Lulu--Carving out a niche

[mike_malone]

 It was the 15 th green. Wow ! it was obvious to me; you must be losing it Wayne. The grass was new.

[JNagle]

I have been just lurking on this post allowing Steve and others to chime in about their home course.  I had the opportunity to play LuLu Master's weekend and the place looked great.  Todd really turned the place around following construction.  Any areas lagging behind seemed to be more a condition of trees than anything else.  Yes, there is definately more tree removal needed, however with such a small tract of land coupled with roads and housing surrrounding all borders the removal of trees is a very delicate issue.  Safety must always trump other issues on the course.  As for the mounds, we (Forse Design) would love to see a whispy, sparse planting of fescues.  However, as with many restoration jobs, the window of opportunity is limited.  Often times courses are not closed, play continues and the ability to close a hole (allowing for seed to establish and grow) is rare.  In addition to member inconvenience we must also think of construction timing and sequence.  A number of the mounds at LuLu (holes 8, 18, 16 & 10) were in the final holes during construction removing any consideration of seeding.  I believe there was talk of seeing the mounds but it became an issue of time.  Membership desire is also a big factor.  There have been comments about the difficulty of the bunkers at LuLu, throw in deeper thicker grass on the mounds and the average player, senior, junior and lady golfer would not enjoy the game.  

LuLu is such a great golfing experience, a unique course in a region of long, flowing Flynn-like courses.  The same weekend we played LuLu we also played Mannies, Lancaster and Stonewall.  The variety was inspiring.  To play Mannies and LuLu on the same day was a great lesson for an architect.

[mike_malone]

 Jim,

  I agree with your safety concerns, but taking a couple of evergreens out from the left of #15 would not be a problem and there are hundreds of others out of play that could go.

[wsmorrison]

I know the bunkering was redone and the green was extended in the back.   Maybe it was lowered a bit, I cannot recall the previous version, but I don't think so.  But a new green?  Are you sure about that?  If you are, it has to be because Steve Sayers told you.

Jim,

Is the 15th a new green?  The work you did there is fantastic!  The mounding is wonderful and it looks like part of the original scheme and actually makes it work that much better since it is more prevalent.

I'm realizing a bit more about the bunkers, too.  So what if they're penal?  Don't go in them!  They look great and should be avoided.  That helps make the relatively short course cause you to be on your guard at all times.  What a great job you did on design, your construction crew did in execution and Todd does to keep it going!

[mike_malone]

 Wayne,
     The grass was new.

[wsmorrison]

Jim,

Maybe you should hire Mike Malone as your tree consultant.  Then fire him right away for being a knucklehead    

Calling the 15th new and then changing your post to say the grass was new is a bit odd.  A new green is a rebuilt green.  New grass is a newly grassed green.  Now, repeat after me, "a new green is a newly built green, new grass is a newly grassed green..."  

Mike, see you in the booth on Friday.  Tom won't be there so I'll ask Jim Nagle if he wants to take his place.  He's a lot younger, stronger and bigger than Tom anyway.  Much better looking, too!

[wsmorrison]

I hope Manufacturers gets excited about the great work Ron and Jim did at Lu Lu and they get the Forse/Nagle plan in a higher gear at their own course!  Of course, money is always a factor but the plans they have for Manufacturers is really fine work too!  Many of the other clubs in that neck of the woods is going to have a rough time keeping up with the Forse Design team efforts!

[mike_malone]

 Wayne,
   If you look for mistakes you will find them. The point was the speed and poa in the greens. I simply stated that they seemed fine to me, except for the one that had new grass. I modified my post to be clearer.


   Excuse me for calling a green with new grass a "new" green.

[JNagle]

Wayne and Tom -

#15 was modified it is not new, however for the amount of work that was done to the green it could be perceived as a new green.  If you can recall the 15th green at one time had a crossing bunker (Tillie addition) with 2+ feet of built up sand.  This bunker was into what was orginal green.  The bunker was removed, green re-established and new sod placed on the green.  All bunkers were rebuilt and the left greenside bunker was retruned to a grassy hollow.  A number of trees were removed from the right and left sides.  Additonal tree removal left of the path can create a safety issue with pulled shots from the 16th tee.  The area in danger would be 15 tee and anyonw walking towards the green.  The green is not the issue.

As for Mannies there is some excitement being generated there.  The benefits of this past winters tree management program is being witnessed by the members and Scott May (supt.)  Holes 11 - 16 have seen substantial tree removal.  We are excited to begin work again this fall (baby steps, little by little).

Wayne and Mike look in your mail boxes soon there will be aerials of #15 soon.