In this instance, the old 9E back tee was pretty much destroyed. Please note that this work occurred during late November and December when the golf course was closed.

9E Enbridge Dig November 30, 2021

Pipeline December 1, 2021
This work is incredibly disruptive which is why we try to schedule the work in the off season. On a related note, we were able to dispose of one of the unused and frankly hazardous shelters on the property for no cost thanks to Enbridge.
In this instance, we delayed the finish work on this mess until 2023 as large digs like this take some time to settle and I did not feel great about performing finish grading on something that would likely sink over time. If this were something in the direct line of play then there would be a greater sense of urgency. That being said, we installed new irrigation and shaped the new greensmix into an improved tee, increasing its size by about 5-6 times and were able to seed the new tee by August 10 of this year.

9E Back Tee August 10, 2023
Use of proper fertilization and seeding techniques makes a huge difference during a grow-in. Also helpful is the use of what is called Futerra erosion control blanket that helps protect from washouts during potential heavy rain events and speeds germination and establishment.

9E Back Tee August 15, 2023 Germination at 5 days

9E Back Tee September 5, 2023 Few days after first mowing-Likely playable in a few weeks
This is what is called a highly successful “seed catch” and will result in a better and much less expensive teeing surface than the use of sod-the amateurs choice. I still contend, after establishing a pair of entire golf courses, that extensive use of expensive and labor intensive sod is simply not necessary with the presence of a skilled superintendent. This Spring, we employed the same techniques on 9 North tee with success as well. All of this work would not be possible without a solid golf course maintenance crew.
Golf course maintenance crews are much like sports teams. Every year you have free agents(existing staff) that move on for whatever reason, draft picks(new hires) that must be coached up to replace them, and others that simply retire after years of service. This is normal in the world of seasonal work. For this reason we like to capture the uniqueness of each year’s crew with a picture.

Nemadji Crew of 2023
I started this crew picture business over twenty years ago and now I would feel remiss to not do one as I think that each crew is like family and should be remembered as such. These are the people that most of you do not see and yet without them you would not have a golf course. Carrying the sports analogy a bit further, golf course maintenance staff are like the offensive lineman of a football team. We hear all about it when we get called for holding but when we do our jobs well this allows for the success of the “skill” players like quarterbacks (General Managers) and running backs/receivers (Golf Professsionals). I would have it no other way.
See you on the golf course.