Restoration Timeline: Philly Cricket's Wissahickon course (Tillinghast / Foster)

[Jim_Coleman]

   Makes good sense.  Looking forward to playing it.  Quite amazing you could pull this off in these times.  Congratulations.

[BHoover]

How often was Keith Foster on site? I take it that the experience of working with him was a very positive one. If this is an indication of the quality of his work, then he will find himself in demand quite often.

[Powell Arms]

How often was Keith Foster on site? I take it that the experience of working with him was a very positive one. If this is an indication of the quality of his work, then he will find himself in demand quite often.

Keith Foster was on site at least two days a week during construction, which lasted from June through October, 2014.  He started his work on the master plan ca. 2008, so he was very patient waiting for this job.  He has been on site this spring as well, and part of those visits included interaction with the building architect designing the patio expansion, so the transition from patio to golf course worked well.  His attention to the small details is awesome, and our maintenance team shares that passion to get the little things right.  The collaborative interaction between Keith and our maintenance team was key.

Thinking through the small things.  Cobble paths for the limited cart traffic to exit 18 past the patio, with the cobbles acting as speed calming, desirable due to the proximity to the patio.

[Charlie Gallagher]

Powell,
   I want to thank you again for your continuous dissemination of the unfolding of this reconstruction tale. I have not looked at photos for about 6 months purposely as I wanted to see it after grow in and some settling. The recent set of photos filled me with anticipation. It looks very good, and a friend tells me that Foster did an amazing job working in collaboration with the club and the construction crew to get things redone properly. I believe at some point in the next several months I will have an opportunity to play, and I am looking forward to that event very much.
Thank you again for your journalism. GCA is blessed with writer/photographers who present professional quality work, and it seems several of them reside in the Philadelphia area.

[William_G]

Powell,

Great thread, thank you!

How is 2.5 to 3 inches of rough as low as practical? Can't it be cut lower?

Thanks again

[Powell Arms]

The rough could be cut lower, but not long term.

Our rough was sodded with turf-type tall fescue and bluegrass. Those varieties prefer being cut in the 2.5 / 3 range for optimal health.  They can survive lower, but frequent lower cuts on this turf have a tendency to thin / scalp more easily; especially in a rough setting where the terrain is a bit more rugged and not as smooth as a putting green.

[Powell Arms]

Balls in the air Friday, May 23 at 7:30am. 

#1 appears to be rolling pretty true this morning

[Powell Arms]

The expanded patio is complete for Thursday's opening ceremony, with member play starting 7:30am on Friday.  This afternoon, the patio was christened by the grounds team. 



Thanks to them for a wonderful effort to plan for the restoration, and execute it flawlessly, performing much of the work in house - including bunker lining, sodding, carpentry of the on-course benches and water coolers, and construction of the expanded patio.  All of this in addition to the daily chores of maintaining the other 27 holes, as well as managing and maintaining the grow in at Wissahickon.  Thank you!

[Terry Lavin]

Powell,

Has your superintendent made any decisions about how quickly he will get the green speeds up to their usual daily rate, so to speak?  I only ask because I was a member at Olympia Fields and we redid the greens for the US Open and our guy kept the greens at 8 the entire first season, which I have always thought was way too cautious.  Here's hoping that they are putting at 10 on the Stimp in short order...

[Bob Harris]

When we did the course rating last November, the greens were already stimping at 11.

[Powell Arms]

Terry, like many courses, we do not have a daily number.

That said, they will be up to normal speed from day 1, and have been for a while as Bob found during the course rating.

The Grounds team does not to ease the greens into speed, because they are 2 years old already.  I'm not sure how it was done at OF. All of the greens at Wissahickon were sodded, and that sod was planted in 2012, and harvested and laid in the summer of 2013. The greens handled the winter well, as did the entire course. So they were back up to speed when spring finally arrived in Philly. The greens were even aerated very lightly and shallowly about 3 weeks ago. The club had 3 + years of detailed planning before consturction started, and that allowed the actual construction process to go very smoothly in a compressed period of mid-June through mid-October.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Bob how did you get that assignment?

May I ask how many guys you have on your grounds crew? I think you have more crew than we have members. Looks tremendous, good luck with your opening. Hoping the trend continues throughout the Philly area.

