We just recently reconstructed our driving range tees and complex. Both upper and lower tees were expanded, a practice sand bunker was added, and an artificial teeing mat was installed along the back of the tee. The artificial mat was from the new generation of mats and is much nicer to hit balls off. The golfers like it so much that we have gone to alternating 3 days on the mat and 3 days on the natural grass. The only down side to the mat is that it is tough to put a tee in it to hit the driver. It can be done, but for most it is too much trouble. So while they are on the mat we have designated an area for them to hit drivers off the natural grass. This way they are not limited to when they can hit their driver. To designate this area we have two dividers and a sign as seen in the picture. Our thought is that we will have minimal damage to the grass because it is drivers only. You tee it up and hit it. No big deal. Wrong! This is what we saw one morning when we can in. That is one wicked driver to do that.

At least he scattered the divots around to make for a quick recovery.

The day after we fired up our irrigation system I get a call on the radio from one of the guys mowing, “Hey there is a little water in front of 13 green. You might want to take a look at it.” Knowing that we sometimes have quick couplers or foot valves that will seep a little when we first start up, I was thinking no big deal. However when we get there water was oozing out of the ground in about a 40 foot area. The turf was heaved all through the approach and it was creeping down the fairway. After we get the water shut off we discovered it was coming from the front of 13 green. (The sink hole was the dead giveaway.) The irrigation line cuts through the front of the green about 6 foot from the collar. The water forced the turf up causing the front of the green to look like the surface of the moon. In unearthing the irrigation line we not only found one break, but several breaks along the pipe. In further inspection, they were actually puncture holes caused by none other than the vertidrain that we did the week before turning on the system. The line was about 9 inches in the ground and we were punching to 10 inches. So if my math is right that equals a lot of water and a big mess.

This was the fourth year in a row we have vertidrained. I guess his aim was not as good the first three times.

And you wonder why your heating bills are so high?

Fortunately the operator was not harmed, but did have to go back to the shop to clean out his shorts.

We are thinking about sending them to barber school.

It was a mud mask for the tee, but believe me it did nothing for the pores.