The Nordic Series: The Snowcat, Part 1

The Vail Recreation District purchased a new Prinoth Husky Snowcat a couple of seasons ago to keep up with the growing sport of nordic skiing here at the Vail Golf Club. As a golf course superintendent in this town, I am always asked what I do in the winter. I reply with "only working 40 hours a week".

Let me explain a few things about how a nordic track is maintained. First off, there are four of us through the winter months that groom and maintain the track daily. We also maintain a packed snowshoe course and some plowing. Much like golf, there are no holidays for nordic skiing, so there is someone on hand everyday for the entire day.

Below is the tiller or the cutter bar. The cutter bar is in the rear of the snowcat just before the corduroy mat, that tills up any snow and evens out the surface. It is crucial that the operator knows the course and how to manage the tiller at all times. During low snow periods, there could be rock or cart path that needs to be avoided. If there have been a number of days with no snow, the tiller helps to soften the surface slightly to allow skiers to catch their edge. When the snow piles up, the tiller helps pack the snow down and keep it in place. If the tiller is not set correctly for each condition it can severely impact the life of the track.

Visibility can be difficult when trying to understand what the snow looks like after it has been processed through the tiller. Having the mirrors set correctly, quickly helps grooming for the day. They help you see how much snow is gathering in the tiller, how fast the tiller speed is, what condition the pans leave behind, and that one skier who is riding your tail.

The steering wheel is the "bread and butter" of the operation. Conveniently you can make all the necessary changes you need right in front of you. The four push buttons on the top left help direct the entire rear attachment. The positions are center, left, right and float. Float is most commonly used to react to turns. The four green and black buttons operate the tiller and the pans. From left to right; turns the tiller on/off, sets the depth of the cutter bar, raise/lower the left pan, raise/lower the right pan.

The two knobs on the bottom left of the wheel determine tiller turning speed and the speed of the entire unit. The bottom push button operates the windshield wipers and in the background above the wheel is the light console to inform you of what is happening and what might be wrong (ex. low oil, pressure, etc)

This is your main switch board. The joy stick operates the plow in front of the cat, there are pressure, fuel and rpm gauges. Finally, there are numerous switches to help with the cutter bar, defrost to keep windows clear, parking brakes, exterior lights, heat, wipers, and of course the radio.

In part 2, I will discuss more about the pans, plow and other features of the snow cat. The series will also discuss course markings, types of skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, safety and other maintenance equipment.

There is still time

You have until January 5th to vote for your favorite golf courses in the state of Colorado. Click here for the link to vote Vail Golf Club as your favorite golfing destination.

Golf Heals

This link was sent to me today. Click here to view a great story out of Tacoma, WA. You my have seen it before. It could be one of the Golden Bear's best piece of work. All the best to a safe and happy holiday season.

Winter

Beginning today the days are getting longer! I always look forward to that. Makes for a longer ski day as well. Snow conditions haven't been better at the Nordic Center and we are off to our best start ever. Lots of early skiing and the entire track has been open for well over a month now.

Looking forward to some more storms over the holiday weeks.

To date our project are just about complete with only the gas line installation still on. After the new year we will work with XCel to continue with finishing their supplemental line through the course. I would guess they have 500 yards left to install, which would take about 2-3 weeks to install. Thawing the ground takes up most of that time.

Enjoy the holiday season, stay tuned for my "All Things Nordic" segment where I will begin to post the making of a Nordic track and snowshoe trails.

Joe B. Is Coming Back

No, New Orleans is not known for its golf. However, just like you, there are many people in that great city that love the sport just as much as you do.

This picture was taken by yours truly almost 5 years ago. If my memory serves my right, this was the first tee. There were no signs at the time of this golf course ever being played again. Thanks to the dedicated people of New Orleans, there is one more golf course set to open.

Click on the title of this post for a great article in the Wall St. Journal on the Joe Bartholomew Golf Course in New Orleans.

Bridge and Gas Line Update

The seventeenth bridge is coming along nicely and will be complete and ready for winter foot traffic for the weekend. You can see here, metal plates are being installed to keep the wood railings into place.

Excel energy started digging yesterday to install their new gas line. The goal is to replace the old line with the new line in the exact location.

The 4 inch line was fused onto the pipe from the bridge and about the first 50 feet was dug and installed yesterday. The trench was back filled by the end of the day so it would not freeze.

