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.