Re-Visit the Bubble

For those of you new to the Vail Golf Club you may know nothing about the "bubble". This former winter landmark on the driving range was erected each year to house another sheet of ice during the winter months. The remains of the "bubble" exist underground in the middle of the driving range floor. Pictured here is the concrete foundation and an asphalt apron. Most of these areas are covered with a few inches of soil and very weak turf. In order for Landscapes to properly install the piping to the range floor they must hammer through the concrete to the appropriate depth.

To remove these permanent features will be extremely expensive. So as we move forward, we battle with a "feast or famine scenario". Poor drainage in the spring which results in stagnant, anaerobic conditions, followed by dry conditions in the summer due to the previous lack of irrigation and shallow root systems. With the lack of soil we will continue to fight this battle. In the years ahead we look to incorporate some sort of topdressing to alleviate these stresses.