Thaw blankets have been installed for another 125 feet and the ground will be ready on Friday to continue the installation on the access road between 11 & 16 greens.

By the weekend, the 17th bridge will be safely accessible for all users. After the work on Friday is complete, the installation process will not pick up again until after the holidays. Which is fine with us, because the nordic activities are the busiest and there will be no interruptions through the season.

The Final Touches on 11 Bridge

Today was the fun part. Plowing snow onto a perfectly good bridge. Mother Nature helped a bit, but we have spent the last few days moving snow with the front end loader from another site to the bridge. Due to the size of the bridge, we needed a lot of snow. The bridge is 15 feet wide and spans 44 feet in length.
Justin and Tony spent part of the morning getting the bridge into shape for skiers. By the end of the weekend it will be officially open.
Until the 17th bridge is operational, the 11th bridge will be used for skiers and foot traffic. Please obey signs. Keep it here for the completion of 17 bridge. Thanks to all of you for your patience and understanding.

So we are now embarking on our largest utility improvement project on the golf course. There are many utilities throughout the property including a power, phone, cable, high pressure gas and domestic (low pressure) gas. This next project is in response to a failed valve that caused an minor explosion to the domestic line prior to the 17th bridge excavation. The 4 inch line will be replaced starting this week. The first step is to thaw the ground. Today Xcel has installed a heating machine so that they can begin to dig on Friday.

They are installing the HDPE pipe all the way from the bridge to the frontage road, where it meets the high pressure line. This is a supplemental line for homes and part of Vail Village mostly used in the winter when the demand is greater.

They can thaw about 100 feet at a time. So it will be a slow process, but once they are complete, we can begin to open the area for winter activities.

The 17th bridge final preparations can be mostly accomplished from the south side of the creek, so they would not interfere with the gas company.

Railings

The design here is similar to the bridge detail on holes 14 & 15. A lighter and fresher color wood that will be changed on the aforementioned bridges to match our new established style in the future.

Today the guys are making quick work of the railings and hope to be completed by Wednesday. Transitioning the bridges will be the final step to allow the snowcat, snowmobile and skiers to access the bridge smoothly. We are focusing on protecting the rails and locating snow to bring to the bridge for skiing.

Almost There...

The end is in sight. Yesterday by 10.30am both frames of 11 & 17 bridge were in place and they fit like a glove. To the left is the 17th being lowered into position. For video of the process, visit the video bar to the right of the page.

The 17th bridge has one slight addition, a domestic gas line, as you can see it hanging from the frame. Earlier in this project, the gas company had a problem with one of their valves on this line and it caused a small explosion. This is a supplemental line and since we are nearing the peak season for natural gas demand, XCel will begin the process of replacing that line on Tuesday. Not the greatest news with the weather, present snow and the fact we need to keep track of our new irrigation system. However, it is better than piling this on the spring.

I will have more information later this week with details of the new gas line installation. Yes, it will have some effect on our operations, however since we have spent time and money on this new bridge I feel more comfortable knowing everything with the gas line will be corrected to prevent another explosion.

As for the bridges, they are not operational yet. The railings and deck need to be secured before we allow use of the bridges. The first step is being done right now, as the metal floor is being welded onto the frame. Next, the railings will be installed and a temporary deck for the winter will be placed. Ultimately, a concrete deck will be poured as the permanent deck, but we have decided against pouring concrete this time of year. The concrete will be poured in April when the nordic season is over and nighttime temperatures are typically higher than December.

Our plan is to have the bridges operational by December 13th. Keep checking the blog for the latest details.

Moving Bridges

From the moment I first laid eyes on the bridges on the golf course I knew that these aging structures needed to be replaced. Unfortunately they fell down the priority list behind a new irrigation system and some failing retaining walls. However, today is the day we begin with the final steps of the new large bridges on the 11th and 17h holes.

Pictured here are the bottom of the rails that have already been installed. Due to the schedule of the crane company, today will be when they are placed onto the abutments. Over the next week the railings and transitions to the bridge will be finalized. They will be available for the nordic community on December 13th.

The railings have been stained and prepared for all weather conditions. You will notice how nicely they match the wood detail of the pumphouse and the new weather shelter.

Weather Shelter Update

Today was barely warm enough to continue with framing the new weather shelter on the 11th hole. This shelter is located about 40 steps in the north east direction from the 11th green. It will cover that void in the middle of the course for anyone caught in a storm. It is accessible from holes 11,12,15,16 & 17.

