We have awarded the bunker construction contract to National Turf Incorporated based out of right here in Southern California. Butch Soto, Construction Manager, will be heading up the project with an August 1st start date. We have a high confidence level in National Turf because they are currently working on a couple of other ClubCorp / KSL properties, doing projects at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad and Anthem C.C. in Scottsdale, AZ.
I know everyone has been patiently waiting to here what the overall plan is and to find out just how much we will be able to get completed this summer. The overall plan designed by our architect Kevin Ramsey from Ron Freem’s firm GolfPlan, is to grass in ten of the existing bunkers.
* R-side fairway bunker on # 4,
* First fairway bunker on R-side of # 5,
* First fairway bunker on L-side of # 5,
* Back-L bunker on # 10 Green,
* Fairway bunker on R-side of # 11,
* First two fairway bunkers on L-side of # 11,
* Fairway bunker on R-side # 15,
* First fairway bunker on # 17
* First fairway bunker on # 18
Several of the remaining bunkers will be reduced in size, with some of them made into two or three smaller bunkers rather then the current larger sized existing bunkers. All the bunkers will have new drainage added, be re-shaped, re-edged and new sand installed. The new sand variety will be a blend of Augusta White and Desert Tan. We choose this blend because it will give a nice fresh look and still be able to withstand the inevitable natural sand that will get blown in throughout our windy season.
Now we’ll get to the question of how much are we going to be able to get done this summer? With the capital funds having already been set for this year, we had several meetings trying to decide how we could have the biggest impact with these available funds. We talked about getting two holes (# 9 & 18) completed in their entirety to show just how nice the finished product would be, but that’s all we would have been able to do with the existing funds. Then we discussed working on the ten bunkers that would be grassed in, because that would at least change the appearance of seven different holes and allow us to better maintain the remaining holes until we could get them all re-done. We then decided that we needed to do both of those options this year. Thanks to the powers above, some additional funds were reallocated towards this project and we are now are not only going to be able to do both of those options, but we are going to get probably the most troubling green-side bunker re-done this year as well. The large bunker in front of # 4 green is going to be completely re-built, as will the bunker to the back right of # 4 green. This should make a substantial difference to the playability of our golf course for this upcoming season. I hope everyone is as excited to get this project going as I am.