An important renovation.

[Sean_A]

Dan:

The mound behind the green will be lowered about a foot to eighteen inches in order to soften the slope a bit from behind.  The right side of the green will slope to the right into a more prounounced swale between the green and five tee.  The left side and the back will be higher than that right side and the left side will drain in the direction of the left but at a mild 2.5 - 3% slope.  The elevation of the front of the green will not change very much (less than a foot if anything).

The big improvement to the hole is that the sand bunker will move to the left side (instead of in the nmiddle front) as it originally was (see aerials).  That will allow the lesser golfer who can not get over the tree a run-up option under the tree.  We are also moving the cart path to the left of the hole and behind the green and behind five tee.

Sean -

Regarding the clubhouse, I too think it is a great example of architecture but trust that someone has done plenty of work analysis on the subject and made no rash decisions.  The structure is in terribnle condition to the point of some safety issues.

One small victory for the "way things used to be" is that we fought hard to make sure that the new pro shop would continue to be a separate structure instead of getting lost in the bowels of a catering monstrosity.  One big element of Keller is that pro shop and having a separate facility will go a long way in keeping the Keller traditions intact.

Richard

I am not nearly so trusting as you.  Just as the course is being "renovated" for historical and heritage reasons, why not the house?  Of course it easier to tear down and rebuild, but at what cost to heritage and history?  I think this is a huge mistake - especially for a local government as they aren't even in "business".

Ciao

[Richard_Mandell]

"Trusting" isn't really the right term, maybe a bit knowledgeable about the whole project.  I have just been around all the peopole who have studied the building over the past few years and know that a lot of study and discussion about cost of restoration and other issues has been undertaken by experts in their field etc.  Maybe you have some knowledge about this project that I may not be aware of.  If so, I would love to hear it.

Creating a huge building in order to offer catering services, etc. may be a huge mistake (I don't disagree with that at all) and tearing down a great-looking old building isn't my favorite choice either (you can trust me on that) but restoring a golf course is a lot easier to do than a building of this magnitude, especially when costs are involved. There are many less surprises in restoring a golf course than an old building when budgets are involved.

[Sean_A]

Richard

I don't know anything about this project, but that doesn't mean I can't express disappointment in the priority of selling wedding plates over preserving heritage - especially when its a government decision and we are talking about quite a large sum that has nothing to do with golf.  Its certainly not a question of either/or to me.  Either the job is to be done properly or it isn't.  IMO, ripping down the house isn't doing a proper job.

Ciao   

[Richard_Mandell]

Of course and I do agree with you 100%.  It jsut sounded from your posts that you knew something about this.  Expressing opinions is another story.  Bottom line is that the building is too far gone, regardless of wedding plates.


Grub

[PCCraig]

Myself, Jeff Shelman, and Morgan Clawson took one last trip around the "Old" Keller Golf Course a week ago in anticipation of the course's closing on October 1st. As the article below states, it's ironic that they are closing down the course now as it was in the best shape I had seen it with rock hard F&F conditions and quick enough greens to make the classic greens come alive. The course is really a throwback in so many ways...from the old but practical club house and pro shop buildings, the grumpy pro shop employee with a bull horn speaker calling the shots on the first tee, the quirky routing, and a hardcore local following which truly loves their golf course. We had a great time taking one last trip around on a perfect fall day, but we're also looking forward to Richard Mandell's renovation of the course.

Here is a nice article which does a nice job capturing the essence of Keller: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_21566144/keller-golf-course-closing-oct-1-renovations

And here is Richard's master plan for the course:
https://parks.co.ramsey.mn.us/golf/Documents/Apr12DDStageRenovationMasterPlan1.pdf

[Rick Shefchik]

I played Keller last Friday, two days before closing. Talk about F&F -- my ball kept bouncing off the course. I hit the middle of the fairway on 11 and found my ball at the bottom of the hill next to the first fairway. I missed the elevated 15th green to the right, and found my ball at the bottom of the hill, a foot inside the hazard stake. I missed the 18th green ten yards left and found my ball in the 12th fairway.

Those conditions emphasized that Keller's holes are very close together. Tree removal would make the course more playable in spots, but it might also make the course more dangerous. I imagine it could have been hazardous to play there when the course opened in 1929, nearly treeless.

http://blog.mngolf.org/2012/kellers-extreme-makeover/

[PCCraig]

http://blog.mngolf.org/2012/kellers-extreme-makeover/

Nice blog post Rick. My sentiments exactly.

Also, yes. Rock hard out there last week...but I thought it was a lot of fun.

[Richard_Mandell]

I hit the middle of the fairway on 11 and found my ball at the bottom of the hill next to the first fairway. I missed the elevated 15th green to the right, and found my ball at the bottom of the hill, a foot inside the hazard stake. I missed the 18th green ten yards left and found my ball in the 12th fairway.

Rick: 

We will be clearing out some trees between 11 and 1 in order to re-grade the right side of 11 fairway so fewer balls will roll into those trees.  We can't do a lot of grading because it will requyire too much tree removal and character-altering of the fairway.  The removal of trees there will also allow for a better stand of grass which, in turn, will keep less balls from rolling faurther down the hill.

Not much to be done at 15 green other than we are dropping the back of the green a bit to soften the back to front slope.  We will be re-grading the front of the green complex in order to tie in grades so we have an opportunity to slightly soften that slope.  In the future, you may only land within five feet fo the hazard stake, but it is an improvement.

Number 18 will be moved over to the right slightly to help combat balls rolling into 12 fairway.  That is one reason why we are converting nine to a par four (so we can move eighteen green over a bit) and ten to a par five (to compensate for number nine losing a stroke).