When the framing is complete, only the roof remains. The roof and wood materials mirror the pumphouse building. There are no inside walls on the building, however there are trees and willows to the west of the building to help protect against the prevailing winds. Inside the building will be a circular bench for golfers to sit as they wait out the storm. The wood will be stained the appropriate color and the lightning protection is scheduled to be installed in the springtime.

Bridge Update

We're still going with the bridges and taking advantage of recent clear days in Vail. We were slowed by a few storms over the past few weeks. The snow is now here to stay, but quite a bit has melted over the last week.
The contractor has stayed busy with finalizing the abutments. The final steps are in sight now, with only the deck frames and the railings remain.
We have about 7-8 inches of snow on the ground, which is actually melting quickly. We have been able to keep access roads cleared and the workers are still productive. The goal is to have the bridges accessible by December 13th.
The nordic community is thrilled to have snow to ski on right now. Most of the track is accessible, however there are some thin spots. Over my five years here in Vail, this is the earliest we have seen snow for the winter. The bridges will be ready to go for the "meat" of the ski season.
Final touches will be completed in the spring which include tying the bridges into the cart paths. There will be some new sod to enhance areas near the bridge. The creek banks will be overseeded with native grasses and willow bushes to stabilize and enhance the creek bank.

Who's Your Favorite

Click on the title of this blog to vote for your favorite golf course in the state. Colorado Avid Golfer Magazine is now using the internet to cast votes on the best courses in the state. Now you have a chance to rank Vail Golf Club where it belongs. Vail GC has made some great changes over the past few years to improve our level of play. An irrigation replacement, pace of play model, structural improvements, Audubon certification are just a few of the reasons to cast your vote today, spread the word.

Coal Bucket Classic, 2010

Steve Simonett (left) was our net winner of the Coal Bucket Classic for 2010. Steve last won the "bucket" back in 1989 and he gets to write his name on the bucket one more time. Seems his game has been just fine through the years.

Paul Seidman (middle) was runner up and Glenn Samuelson, last year's winner, made an excellent host for this year's tournament.

We had about 40 players walk the 12 hole course this year and the weather stayed clear and warm for the day. The tournament marks the end of the golf season in Vail. The Coal Bucket Classic began in 1968 and is the oldest golf tournament in the Vail Valley.

Keep It Moving

The snow fell yesterday and we poured concrete. The sun is here today to reveal the covers and keep it moving with getting the 7th tee built. Yesterday was a good day for getting things done with our projects. Today is dry, but more weather is approaching.

Compaction tests are being performed on the base material prior to construction of the walls. Compaction has been good overall, however the moisture content in the soil has been too high, and has put some bumps in the road. Landscapes is using blankets to keep the moisture off and keep the ground warm as possible. Pictured here is the bottom wall or wall #4. This is the wall along the cart path and holds the most amount of pressure. It has been designed to have a concrete wall behind the decorative stones to ensure the wall will hold.

So far the installation is going very well. The stones used for the wall are named "Rosetta Stone". They are engineered to fit perfectly and provide the stability we are looking to obtain. This particular type of stone is named the "Vail Stone" because it is designed to match the rock outcroppings seen throughout East Vail.

Figuring It Out

No more mowing rough by the maintenance staff here in Vail. We'll save lots on labor dollars. With this new product on sale in golf shops everywhere, we just may have zero need to mow anything again. Click here for golf's latest and greatest technological advancement.

The North Abutment

I have loaded up some new pictures of the projects going on to the blog. Here you can see the creek view of rip rap that has been installed for the north abutment on the 11th bridge.
Back filling the abutment is almost complete. Due to the weather, most likely the cart path will be realigned and replaced in the spring. There will be new sod and irrigation replacement in the spring as well.

The Latest on Construction

We are juggling 4 capital projects, while getting the course ready for the winter.

Before I get into the projects, the Coal Bucket Classic is this Sunday at noon. Show up at the first tee. $10 for anyone who would like a chance to write their name on the bucket. We'll play 12 holes and cap it off at the clubhouse restaurant.

The projects are going great and the weather couldn't be better. The greatest challenge for the bridges is the installation of the abutments on the creek edge. There are four total abutments, two for each bridge. We have one abutment for 11 completed, another abutment on 17 is nearing completion.

