unmatched, he is also "no nonsense" and efficient with production.  We can't forget about those who made it possible from the beginning so "congratulations" to the administration of this fine Club for their commitment to the project.  Lastly and most importantly, may we never forget the man with the vision, golf course architect and our friend John Harbottle III. John.............this award is all yours.  "Way to go sir".

The images below are those which I submitted to Golf Inc. for consideration of the award for renovation of the year.  Click HERE to see the entire article and other award recipients.

#1 GREEN THEN

 #1 GREEN TODAY

#4 FAIRWAY BUNKER BEFORE

#4 FAIRWAY BUNKER TODAY

#11 GREEN THEN

#11 GREEN TODAY

#12 GREEN THEN

#12 GREEN TODAY

 #13 FAIRWAY THEN

#13 FAIRWAY TODAY

#14 GREEN THEN

#14 GREEN TODAY

#17 GREEN THEN

#17 GREEN TODAY

#9 AND #18 FAIRWAY THEN

 #9 AND #18 FAIRWAY TODAY

PRACTICE BUNKER THEN

PRACTICE BUNKER TODAY

#9 FAIRWAY BUNKER THEN

#9 FAIRWAY BUNKER TODAY

#5 LANDING AREA BEFORE

#5 LANDING AREA TODAY