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HANDS ON overseeded, but not in the spring and added mix to make more pin locations. problem by installing a drain field with- summer months. The shaping was done by myself and the out rebuilding the entire green. Again, (2) Our play in the summer months crew with a tractor and box blade attach- we cut a temporary green but this time was increasing and we wanted to give our ment. Then we went over it with a sand only for a day. We cut a herringbone players better greens all year round. pro till we were satisfied with the look. pattern on the green with a sod cutter and (3) The drainage was poor due to the Sprinklers were moved if necessary saved the sod. Then we brought in ply- underlying muck soil and low spots de- and the soil was watered and packed. wood to lay along the sod cuts for the veloped as the muck settled. Fumigation was done by an outside con- rented trencher to ride on. (4) We could not keep consistent ball tractor and the plastic tarp removed a few The plywood made cleaning up the roll between the Tifgreen 328 and Tifd- days later. Then each green was sprigged dirt easier and protected the green from warf greens. with Tifdwarf at the rate of 30 bushels per being rutted. The pipe and gravel were We felt that we had nine greens that thousand square feet. We grew them in installed in the trenches and the top of needed to be improved. Six had "328" for at least eight weeks unless weather or the drain field was kept at least 8 inches surfaces and three were already Tifdwarf, timing pushed back our opening date. below the surface so they wouldn't inter- but needed help. The problem with doing one green a fere with future cup setting. An air vent Since we are a public golf course, we year was there was no guarantee we would was installed in the drainpipe where it decided we would only do one green a get the same Tifdwarf the next year, but it extended into the collar to aid in better year to minimize the impact to our play- was an improvement over what we had. drainage flow. Greensmix was used to fill ers. We have completed eight greens so Some mutation and contamination has top 8 inches of the trenches and watered far with only one of the "328" greens to occurred and we have tried to plug some and packed. The sod was laid back down go- of it out and stay ahead of it as best we as it had come out and then packed. After deciding which green we would can. The green was back open as soon as we do first, a temporary green was cut-in For the most part, the crew enjoyed were done that day. Some settling did and trained on a high and dry spot in the the challenge of the project while still occur, and those areas were hand fairway. We made it about 2,500 square maintaining the golf course for play. Some topdressed as needed. We have done five feet because we figured we would be us- of the flymow and edging work got put greens this way so far. ing it about three months. The players on hold for a little longer than we would Whether rebuilding greens, tees or didn't seem to mind playing one tempo- have liked, but overall the golf course was adding drainage, everything we do helps rary green when they saw the changes we kept maintained pretty well. make Winter Pines a little better golf were making to improve the hole. course for everyone to play and enjoy. The only additional equipment we Tees needed for the project was a trencher for The rebuilding of our tee tops has Pine Tree Golf Club the drain lines. We did rent a small dump been another continuing project. Some truck to use on a couple of greens, but our of the tees built in 1968 had become The Restoration of a bridges wouldn't handle the weight so we "crowned" from top dressing over the Dick Wilson Classic did the bulk of our hauling of greens mix years. They were also too small to handle and gravel with our two trucksters, a the wear from our steadily increasing In 1961 Dick Wilson created a great Jacobsen T-2000 and a EZ-Go GXT 1500 play. masterpiece, the Pine Tree Golf Club, in with dump beds. They could haul about The areas around the tees to be im- Boynton Beach. The course quickly 1/3 of a yard at a time. We were able to proved were shot with a transit to see how gained a national reputation by being place some of the materials on nearby large we could make them. The sod was honored in the Top Ten of Golf Digest's empty lots, but it still was a lot of hauling. stripped and stacked nearby to be re- top 100 courses in the country. The The old putting surface sod was cut, placed after we finished the alterations. course, virtually untouched since 1961, stripped and hauled away. Then we We used the tractor with box blade to has consistently held that honor. trenched in a herringbone pattern drain level, widen and extend each tee as needed. This summer, architect Ron Forse, field with a "smile" drain along the front We packed the soil and shot it again with who recently successfully restored In- edge of the putting surface. On the muck- the transit to make sure it was level. Then dian Creek in Miami, will bring back based greens we used choker sand to help we replaced the sod, rolled it, top dressed Wilson's design at Pine Tree. Working drainage and stabilize low areas in the it and opened it for play. from photos commissioned by Ben profile. Most greens were already too low Hogan, greens that have risen two feet so none were cored out. Rather, we built Drainage from 36 years of top dressing will be them up and added fill to tie into the During the wet summer we had two or lowered and enlarged to the original speci- slope contour and sodded the banks. three years ago, some of other pushed-up fications. Some of the greens were kept about greens that had no drainage began to The goal is to have a rebirth of the the same size, but if we felt it too small, we have problems. We decided to solve the superb layout crafted by Wilson in 1961. 60 THE FLORIDA GREEN Hogan's desire to have photos made kers and lakes with amazing delicacy Since I had the challenge of managing of every tee shot and approach shot on and minimal sound. Under the intense Isleworth's greens from 1988 to 1991 the course is a testament to the caliber of study of Forse, it is obvious that the during the bentgrass years, I was inter- course Wilson designed. Hogan report- intent of all concerned is to pull off ested in finding out from superintendent edly called it "one of the finest courses in something historic and spectacular. Buck Buckner exactly how the conver- the world." Construction has been moving along at sion took place, and what other changes Arnold Palmer and Dow Finsterwald a good pace and the reopening is tenta- the club had made. Buckner, who al- applied for conventional memberships tively planned for Nov. 1. ready had a great reputation for his good to the club after playing it. Wilson was greens at the nearby Orange Tree C. C., also the original designer of the Bay Hill came on board in 1993 to oversee the Club in Orlando. From bentgrass to conversion. Forse of Forse Design, Inc. of bermuda and beyond "The first decision — to replace the Hopwood, Pa. is an avid restorationist. bentgrass and rebuild the greens to USGA He even teaches a GCSAA course on BY JOEL JACKSON, CGCS specifications — was a no brainer," said classic courses and master architects. His In the mid 1980s, the Isleworth Coun- Buckner. "Having bentgrass in Central reputation for attention to detail was a try Club in Windermere was one a few Florida is a wonderful dream, but just key factor in his selection for the project. courses in Florida built with pure bent- isn't realistic! As you experienced it, Joel, Forse says," The beauty of what Wil- grass greens. The others were Golden you could have great bentgrass for six to son created and still remains, is very rare. Eagle in Tallahassee, The Plantation at eight months depending on the weather. This course and the photo documenta- Ponte Vedra in Ponte Vedra Beach, and "When it got warm and humid, it tion should remain as a historical monu- Loxahatchee in Jupiter. As of last year, all could get ugly. The club wanted to make ment to one of golf s greatest architects." of those courses have converted to Tifd- sure we had the best possible playing Bulldozers, backhoes, front end load- warf bermudagrass greens except the surfaces all year round, so switching to ers and four dump trucks with turf tires Plantation course, which still doggedly Tifdwarf was the obvious choice." have been rebuilding the greens, bun- pursues the holy grail. "The second decision was harder. Af- Your Sand Man Choker Sand • Greens Mix Sand • Pea Rock White Trap Sand • Dolomite • Hi-Cal Dry Sterilized Top Dressing Sand All Sands meet U.S.G.A.

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