2020 Spring Renovations

March 19, 2020

As winter ends, and Spring begins, many of us have projects on our list – Fossil Trace Golf Club is no exception. With recent events of the world, the turf care team at Fossil Trace will continue with a spring renovation project that is sure to improve conditions and the overall experience.

Hole #3 | Re-opened for play on Friday, May 22nd

Hole 2 & 15

The final hole of our infamous Hole 11 – 15 stretch has been slated for renovation, along with the driveable Par 4 second hole, and Par 3, third.  Originally scheduled for last year, Mother Nature did not cooperate, and the renovation project was pushed to Spring 2020. Renovation work began on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020. Golf Course Superintendent Noy Sparks provides insight to the projects:

Noy’s Notes

The entire green complexes of Hole 2 and 15 will be renovated after 18 years of struggling with the unique challenges the current design presents (Fossil Trace opened in July 2003).  The golf management team determined that the best way to provide a great experience on these particular holes would be to move forward with new green complex renovations.

Our specific and most critical challenge we have had with the greens of Hole 2 and Hole 15 is the constant pressure of winter, and its yearlong effect on these greens. There is a tremendous ice buildup on the green throughout the winter months, and all surrounding turf areas drain towards the green surface. When it snows, the snow melts during the day and re-freezes at night directly on the green. This causes two issues:

1. Accumulation of ice on the green prohibits gas exchange between the soil and the atmosphere which is critical to healthy turf – even in winter months. If ice remains on the surface for a prolonged period of time, the turf can suffocate and die.
2. Moisture on the surface that goes through cycles of freezing and thawing can cause “crown hydration,” a process where the cells inside the crown of the plant explode, killing the plant.  Unfortunately, this occurred during the Winter 2017, resulting in significant turf loss on several greens. The new design will lift the green 8 feet and shift it east, providing much better surface drainage and sunshine throughout the winter months.

During construction, Hole 15 will play as a long Par 4 with a temporary green 30 yards short of the original green. Hole 2 will play as a long Par 3 with a temporary green 20 yards short of the original green.  Mother Nature interrupted the progress on Hole #2, thus that hole will play as a Par 3 with anticipated re-opening in early June. We are excited to announce that Hole #15 opened for play on Friday, May 29th, and Hole #2 will opened for play Friday, June 5th.

 

 

Hole 3

A much smaller project than the Hole 15 renovation, Hole 3 is also slated for an improvement project. The turf care team will reshape the green to allow more pin locations and mellow out the extreme undulations that cause ice buildup during the winter months. Though not as big of a change as Hole 15 green, we anticipate much better playing conditions once this project is completed.

Hole 3 will be closed completely while the new turf strengthens. Once play is completed on Hole 2, guests will go directly to Hole 4. We are pleased to announce Hole #3 will be open for play on Friday, May 22nd.

Thank You

From the entire Fossil Trace team, we appreciate your patience and understanding while we complete these projects and care for the greens.  The projects are sure to improve the quality of play, and long term success of our turf conditions.