Pete Dye Golf Course Restoration Pictures

See some of the highlights from this past years work on the golf course. Navigate the slides by using the arrows below.

Pete Dye Visits Ford Plantation to Continue Design



Rain, sleet or snow did not stop Mr. Dye from working during his mid-December visit a week ago at TFP. Okay… it is South Georgia, so it doesn’t sleet or snow… However, it was cold and the golf course received significant rainfall as the Hall of Fame Architect made his way around the 18 hole course. Watching Pete Dye drudge through the torrential rain, mud and muck was simply inspiring. When the visit was completed, the club was awarded with a great photograph, (captured by Dr. Bill Thompson, Restoration & Green Committee Chair) of Mr. Dye on the 14^th golf hole encompassed by a colorful rainbow. A photo for the archives… Great shot Dr. Thompson!     

Mr. Dye reviewing the work at 9 green.

The main objective of Mr. Dye’s visit was to sign off on holes 7, 8, 9 and then continue design work on holes 10-18 and #1. In addition, a major point of emphasis was given to the 18^th, where Mr. Dye spent a couple of hours.

Some of the work being conducted currently includes:

·         Bunker drainage at 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13

·         Green drainage installation at 9

·         Earthwork at #1 golf hole

·         Storm water pipe installment at #2

·         Storm water pipe installment at #3

·         Green development at golf hole 1

·         Golf course drainage at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 18

·         Bunker construction at 11

·         Storm water pump installation at 18 tee with discharge pipes incuded

·         Irrigation pump installation at the Lake Dye pump house

·         General grading and staking is occurring on the front 9 golf holes

·         Laser leveling of tees is beginning on specific holes

MacCurrach Golf Construction Company will resume work on the course on Monday the 30^th of December. Also, the construction company will observe New Year’s Day on the 1^st and then resume work following the holiday. Enjoy the latest photos from Mr. Dye’s most recent visit below and Happy Holiday’s from the Golf Course Maintenance Department.



#8 green has been developed.

Pete Dye and Project Architect Tim Liddy discussing strategy at a green side bunker.

Tim Liddy takes notes as Dye describes the design features for the 13 green complex.

Mr. Dye and Nelson flagging the 13th tee.

Dye and Liddy reviewing the #14 green site.

The rain belting in on the team. 

Mr. Dye took time to visit the staging area and review the infrastructure. The HDPE irrigation system shown in the back.

Mr. Dye designing the 16th green complex as Tim Liddy looks on.



Chris Kleinsmith and his team from MacCurrach Golf look on as Dye and Liddy discuss the 18th. 

Finally, Mr. Dye on the 13th golf hole as a rainbow stretches out over the horizon.

Golf Course Restoration Update for the Week of December 1-7, 2013

An incredible amount of work was completed last week on the restoration project of the course. Here are a few of the highlights of the activity:

• Irrigation at holes 7,8 and 9 have been staked out and the wire for the system on hole 7 is already laying on the ground. Bob Scott, TFP's irrigation consultant form Atlanta, GA was on property to supervise the staking of the irrigation and he will return soon to deliver more directives.
• The irrigation road crossings have been patched up by the Crosby Paving Company.
• TFP's project architect, Tim Liddy has been on site for the last several weeks to implements Mr. Dye's latest directives. Last week, Mr. Liddy implemented Dye's vision on golf holes 11,12,13,14,15,16,17 and 18. Mr Dye is scheduled to be back this week.
• The bulkhead at 2 has been removed in the demolition program.
• Strom water drainage installation is occurring at golf holes 1,2,9,10,11,14,17 and 18 last week and this week.
• The greens at holes 7 and 8 were drained and had the 4 inch gravel installed in them.
• Bunker drainage at holes 7,8,9 are being completed.

The gravel to 7 green has been added. The green complex looks amazing.

The bulkhead at #2 golf hole has been removed and new drainage is being installed.

#6 green complex shown here is being roto-tilled. A critical demolition step.

The irrigation wires for 7 green complex are waiting to be installed.

The bunker drainage at 7 green complex has been installed.

