Grounds Crew in action

During the week of The 1854 this year we captured our crew in action preparing both courses for the event using a drone.  Below is the video created by Ryan Beck.

2015 Before and After Photos

Our employees who built the new exterior spaces at St. Martins and Flourtown were thrilled to see them creatively used by our events team, and thoroughly enjoyed by our members all year.  We have posted fun before-and-after photos which highlight their construction and eventual member-use.

Tennis Patio before

Tennis Patio after

 Cricket Patio area before

Cricket Patio area after

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Excavated soil from the East Wing construction...

...Used to build the Activity Field

Activity Field complete

Activity Field after

Zoysia Range Tee build in 2014

Zoysia Range Tee used in 2015. This allowed for the re-leveling of our Upper Range Tee without disrupting member use of the range.

Upper Range Tee established and ready for 2016!

Upper Range Tee

With the new Zoysia Practice Tee in perfect shape and recently opening for members, it was time to address the upper practice tee.  The upper practice tee was in need of being leveled and regrassed to 007 bentgrass to create a tee that would truly replicate the fairway conditions of the renovated Wissahickon course.

Zoysia Tee seeing plenty of action during the first week of opening

Upper Practice Tee Restoration

Sod cutting the existing practice tee

Removing the existing grass from the upper tee which was mostly rye grass

View from the Zoysia Practice Tee

Almost completely stripped and ready to be leveled

Before it could be leveled we went over it with seeda-vator to break up the soil.

Members using the Zoysia Practice Tee in the foreground.

Smart Leveler to ensure a perfectly level tee

Leveling the tee with the transit in the foreground.

Putting out some 70-30 tee mix before seeding.

Using knobby tires to dimple the soil after seeding to get good soil to seed contact.

The newly seeded practice tee

Putting down sod around the teaching mats so that lessons would not be disrupted.

Laying sod down around the teaching mats only.

Watering the newly seeded tee

Heavy rain just 2 days later resulted in having to reseed some areas where seed washed away.

Seed starting to germinate 6 days after initial seeding.

13 days after seeding and just after the first mowing.

17 days after seeding.  Picture taken from the other side of the range tee.

Competitive Golf at Philadelphia Cricket Club

It has been an active month; as the PGA of America's Professional National Championship, our very own member / guest, the Ross and Smith tournament, and the Philadelphia Open have all been played at PCC within a 30 day period.
Below are some photos of the work being done for all the tournaments and the end results.

Aerial shot taken from TV crane by #18 tee on Wissahickon during PNC

Professional National Championship

On June 25th, Philadelphia Cricket Club welcomed 312 of the best golf club professionals and teachers who are members of the Professional Golfers' Association of America for a 4 day tournament, vying for 20 spots at the upcoming PGA Championship at Whistling Straights.  Despite some nasty weather before and during the tournament, the whole week went off without a hitch thanks to a great effort by the grounds staff and volunteers.  Below are some pictures from the week.

The crew and volunteers having dinner before going out for the afternoon shift

The fleet lined up and ready to attack Wissahickon and Miltia Hill fairways for an afternoon cut.

And the fleet is off to mow 12 fairway behind the last group

Half of the fairway mowers finishing the morning mow on Militia Hill #8

 The other half of the fleet mowing the fairway on Wissahickon #6

Finishing divots on Milita Hill fairways for the evening despite the heavy rain

Dan and the PGA performing course set up for the next day as the rain continued to come down.

Trying to get the divots on the range filled in before the heavy rain.

Everyone in good spirits though as the rain finally started to let up.

Rainbow over Wissahickon.

Flight deck cleaning pattern on greens to ensure all ball marks get filled.

Raking the Great Hazard for the Professional National Championship.

The grounds crew with Matt Dobyns on Wissahickon #18

Aerating the practice tee right after the trophy presentation to help speed up the recovery process

The turf guys celebrating the official end to the PNC after a long week.

Ross and Smith Tournament

Just a week and a day after the PNC ended, it was the practice round of the PCC member / guest Ross and Smith which meant the rest for the grounds crew was short lived, but everyone was pumped to give the members and their guest the same conditions they had just watched on TV.

Getting ready to send the R&S balloon up for all to see.

Aerial Shot of Wissahickon right before the beginning of R&S

Putting Contest on Wissahickon #18 under the lights.

Philadelphia Open

The Philadelphia Open, on of the major tournaments conducted by the Golf Association of Philadelphia came to PCC just 10 days after the final day of the R&S.  Another short lived break for the Wissahickon golf course and the crew.  Luckily the week of high temperatures and humidity broke for the tournament and provided us with a beautiful day for golf, which was a welcomed change after the downpours of the PNC and R&S.

Early morning mow to get the course ready for the Philadelphia Open

Raking the "church pew" bunkers on #4 early in the morning

Afternoon greens mow ahead of the 2nd round