We have a few things going on today on the 12th hole. A few weeks ago, we eliminated the unhealthy, dying foliage between the cart path and the creek. The reason these shrubs struggled was due to the fact they were growing in very little soil. We are removing the roots and stumps very gently so we don't lose the integrity of the bank. The bank is just about solid rock and removing these stumps will expose the natural look that's been unfortunately hidden for so long. The opposite side of the creek contains dense, healthy rhododendron, so it is hard to see anything missing. This creek is mind boggling...to think that Ross redirected the creek, which used to go down the center of the fairway, to the current creek on the right side of the photo above. In 1928, the crews that shaped the land didn't have access to technology that would make this kind of project much easier in today's wold. Everytime I pass through #12, I think about that.
On the opposite side of the hole, we are pruning the rhododendron back that have aggresively encroached onto the course over the years. This is a critical priority for greenkeeping crews on all golf courses, so real estate isn't lost each year, causing the hole to significantly narrow over time.