The 7th tee is rolling along smoothly. There were some slight field changes that needed to be made due to the complexity of this project. This project is scheduled to be completed early December. The biggest improvement for the winter will be a newly relocated snowshoe path along the creek. We will work with the Nature and Nordic Centers to guide walkers and hikers appropriately through this area when the project is complete.

The fourth and final project is a new weather shelter on the 11th hole. Construction has begun and concrete footers are being poured this afternoon. This shelter is located to the left of the 11 green and easy access.

Stay tuned to the site as more pictures continue to be posted throughout the coming weeks. Please click on the slide show to the right side of the blog for each project.

Wrapping Up

Well, just like any Vikings fan would say about right now, "We'll see you next year!"

It has been a good season, a real good season. Winter came quickly and fall certainly had a good run. We are putting some final touches on the course and gearing up for the nordic season.

Be sure to grab you snowshoes and check out the new "Gompf Trail" near the 14th green. It is one of the most scenic areas of the winter landscape.

Also, we still have the Coal Bucket Classic to play once the calendar turns to November. We are expecting some melting at the end of this week and possibly next week. Keep tuning into the blog to check for the date and time.

Bridge Work

This week we removed the old bridge from the 11th hole. The failing abutments soon followed and we are staging to excavate for new abutments. As you can see in the second picture, water dams are being installed to de-water the excavation sites.
The old bridges were 40 feet long and 10 feet wide with no railings. The new bridges are 44 feet long to prevent any constriction to the flow of the creek. The bridges are 15 feet wide to accommodate all equipment crossing including the snowcat. Due to code and safety concerns there must be a 42 inch high railing on each side of the bridges. The bridge railings will not interfere with golf shots with their location.

Project Month

We had four projects begin at the golf course over the past two weeks. The 7th tee box is the big one, followed by three Gore Creek projects. On the creek we have two 44 ft bridges being replaced and a drop structure in the creek adjacent to the irrigation diversion.
Pictured here is the excavator repairing the rock formation that was wasted from the high flows in the spring time.
The top of the structure was formed with concrete and boulders. Due to the stress of the high flow, the concrete fell apart and the structure became a significant erosion problem and a recreational hazard. The downside of the structure had a large hole and the creek was undercutting the structure. If this was left alone, a sink hole would eventually form before the structure and become a serious threat to any recreational activity in the creek. This project has been corrected with approximately 100 tons of boulders placed properly with out concrete. The boulders have been placed to increase the strength of the structure and improve flow through this stretch of the creek.

Progress on #7

Here we are after three days of construction progress at the #7 tee box. Erosion control, wall staking, utility marking, tree identification and removal of trees due to the impact of the new walls are complete. Thursday and Friday we begin removal of old walls.

Scroll down to the bottom of the blog to view an artist rendering of what the project will look like upon completion.

Disobeying Signs

Yesterday we had some golfers sneak out to some of our closed holes. The Vail GCM staff was tired of policing the area, so we had to bring out the "enforcer".

We have 13 great holes for play and it has been fairly busy out there.

Fairway Aerification

It is time to aerify fairways. The weather has been favorable. By the looks of this picture you may not even notice that big green tractor.

I love this aerifier because there is nothing to break, especially with all of the rock in the fairways.

We aerify fairways in three directions with this wheel to disturb as much of the surface as possible. There are 5/8th inch tines on the back and open up great holes. After letting the cores sit and dry out we drag them with a large plastic mat to break up the dirt from the thatch and plant material. Once the dirt is free, we use a large blower to push the thatch into the rough to be disbursed by mowers.

Today we attacked 4 & 5 fairways. The rest of the week is planned as follows:

Tuesday: Fairways: 6 & 7

Wednesday: 2 & 8

Thursday: 1 & 9

The back nine fairways will be aerified next week.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Construction on the 7th tee boxes begins today. Holes 3-7 will be closed for the remainder of the season. The 10th tee will be played as the first tee this week. After playing the back nine, holes 1,2,8 & 9 are available for play. I will load plenty of pictures onto the blog as we move through the construction this fall.

5 Days Until Construction

After three and a half years of planning to rebuild this tee box we are finally nearing the construction phase. The plan to be implemented, is truly the best scenario to enhance the 7th hole.

Landscapes Unlimited is already on-site and ready to begin on Monday, September 27th.

Pictured here is the stone that will be used to construct the new retaining walls. This rock is newly named "Vail Stone" which is a replica of the stone outcroppings that are present in East Vail along the golf course.

