Have you ever wondered what the grounds department does on a 35 degree day in January after a flood?

Grounds department employees (from left to right) Doug Miller, Asst.Supt. Jim Dennison and Gary Farrer are in the middle of pumping out a flooded bunker from last nights rain. As you can see the silt in the water needs to be removed before it contaminates the sand layer. They use roller squeegies to loosen the silt from the sand and get it into suspension. Then a trash pump removes the water at at rate of 175 gallons a minute. All this is going on when it is a couple degrees above freezing.

This is the left greenside bunker (back) filled with sand.

Sand installed in right side bunker on hole #16.

Prepping bunker on right side of 16 for sand.

Doug Miller blowing off the bunker face fabric before the installation of 40 tons of sand.

Dedicated grounds department workers lay sod in single digit wind chills.

After taking advantage of the weekends mild weather to edge and install drainage on the bunkers at the 16th green. We were able to obtain sod to start covering the bare earth in that area on Monday with temps in the upper 30's. Unfortunately, we did not finish and had to continue on Tuesday with the high temp of 20 degrees and a wind chill in the single digits. The guys are so bundled up I can't even tell who they are.

Bunker construction committee "braves" the cold to inspect work.

A portion of the construction committee met on Thursday to inspect the latest work completed on the golf course. Even though some of the members are camera shy, this did not prevent Kent Silhanek, John Frampton and Dave Pagett from mugging it up for the camera.

Please remember! When the sign says "Carts must stay on paths", Please stay on the path.

This happened on Saturday afternoon and we all know that it rained .8 " on Friday. The golf course was very wet on Saturday and maybe we should not have let carts out. But being kinda a nice day for January we felt that the cart operators would know to stay on the paths. This type of damage not only could damage the grass , but it also compacts the soil to where early wilting of turf could occur. We make golf course decisions for the well being of the members and their club. After seeing this spot and others like it on #'s 1,3,5,14 and 15 may made our cart decision easier the next time.

Bunker complex between 2 and 17 fairways.

 This is the right fairway bunker on the 2nd hole shaped, edged, drained and ready for sand. The combination of WVCC staff and McDonald & Sons crew are making headway through the winter weather.

Sand has been installed in the 1st fairway bunker on the right side of 17 fairway. The picture does not show how the landing area has changed for the approaching golf season. When this complex is further along we will be able to post detailed pictures.

#2 green surround project.

WVCC staff yesterday install sod around #2 green surround. This will give everyone a finished product look and really show off the amount of green surface that was recovered during the bunker project. Even though it is named the "Bunker Project" there will be work done around the greens to restore classic pin positions.

Bunker shaping on the right side of #17 fairway.

With a dry stretch of weather upon us, fairway bunker shaping has been going smooth. In the last few days the right fairway bunker at #2 and the 3 fairway bunkers on the right of #17 have been roughed  out.

Cold weather does not stop bunker project.

It may be cold out but this does not stop the grounds department from installing 32 tons of new sand in the bunker on the right side of two green. The plywood you see is used to protect outside the bunker from damage from the many loads of sand delivered.