[Powell Arms]

Ed, you should see the grounds crew's GAP team!

With 36 holes and Flourtown and the entire St Martins campus to maintain, it does turn out to be a big gathering and a ton of food when they all get together.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Can't wait to see pics from Friday

[Howard Riefs]

Play away...

http://instagram.com/p/oUaHzuQatU/

[Powell Arms]

Wissahickon today exceeded all expectations on the first day of play.  Smiles all around.  Of note was that the entire course felt mature.  It was not fast and firm due to a deluge last evening, but did drain well and firmed up throughout the day.  Continuing reports from the scene throughout the weekend.

Lots of photos to come of specifics.  In general, the overall feel was that of maturity.  It is a significantly improved version of the course we left in June 2013, and it is hard to fathom the amount of work completed in the window between June and today. 

Below is a photo of the first foursome on 18, and the team that lead us to and through the restoration.

Spectacular

[Powell Arms]

1 approach 395 yard par 4



1 green - the greens are huge, but dont be on the wrong tier



Back left pin on 3 - middle of the green is good



Approach on 4 - 487 yard par 4



4 about 90 yards out - miss is right



4 close up of greenside left bunker



6 from fairway, looking over 4 (475 yard par 4)



looking back down 6 from green, again proper tier is critical. Note the large ditch that had been right of 6/9 has been filled



6 green



8 from right of tee, 347 yard par 4



Nice detail on the wooden flagsticks



9 from tee, 350 yard par 4 with seemingly no where to hit the tee shot



9 approach from about 120 yards, still not sure where to hit it



10, 147 yard par 3



11 386/4, from 175 yards left of fairway



11 green, looking back down 11 & 2



12 538/5 from landing area



12 approach from 140 yards



new on-course reading room





13 409/4 from 170 yards right of fairway: the openig to the green is larger that it had been



14 411/4 approach from 180, the tees were moved back slightly so it is no longer easy to drive it down the hill to leave an approach of 60 yds



15 217/3 dont miss left, a new phrase now that OB right has been removed





We said dont miss left



17 419/4



18 469/4 approach from 110 yards after laying up

[Charlie Gallagher]

Congratulations, Philadelphia Cricket Club members, the Eagle has landed!
Looks grand, Powell.

[Jim Sherma]

Wow, this looks really good. Are the cobbles an integral part of the course and in play behind 18? I did not see any white stakes. Given the second shot into the green and the likelihood of coming in a little hot from the downhill slope of the fairway that could make for some interesting situations. How close is the path from the back of the green? It was tough to be certain from the available pictures.

[BHoover]

Thanks for sharing the photos with us. The restoration looks to be spectacular and I agree that the features appear to be very mature. My former club has a master plan from Keith Foster sitting on the shelf. Seeing his work makes me upset that the membership would deprive themselves of this type of restoration all for the sake of saving their stupid tree overgrowth, but I digress.

I could go on about my favorite features (such as the bunkers) but the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy your new(ly restored) course! Has membership response been positive? More importantly, how are the members who opposed the restoration reacting?

[Bill Shotzbarger]

That approach into 12 makes it look like a completely different hole!

[Mike Sweeney]

I mean this in a good way, this does not look like a typical Westchester Tillinghast course. Looks more like a mix of Baltimore/Newport/San Francisco, which is a great thing. I have only played the "new" course at PCC and this looks fabulous. Love to see it one day. Congrats.

[Kevin_D]

To say this looks terrific is an incredible understatement.

Congratulations to the club and all those involved.  Wonderful to see.

[Powell Arms]

Jim, the cobbles are in play. I will give you a free drop if your approach lands in them. I believe they are immovable obstructions as opposed to integral parts of the course.

It's either a 220+ yard approach from the top if the hill or 100 yards from the layup at the bottom of the hill short of the stream. A downhill lie is unlikely. That said, it's all in play, including the patio. We had an up and down from an approach that came to rest on the first tee box. That caused a few $ to change hands among the spectators on the patio.

Brian, it had exceeded everyone's expectations. That may mean naysayer to ok. But it was all smiles today from the full spectrum of players.

[Mark McKeever]

Playing tomorrow morning.  And probably won't sleep tonight!