Yesterday, we conducted the pre-construction meeting. All entities were represented including the engineer, stone supplier, contractor, TOV and the VRD.

For all you golfers out there, beginning Monday, holes 3-7 will be closed for the remainder of the 2010 golf season. This tee box projected is expected to finish by November or when the snow falls. Access through the area is prohibited for the safety of all golfers and guests. There will be construction fence and signage present to warn all public that the area is closed. The teeing ground will be open for play for the spring of 2011.

Auditing Irrigation

We are a year removed from the irrigation installation and it is time to see how things are working. Monday, Rainbird conducted a audit on the system. We chose the 16th green and fairways for the testing. These are the same areas that were tested in 2008 by Colorado State University Extension from Mesa County. It will be great to see the comparison from old to new.

The old system was 55% efficient on the green and a mere 32% efficient on the fairway.

Wade Vecchio, our local Rainbird representative and Brian Keighan, president of Irrigation Technologies were on hand to perform the audit. The cups are placed every 10 feet on the green and are recorded by GPS. Next, each sprinkler head that waters the green is turned on one at a time to simulate a nightly watering. Each head was turned on for 6 minutes. During their cycles, the main flow from the head is tested for pressure (bottom picture). The desired pressure is 80 psi, which passed with flying colors.

The goal for collecting water in cups is to find the uniformity of the application, not the amount of water applied. Our goal is to be above 80% efficient. The fairways should grade higher because they are wide open spaces and the heads are placed in a perfect triangular pattern. However the wind did pick up slightly during the test for fairways, which will skew the numbers slightly.

Greens are different, because the odd shape of the greens and tighter spaces with trees and various terrain. A poor grade from the audit on greens will require adjusting/replacement of nozzles. Needless to say, I expect much higher grades than the 2008 scores. We are in the right direction, this test will tell us how much tuning we still need to accomplish. Over the next year, we will audit every green in-house to ensure uniformity.

Air, Water and Soils

With the dry conditions and warm temperatures we are going to substitute aerification with spiking on fairways and tees. Beginning Monday we will spike all fairways and tees on the course. It will take us all week and then some to complete all 18 holes.

During dry conditions the soils tend to lock up and become very hard. Maybe you have had a hard time getting tees into the ground. Water is having the same problem. Spiking will help loosen the soil profile and allow the water to enter the rootzone. Spiking is not a solution to aerifcation. Pulling cores removes thatch which is highly important. Unless we see some significant moisture soon, we will plan to aerify the entire course in the spring. Greens aerification will begin Monday, October 4th. Stay tuned for course maintenance and closures through October.

Championship Days

A beautiful day for golf. Temperatures have been in the 70's all week, conditions are dry and firm and perfect for scoring. Today began the two-day Club Championship for the men's and ladies' leagues. The greens are rolling at their best for the season and are consistently at 11.5 on the stimp meter. Which is slightly faster than normal. Our goal for the regular season is to maintain green speeds of 9.5-10 on the stimp meter.

For the best test for today's players, we mowed and rolled greens today. With the cooler temperatures, the mowers are not picking up much grass, however they remove any debris and clean up the surface. Following the mowers, we rolled most of the greens, for a smoother and quicker pace.

The stimp meter is used to measure consistency among the greens.

Not every green needs to be rolled to achieve the desired rolling speed. The 10th green is a great example. It was rolling so fast that we skipped rolling it and hand watered to soften the surface.

Players must put some thought into their approach to these greens and they will prove to be a great test for the championship.

Delayed Aerification

Recently we have had extreme dry conditions in the valley which has been good for golf, however we decided to postpone tee aerification. The aerification process does stress the plants and they require more water than normal to heal properly. It has been rescheduled for the end of September during cooler temperatures. Fairway aerification is still on schedule to begin on September 20th. More details to follow as we approach that date.

Tee Aerification Schedule

We are arriving to that time of year. Aerification is the most important maintenance practice for a successful winter and 2011 season. As shown here, aerification promotes root growth, removes thatch build-up on the surface, and allows for sand topdressing to dilute thatch, and smooth out the putting surface. We ask that you be patient with us as we work around weather and daylight to successfully accomplish this tedious process. We schedule these events to have the least amount of impact possible for golfers. Next week we'll begin with tees and September 20th we begin fairways. The tee schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 6th: Back nine tees

Tuesday, Sept 7th: Front nine tees (10 Tee will act as the 1st tee for the day)

The fairway aerification schedule to follow.

