On the 15th hole, we started on the pipe installation. It's looking somewhat neater and cleaner with the piles of sediment gone. The pipe you see exposed in the 2nd photo is the old culvert pipe that connected to the "Stand Pipe"...that was the pipe that determined the water level in the pond that rusted through at the beginning of September. This new pipe is larger diameter and will also be equipped with a valve, allowing us the ability to drain the pond if needed in the future.
Above: Working down the left side of #9, we are trimming back Rhododendron and pulling other invasive weeds and vines out of the Rhododendron. This is a great time of year for this type of work. Every year, rhododendron grow taller and wider, effectively making golf holes somewhat narrower. This is a key part of maintaining a golf course...keeping up with excessive tree and shrub growth. In a short amount of time, an architect's design intent can be lost due to plant growth.
Below: Like I've said before, it's near impossible to dig a hole at Highlands CC and not accidentally hit something. You can see the white paint on the ground, marking irrigation lines and sprinkler heads. After we determined the location of utilities, we started on the #8 drainage improvement. Before we get to replacing the 12" pipe in front of the green, we are installing drainage on the right side of the green, at the base of the hill, that will wrap around the back of the green and collect water at various inlets on the way.
