Long Range Tee Leveled and Sod laid this week

June 29th was the beginning of the herbicide application to the long range tee.  On Tuesday August 19th, the tee was tilled and laser leveled by Schaefer-Meyer from St. Charles.  The staff worked through a couple of hot days laying the sod.  The top of the tee was finished on Wednesday and part of the surround  fescue as well was laid. The remaining sod was completed on Thursday that we had on hand.  I decided to expand the cool season turf out toward the walk path removing some crabgrass infested turf.  We still have to complete some of this area and will need to sod on the metro link side of the bank as well.

During the grow in process, we will be keeping the tee very wet to reduce stress to the turf and to assist in rooting.  Once roots begin to form, we will reduce the amount of water but will still keep it fairly moist. Once it is firm enough to mow, we will do some mowing at a higher height than its normal playing height to keep the crown of the plant from raising to high.  We also want to keep it slightly higher than normal to assist in rooting and growing it in.  We will also be lightly sanding the tee to assist in smoothing the surface, placing some protection over the crowns and helping the seems close.  We are also evaluating barrier netting on both the metro link side and an area on the right to reduce balls from entering the the maintenance compound.

We ask that you please keep off the tee and discourage anyone from practicing from the tee until it has been opened for play next season.

We will attempt to open the tee in mid-spring if conditions allow.

We are very appreciative of our member donors who contributed to this project.

First delivery of sod arriving at Glen Echo from Heartland Turf Farms from Columbia, Ill.  They have a sandy soil based sod that will transition and grow in better with our sandy based tee.  We used  54 rolls of zoysia. 35 yards per roll and 10 rolls of Fescue sod.

Mike McNeil from Schaefer-Meyer laser leveling the tee.  On the right front corner of the tee is a laser level.  Mike inputs information into the computer on the level.  We set the tee at a 1% slope from the right front corner to the back corner where Mike is located.  1% slope over 100 feet is 1 foot so the tee falls approximately 1.2" every 10 feet

First roll of sod being laid.  Sod is 3.5 feet wide and about 90' long.  The tee is about 135 feet deep so about 1.5 rolls per line.  Looks simple and it is compared to slabs of sod but the sod does not necessarily get rolled side by side.  It must be pulled or pushed together to reduce gaps which can delay the seams healing.  A lot of up and down and crawling around on ones knees.

The guys are close to finishing the zoysia.  Look over to the right corner and you see 10 roles of fescue.  I burst their bubble when I told them we had to lay at least 6 of those before we left.

The fescue trim on the left.  You can also see in the background the area below the netting which still must be sodded.  We will finish this area once the heat wave stops in the next week or two.

The tennis court roller we used to help press the soil on the sod in better contact with the tee surface.

This is the metro link side that will be sodded as well.  We are not going way down the ditch but along the main soil area to reduce erosion.

Watering after the work on Wednesday.  We will also be hand watering as well to concentrate the water where needed.

The finished product.  Looks pretty sharp!