Not Just Anyday

I have had the opportunity to manage a few transplanted pine trees in the past but never a tree this size. Today the Town of Vail completed a feat that can be difficult to pull off and kudos to all that were involved. The town's public works department needed to transplant a healthy 50 foot spruce tree and the golf course was the right place. Today it has a real nice home on the 4th hole. This beautiful specimen will not only enhance the beauty of the hole, but help protect Vail Valley Drive from from golf balls. Too many times we have had close calls with pedestrians, cars, bikers and home owners.

We seemed to have every public employee in town helping out with the move. The tree came from the corner of the south frontage road near the Lionshead parking structure. A tree this size can not be "spaded" like we see so many times. Spruce trees do not normally have deep roots, so the moving company was able to excavate two feet deep around the drip line of the tree. Next they dug a hole about 15 feet next to the tree to provide space for metal pipes that are slid underneath the tree. I use the word "slid" loosely as it was no small task.

The pipe installation severs all connections with the earth and the root ball is wrapped in burlap and wire mesh. Then the tree can then be picked up by a crane and ready for transport.

That's where we picked up today for the fun stuff. After some tedious work to remove the tree from the ground, the tree was placed on a "low boy" flat bed truck. Slowly, the truck maneuvered through some of the hilly streets in town to get it to the golf course. The crane had to set up again near the new location and prepare to transplant the tree.

Prior to planting, a 16 foot diameter hole was dug to accept the tree. Careful unloading and placement was taken by the moving company and the planting began. By 7pm tonight, the guy wires were in place and the tree was mostly back filled. The metal pipes remain in the ground, due to the proximity to the street, other trees and utilities there was no room to dig an extra hole to remove them. There are no ill effects leaving them in the ground.

Tomorrow will complete the move which includes more dirt, a tree skirt of straw and a mulch covering. Finally we will set up irrigation and begin the recovery stage. The tree should take about 220 gallons of water per week and an organic nutrient product to help the tree gain root mass.

I would like to thank all of those who helped made this an easy and safe process. Most of them are Town of Vail employees and some of our own staff at the golf course and VRD. It is comforting to work with great professionals that achieve success. Now it is up to us to make sure this baby survives!

Bridge Details

The lines underneath the current bridges all relate to the old irrigation system that is now inactive. They will be removed with the bridges. The new irrigation has been bored underneath the creek. The 17th bridge has a domestic gas line underneath. Before demolition of that bridge a temporary gas line will be installed. Then a new line will then be replaced within the new bridge.

Longevity and safety are the key issues with these bridges. They are being built to withstand 12 month operations for the property which include daily traffic from golf carts to tractors to snowcats. The inside width is 15 feet which leaves ample room for the snowcat and two way traffic for skiers and golfers. Railings will also be installed to prevent walkers, skiers or riders from having an accident or going over the side (We have seen enough of that over the years).

The abutments and foundation are the most critical aspect of the bridges. They are engineered to withstand just about any amount of volume coming down the Gore Creek. They will include wing walls to prevent scouring and further erosion.

Finally, with regard to aesthetics, they will match the other bridges that cross Gore Creek on the golf course for a uniform look.

The Reason

Here is a snapshot of why it is time to close down a few holes of golf this October to correct some structural problems.

Fall Work

This is a rendering of what is to come for the future of Vail Golf Club and Nordic bridges. Beginning in early October two new bridges will be installed, one on the 11th hole and the second one on the 17th hole. The new bridges will mirror the bridges located on the 14th & 15th holes.

These aging structures are in dire need of improvement. The railings will be 42" in height and will provide year round safety for all users. The clearance width will be 11 feet for all equipment to pass including a snow cat for winter grooming. New abutments will be installed and creek restoration will take place in those areas. The work is tentatively scheduled to begin October 4th and could be closed from 2-4 weeks. During this work, holes 11-17 will be closed.

The Vail Golf Club will also update the 7th tee box and correct safety issues with the retaining walls in that location. This project will interfere the most with golf. Tentatively scheduled to begin on September 27th, this project will close holes 3-7 for the remainder of the season.

There will be a variety of options for golf through October. After October 5th we will have 6 holes open for play each and every day until the snow falls. Pay attention to this blog for what is available for play. If you are a pass or punch card holder, be sure to get out here before the end of the season. Your pass will not be extended into 2011.