I must not want to do anything but sit in my recliner and do computer work. I think it has to do with my being on the business end of a shovel, doing some green and bunker face repairs at the Mines earlier today.

It's a bit premature, and these pictures aren't the best due to weather and other factors, but I thought y'all might want to see what DeVries was doing last summer and this spring. All of these picture were taken last fall. The amount of grass on the course now is vastly different.

2nd hole before grass

 
2nd hole after grass

 
Par 3 8th The turf will start on the upslope right before the green. The rest of the hole will be rugged, sort of Pine Valleyesque.

 
11th, par 3 from the west orientation. Also has a southern set of tees from a different yardage.

 
14th, par 4 from the landing area. Semi blind approach to an at-grade green. Thats the super applying some fungicide in anticipation of winter.

 
15th, par 3…plays about 130 yds. Better be in full(spin) control on this one.


back to the 2nd the day of seeding…from the tee

 
16th, par 4…from the tee…..left bunker is dead center of fwy

 
17th, par 5……second half of hole…great green setting!




Thanks to George Pazin for his assistance in getting these pictures posted.

Once we get some warmer air here, the grass will go nuts and really fill in. I hope someone more talented than I can get out here to take some quality pictures.....that's a hint to Ralph Livingston!

Joe:

When do you plan on opening??

That really looks nice, Joe.  My kind of place.  I especially like the appearance of the few strategic bunkers.

David,

The tentative opening date is July 5th. I would say that's a bit optimistic, but entirely weather dependant at this point.

Joe

My wife is from Muskegon and we usually get over there once  a year in the summer.   I'll make it a point to drop by,  looks like it will be well worth the visit.

Joe,

Thanks for posting the pictures.  Hopefully, we can get some more out in the near future, right, Ralph?  

Mike

Don,

We grassed the greens and tees with L93 bentgrass. The fairways and roughs are a bluegrass/ fine fescue combination. The bluegrass varieties in particular were chosen with short mowing adaptablity in mind. The fairways and approaches will end up being mowed at 1/2 inch, with the roughs being around 1 1/4 inch. The fairways will be very generous, amounting to perhaps 45 acres.

We seeded outer roughs with fine fescues and some little bluestem.These areas are unirrigated and unfertilized.

Currently we are completing a par 3 course at the Mines....the course will be called the Miners course. The only thing we will do different on the Miners course is seed the tees with something besides bentgrass. We think the divot recovery time of bent or any other grass won't keep up without overseeding. We are looking at a blue/ fescue mix, but we may incorporate some ryegrass into the mix. The Miners course sits on a 27 acre parcel, and will have holes ranging from 80 yards to 230 yards. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Joe

Bumping, due to three more pictures being posted.

Thanks!

It's kind of interesting - in their condition state in some of the photos, the bunkers look like the old courses in the UK that Paul Turner posts. Will they be maintained like that?

Add Mike D to the list of designers I wish would help us out with the public scene in Pittsburgh. (And the list of designers I'd like to have a beer with.)

Sorry guys, I have been MIA with "real" work. First time back here in two weeks. Gotta make a buck.
Will get out with the new camera around the first of June. All the foliage should be completely in by then......

How's the par 3 course doing?