8 green has had the drainage installed and the gravel blanket laid over the top.

The old irrigation pump station skid has been removed.

Faces of the Golf Course Restoration Project

Pete Dye Restoration Visit, November 15, 2013

Mr. Pete Dye was again on property Thursday and Friday to design the TFP golf course. The main objective of the visit was to focus primarily on putting greens and green surround design at golf holes 7-15. In particular, the functionality of the playability, strategy and agronomy of the green sites were studied and then executed.

Pete Dye and Tim Liddy Study the 15th hole.

Mr. Dye giving Kevin from MacCurrach golf design direction.

Nelson and Mr. Dye looking at the contours of #10 green.

Mr. Dye drawing his ideas in the dirt with Tim Liddy.

CW looks on at the 12th as course superintendent Jared Nemitz gets low to see the design line.

Mr. Dye explaining the13th  green complex to Restoration Chairman Dr. Bill Thompson and others. 



Mr. Dye with Nelson and Kevin at the par 3 12th.

Mr. Dye Checking the grades at #10 green... Everything checked out!

In addition, “Macro” direction concerning infrastructure, agronomy and design was given by Mr. Dye at golf holes 16, 17 and 18. Those directives will be performed over the next several weeks. TFP Members will start to see progress on the finishing holes soon.

Don’t forget to join us on November 26^th for the next golf course tour. Nelson, CW and Dr. Bill Thompson will be guiding members through some of the work that has been completed and be available to answer questions.

The Pete Dye Internship Program to New Heights!

For the last two years, The Ford Plantation Golf Maintenance Department has been operating The Pete Dye Agronomic Scholarship program. This is a developmental internship program for young professionals with a passion for golf course maintenance. 

 

Figure 1-2. Interns take part in all facets of golf course maintenance including irrigation break repairs and chemical applications.

In December The Ford Plantation and the Savannah Community Foundation have teamed up to make the newly named Pete Dye Internship a 501(c)(3) tax deductible donation.  Professors from leading turfgrass universities (Georgia, Penn State, Purdue, Clemson, North Carolina State and Florida) will submit up to two nominees for the internship/scholarship program.  Nelson Caron and CW Canfield will submit these names to the Pete Dye Scholarship Committee comprised of Mike Killian, Steve Rabinowitz and Dr. Bill Thompson.  Selected golf course interns will receive a scholarship to be used for educational expenses.  Along with this scholarship they will also receive an hourly wage for the duration of the 3 month internship. Free housing, competitive wages and scholarship makes the Pete Dye Internship one of the most sought after internships in the country.

This program has been met with enthusiastic support from the members of our club and universities.  Dr. Bill Thompson, Green Committee Chair, has graciously allowed interns to stay in his guest house, free of rent, during the summer months.  “The financial support we get for this program from our members is astounding. Without their help this program would not exist.” says Director of Golf Course Maintenance Nelson Caron.

In 2009 we accepted two interns from Purdue, Brent Seyer and David Cooper.  Brent graduated from Purdue in January 10’ and is now working full-time at Augusta National Golf Club.  David Cooper will be graduating this fall and intends to join Valhalla Golf Club in KY full-time. This past summer we had two more interns from Purdue University, Dane Alexander and Kurt Hockemeyer. Dane will be interning at another golf club this upcoming summer.  Kurt is considering pursuing a Masters Degree from Purdue University when he graduates in spring.  The capstone of the internship program is when each intern gets to run the golf maintenance crew for 3-4 days at the end of the summer. David Cooper commented, “Running the crew for a week was the highlight of my summer. This is not something all interns get to do at other clubs.”

Figure 3.The highlight for most interns is managing the crew for 4 days at the end of the summer.

Figure 4. Last summer interns had an opportunity to spend a day with golf course architect Tim Liddy and engineer Ray Pittman.

The Pete Dye Internship Committee is currently accepting nominations for the upcoming 2011 summer.  If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the scholarship fund please contact CW Canfield (cwcanfield@fordplantation.com) or Nelson Caron (ncaron@fordplantation.com).