Wissahickon Restoration Weekly Update

After another week of hard work we have completed a portion of the Wissahickon Restoration.
Please view the updated time-lapse videos and photos below.

Team Effort!  Keith Foster with PCC's Restoration Committee on a hot Tuesday

Very early rough-grading of the big bunker on 7

Video Updates

#5 Time Lapse

Great Hazard Time Lapse

 #4

“The Great Hazard” on #4 is transitioning from the rough-grading stage to the fine-grading stage. 

During this process our new bunker faces are being sand-capped with our old bunker sand.   As PCC lies in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the U.S., the combination of plenty of annual rainfall with heavy soils can cause native fescue’s to naturally become thick.  Sand-capping is an effort to try to keep the new fescue drier and thinner than what they would naturally want to become.  

We expect final approvals on #4 next week.  This will allow us to sod around bunkers quickly thereafter.

Grading on "The Great Hazard"

Using old bunker sand to sand-cap bunker faces on "The Great Hazard" on 4

 Evening photo of today's progress on "The Great Hazard" on 4

 
#5 / #6

#5 green and #6 tees were buttoned up this week.  This provides members a clear view of our finished product.  Bentgrass green, tee, and approach sod was installed this week.  In addition, the one-third of #5 fairway closest to the green was also sodded. 

#5: green, approach, and some fairway sod going down in the next few days

 

Green sod on 5 going down

Quick after-care of 5 greens sod

5 green complex wrapping up for the day

 6 tees / 5 green


#6

We will be heading down the home-stretch on #6 next week as well.  Sod has already been placed around two fairway bunkers.  We will be lining the remaining greenside bunkers today.  By the end of next week, we hope to achieve final approvals so we can complete the hole within the next couple weeks.

Keith Foster works on perfecting a bunker floor on 6

 Testing bunker-zone irrigation on a fairway bunker on 6



Phase 1 Rough Grading

Rough grading continues on #4 & #7 tees, and all of #7.  Next week, rough grading will begin on holes #8 and #9 as well.

Wissahickon Restoration Update

Great progress was made this week.

#5-  The bunker liner, sand, and sod were all installed this week.   This combination provides a glimpse of the finished look.  We expect to lay the green and approach sod next week.

#4-  Rough shaping of “The Great Hazard” was also accomplished.  It is exciting to see one the club’s post-card features begin to take shape.

 

Please view the updated time-lapse videos and photos below.

 

Drainage and gravel installation on 5 green

 

 Detailed raking of the gravel layer on 5 green

Installation of the greens mix

First matrix liner installed on #5 front bunker.  Sand coming soon!

View of #5 front bunker

First loads of bunker sand on #5

Starting the excavation and reintroduction of "The Great Hazard" at Philadelphia Cricket Club

Keith Foster and the Medalist Golf team evaluating The Great Hazard shaping on #4

 

 Keith Foster and Restoration Chairman, Dr. Greg Guyer, 

discussing The Great Hazard rough grading on #4 

 

 Dr. Guyer having some fun on 6 approving sub-grades with the "total station".

 

 Laying Sod on #5

Close-up of #5, front green-side bunker

 

 #5 with the bunkers sanded and grassed!

 

 Finish grade on 5 green, sod next week! 

 

 Full-scale view of 5 green

 

Time Lapse Video of "The Great Hazard"

 

 Up to date time lapse video of construction at 5 green

 

Wissahickon Advanced Grow In and Week Update

Please view the below video to get an update on the advanced grow in process taking place on Wissahickon.

Below is a picture of two superintendents walk spraying the 17th fairway to minimize traffic on the new seedlings during the germination process.

Hedges removed on the right side of 15.  No longer tight out of bounds on the right side!

Sand build up removed from #4 bunker will allow members to have clear visibility of the green for their approach shots.

Keith reviewing the final grading of #6 bunker.

Installing drainage on #5 tee.

Dialing in the final sub-grade of 5 green with the "Total Station".

Rough grading of the back tee on #4.

5 Green Complex Construction Progress

As the construction of the 5th green complex continues, we wanted to share an updated time lapse video of the progress to date.  The video below shows the progress of the 5th green complex from the start of the project through today; a span of 12 days.

Beginning of 5 Green Construction

Following a productive week of work, Keith Foster approved Wissahickon's Phase 1 greens surfaces!

Currently, we are laser scanning the approved surfaces.  Following scanning, the work of "coring-out" and constructing the USGA greens can begin.

For a more detailed explanation of the beginning portion of our green process please watch the video below.

Wissahickon Restoration Kicks Off

The Restoration Project on Wissahickon has officially begun!  5 green complex is the first area to get reshaped.  Below is a time lapse video of the progress made in reshaping the green complex on the 1st day.

Time Lapse Video

As we prepare for the Wissahickon Restoration at Philadelphia Cricket Club we are using time lapse cameras to capture the work being done on the course.  These cameras will allow us to capture the changing landscape of the course throughout the duration of the project, and will condense the output into a video to showcase the course transformation. 

Below is a sample video of the time lapse camera at work during our May aerification of Militia Hill.