30 weeks of construction, Bemudagrass grow in, and overseed has come and gone. Can you believe it? I certainly can not. Finishing a project of this magnitude on time AND under-budget is a feat of its own. Not just that, but it was overly successful in setting Terravita up for success for the decades to come!
I'd like to go over a few frequently asked questions... If you have a question that is not covered in this post, please leave a comment below or send me an email! (A comment below is prefered because the rest of the readers will see the answer as well.)
Q: Why is the driving range floor not overseeded? A: Terravita received 2.75 inches of rain all within 4 hours of the completion of the driving range floor grassing. This washed about 40 percent of the sprigs away, leaving minimal Bermudagrass actually in place. It was decided to leave the existing Bermudagrass enough time to establish and skip the overseed. Next summer we will rectify all damage done by the rain.
Q: Why do the practice greens, and a few greens on the course, look so much thinner than the rest? A: The order of completion of the golf course construction was holes 11-18, 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,9,1,10. So the early holes not only had more time to grow, but longer days for growth. The greens that appear more thin than others will remain that way until warmer days arrive. You can expect all greens to look and play the same by July 4th. The decision to not overseed these greens was mostly driven by the goal to give our Bermudagrass as much time as possible to fully establish.
Q: Will the maintenance team be creating more walk paths for walking golfers? A: We certainly can! We created access through the desert on all holes based on feedback we have received in the past. If you or your playing partners have areas that you feel would improve the walk-ability of the course, please send me an email and we will work on those in the coming weeks! Please keep in mind, one of our greatest assets at Terravita are our mature deserts. So we will limit walk paths to the highest traffic, most necessary, and least damaging areas on the course.
Q: When can we expect to drive carts on the grass? A: With a normal overseed the chief concern when coming off the paths too early is damaging the immature Rye grass. This year, we not only have immature Rye grass, but we also have an immature Bermudagrass base. So cart path only is not only imperative for the overseed, but also for next years transition, and the overall health of the turf (warm and cool season). Despite all of this, I do understand that cart path only effects the playablity of the course for many. So we will do our best to get everyone off the paths as soon as possible! There is likely to be a few holes cart path only longer than others. More on this to come.
Q: Will we have yardage markers throughout the fairways and rough? A: Yes... eventually. There are some supply chain issues limiting this, but we are working with our vendors to get these on the course ASAP!
Any questions left unanswered? Please drop them in the comments below!
This is what I see from the south side on hole 14. Dead grass and weeds. If grass cannot be maintained perhaps a sand surface like the North side would work.
Other than the comfort stations at holes 5 and 15 will there be other hole locations with a trash receptacle?
The walking path on 6 has been blocked with brush. Will that be cleaned up and improved?
Great update and overview. So impressed w all the hard work that has gone into the project. what an amazing accomplishment!