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Ed Oden

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New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« on: March 03, 2009, 10:51:16 PM »
I'd like to welcome Roger Wolfe to the board.  Roger is the GM at Carolina Golf Club, my home course in Charlotte.  In addition to being a great guy, he has been an instrumental part of the transformation that has occurred at CGC over the last few years.  I know he will be an equally great addition to the DG.  And as I pointed out to Ran today, Roger can now call BS on me both publicly as well as to my face.  Welcome Roger!

Ed

PCCraig

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2009, 08:50:14 AM »
Welcome Roger!
H.P.S.

Carl Johnson

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2009, 08:56:34 AM »
Welcome, Roger.

ed_getka

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2009, 01:45:47 PM »
Roger,
  Welcome to the site.

Ed,
   What changes have taken place at your club that you refer to?
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

rjsimper

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2009, 01:58:07 PM »
Welcome to the group, Roger!  Don't worry...you'll pick up the acronyms quickly.

I'll give you one of the more obscure ones...ODG = Old Dead Guys...aka the golden-age architects who according to many people on this site, did it the best.  Took me a while on that one.

Roger Wolfe

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2009, 02:03:08 PM »
Welcome to the group, Roger!  Don't worry...you'll pick up the acronyms quickly.

I'll give you one of the more obscure ones...ODG = Old Dead Guys...aka the golden-age architects who according to many people on this site, did it the best.  Took me a while on that one.

I work at an ODG club... I more than understand.  Thanks everyone!

Ed Oden

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2009, 03:39:50 PM »
Ed,
   What changes have taken place at your club that you refer to?

Ed, the focus of the changes has been to the course since that has always been the club's main asset.  Our only other amenities are a relatively modest clubhouse and pool.  While Carolina has carried an underground rep as of a hidden gem for some time, there was a point about 5 or 6 years ago where the course had deteriorated so much that, in my opinion, that rep was more wishful thinking than reality.  Since that bottom point (which, incidentally was about when Roger was hired), the course (and by extension, the club) has literally been transformed.  Here is a link to a thread I started last fall that will give you an idea of the changes:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,37123.0.html

Ed

ed_getka

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2009, 10:00:03 PM »
Ed,
   Thanks for providing the link to the old thread. I really like how some specimen trees were kept in spots during the tree thinning. I see the reference to the routing plan, but were there green details to be seen too, or is that Kris's channeling of Ross greens?
   So what was the catalyst to start this project? How was it presented to the membership?
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

ed_getka

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2009, 10:27:41 PM »
   I saw the reference to Brad Klein consulting, but I assume something sparked the contact with Brad in the first place? How did the acquisition of additional land play into having this work done?
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

Ed Oden

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2009, 11:57:56 PM »
Ed, I will answer your questions as best I can based on my understanding.  Roger or Kris Spence (if he spots this thread) can chime in if my facts are a bit off or they have a different perspective.

The acquisition of the additional land was crucial.  I doubt the pieces to the puzzle would have fallen into place without it.  It was a major catalyst to the club's engagement of Kris to prepare a master plan.  Since we were sensitive about maintaining our Ross roots, we coordinated with the Donald Ross Society and engaged Brad to consult as part of developing that master plan.  We did not have green details.  So the finished product is definitely Kris' interpretation based on his experience as a Ross restorationist and what he found on the ground.  The tree removal is just incredible.  Trust me, even for a diehard anti-arborist, it is hard to watch hundreds if not thousands of trees cut and piled up in gigantic heaps.  It tests your faith.  But that faith has paid off in spades for us.  Contrary to the old saying, you couldn't see the trees for the forest.  Now the remaining specimens shine.  And don't discount the fact that we were very lucky to have the right leadership at the right time.  At the end of the day, these things come down to the vision of individuals and their ability communicate that vision to others.  In our case, we were fortunate that they painted a picture the members could easily see.

Ed

Roger Wolfe

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2009, 08:13:35 AM »
Initially the new land was aquired just for the practice facility.  My understanding is that when Kris Spence walked it, he immediately saw a perfect location for two new holes and the topography was already there for a 7 acre lake.  Our first two holes formed a natural amphitheater for the driving range.  [[ MAGIC MOMENT ALERT!! ]]

What we did not realize is that the entire renovation (especially replacing a single row irrigation system with full coverage) would have been impossible without the lake.  We would have been paying out the nose for city water for years and years.  The bureaucracy we had to go through to build the lake was unbelieveable.  You would have thought we were paving a wetland.  It took almost three years, but the wait was well worth it. 

Charlotte experienced a drought in the summer of 2008 and we were "inches away" from running out of water.  At the end of August our sprigs were drying out and the situation was dire.  I am convinced that the good lord sent Tropical Storm Fay specifically to help the good people of Carolina Golf Club grow in their 1928 Donald Ross golf course.  10 inches of rain fell and put 124.99 million gallons of water into our 125 million gallon lake (yes... the water rose to within millimeters of the top of the overflow pipe).  It was a miracle.  We opened on Sep 30 2008 and the rest is history.

I have some docs I will send you, ed_getka, that really tell the whole story if you'd like to see them.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2009, 10:52:05 AM by Roger Wolfe »

Dave_Miller

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2009, 10:30:06 AM »
I'd like to welcome Roger Wolfe to the board.  Roger is the GM at Carolina Golf Club, my home course in Charlotte.  In addition to being a great guy, he has been an instrumental part of the transformation that has occurred at CGC over the last few years.  I know he will be an equally great addition to the DG.  And as I pointed out to Ran today, Roger can now call BS on me both publicly as well as to my face.  Welcome Roger!

Ed

Roger
Welcome!  Come often and post frequently
Best
Dave

Roger Wolfe

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2009, 10:58:00 AM »
   I saw the reference to Brad Klein consulting, but I assume something sparked the contact with Brad in the first place? How did the acquisition of additional land play into having this work done?

You can take a look at our web page under club info and capital doc and see several documents that were essential to achieving our renovation and implenting the "Master Plan."  The last doc was especially crucial in achieving member "buy in."  It was also our #1 membership marketing piece for several years.  www.carolinagolfclub.org

ed_getka

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2009, 01:52:16 PM »
Roger and Ed,
   Thanks for answering my questions and filling in some details. I will take a look at the documents you mentioned.

    I am curious about the resistance to the lake. What was the problem with wanting to put water in a natural depression? Is there someplace of ecological significance the water could run off to?
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

Roger Wolfe

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Re: New Member Welcome - Roger Wolfe
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2009, 02:18:01 PM »
We were ponding water over an existing stream.  We built a dam (it ended up being over 25 feet which means "high risk") to create the lake.  The Corps of Engineers has jurisdiction over streams which mean we had to "mitigate" the 2400 linear feet of stream we disturbed and recreate it elsewhere on our property.  We did not get 1 for 1 credit because the areas could not grow up undisturbed.  $130 a linear foot for each side of the streat to mitigate... $100 additional penalty if you did not.

Their mission is to keep people from messing with streams... they sure do a good job!

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