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

[Powell Arms]

John,

Here are two photos from today that depict two things you raised.

Here is 15 with the hedges gone. No more OB right.





And here is the view of the approach shot in the par 5 #4 with the sand buildup at the green front removed.

[Mark McKeever]

Powell, that picture of 4 green complex hints at a really fun front right flag!

Mark

[John Shimony]

I remember wandering to the right of the 15th and noticing that the OB seemed arbitrary as there was only brush over there and perhaps a property line more than far enough back to not be an issue.  Is only the underbrush being removed?  It seems as if it can be opened up quite a bit.  And if I recall the master plan drawing the bunkers are staying.  Still a beast of a hole at 190-whatever.

[Powell Arms]

I remember wandering to the right of the 15th and noticing that the OB seemed arbitrary as there was only brush over there and perhaps a property line more than far enough back to not be an issue.  Is only the underbrush being removed?  It seems as if it can be opened up quite a bit.  And if I recall the master plan drawing the bunkers are staying.  Still a beast of a hole at 190-whatever.

John,

The property line between the course and the quarry actually runs right down the old hedge line. As part of the restoration, the club acquired the 0.1 acre to the right of the hedges to what appeared to be the property line at the rim of the quarry. That whole area will be cleared of the unmanaged growth.

The little bunkers that currently sit greenside right go away. The three bunkers that are greenside right , which will become greenside front left, her combined into one massive bunker. In describing it, 12 feet deep, vertical sod wall, Keith Foster chuckled and described it as "a place you really don't want to be"

We are really looking forward to the transformation of this hole. It goes from a hard, bad hole to a classic!  Redan green pinable from 150 to 200 yards, firm right approach to allow a bail out - good stuff!

[Mark McKeever]

Hopefully they take all the fill from Hells Half Acre and use it to build up the kickpad on 15

[John Shimony]

The work on 15 sounds like it will make the hole the most transformed of all the holes on the course.  It may become the best redan in our area.  Come to think of it, I cannot think of any redans on any Philly area courses.  Does Hidden Creek count? 

[Mark McKeever]

I've heard the redan at HC is quite good.  We will have to make that comparison when its completed.

That said, yes 15 is going to be one of the most transformed holes.  That along with the 4th and 14th.

Mark

[Charlie Gallagher]

John,
  I can think of a couple that have redan stying to them. Number 3 at Merion East has some reverse redan features. Number ten at Rolling Green also has some redan elements and number 14 there is another example of a par 3 with reverse redan features.
  Number 4 at Hidden Creek is a superb rendition, one of my favorites on the planet. It has more of the classic elements than the other 3 holes I mentioned.
  Can't wait to play the new 15 at Wissahickon. It's going to be a dandy, especially if they take Mckeevers advice and put the 1/4 acre excavation material into the kick mounding on the rightside of the hole.
   Powell, thanks for the continued updating. I learn more about the project every time I check in.

[Dan Herrmann]

Agreed on #15.  Looks like it's going to be a real winner!

[Powell Arms]

I took a guided tour of the front 9 construction this morning with a couple of guests.  The fine details of what we saw are awesome.  I didn't get photos of everything but will share as they become available. I hope to be able to find photos that do justice to the details Keith and Medalist are building.

The fifth green has been cored and detail raking of the green's gravel layer will be complete today, July 6.






It will be sodded this coming week.  The main lines for the new irrigation system were done in the spring, while the course was still open for play, so that system can be energized to establish and maintain the sod.  


The reclaimed green is about 25 percent larger than the green of the past few years. And the removal of decades of sand buildup results in substantially more cupable locations, probably increasing from 4 locations to 8.

[Powell Arms]

All 18 fairways were gassed the first week of construction.  Construction has not yet started on the back 9, but those fairways have already been seeded with bent.  That new bent can also serve as sod for the holes currently under construction, if need be.

Basically, only 6 holes can be under construction at any time.  That constraint is from the erosion control plan approved by the Commonwealth of PA.




Walk-spraying new fairways to limit traffic during germination.  

[Powell Arms]

Tee drainage on 5

[Charlie Gallagher]

Powell,
The term "gassed" has been used on several occasions re the fairways. Can you explain the process? After the gassing was the new irrigation added, after the old was removed, and then the fw's  were reseeded? How long will it take to put in the new irrigation? I saw the pipe stacked at numerous locations the day I played it.

[Dan Herrmann]

Powell,
Were the old greens composted?

[Powell Arms]

Powell,
The term "gassed" has been used on several occasions re the fairways. Can you explain the process? After the gassing was the new irrigation added, after the old was removed, and then the fw's  were reseeded? How long will it take to put in the new irrigation? I saw the pipe stacked at numerous locations the day I played it.

Charlie, we killed the turf on our fairways with herbicide and reseeded into them with bent.

Regarding irrigation, our new irrigation main-lines were installed between the holes this spring while the course was open.  This allows us to "carry water" with us during the project as we progress around the property.  When the times comes to dis-engage from the old system at each hole, prior to earthwork, we still have water in our new system in very close proximity.  Once the contractor finishes each hole, the new sprinklers can be quickly placed from lateral lines off of the new mainline.  This process allows for a very quick transition from finish grade to taking care of the new turf immediately.   

[Powell Arms]

Dan, the old green grass was composted. Most everything is staying on site to be recycled or reused. Excess earth is being used for construction elsewhere on site, fescue harvested to transplant on the St Martins course, etc. Dan Meersman has done a great job of reuse as part of normal operations across all 45 holes.

[Powell Arms]

Installation of greens mix on 5.  Note the earth curbing for an indication of depth.  Sod arrives within the next week and the new irrigation system will be watering this completed hole!



View of bunker fronting 5 green.  Note the articulated earth face.  Sand will be similar in consistency to that used at the Militia Hill course, and darker in color.

from left


from fairway approach


from right

[Mark McKeever]

That bunker looks phenomenal!

[Brian Colbert]

The work on 15 sounds like it will make the hole the most transformed of all the holes on the course.  It may become the best redan in our area.  Come to think of it, I cannot think of any redans on any Philly area courses.  Does Hidden Creek count? 

John,

Huntingdon Valley's 3rd is a very good redan. Probably the best in the area as it stands now.

[Powell Arms]

The first load of sand goes into the new bunkers on 5 (view from on 5 green looking back down the fairway)

[Powell Arms]

Hole 5 really did not have a lot of dramatic changes when described verbally. Lower the tee so the shot feels more uphill, deepen bunkers and move slightly and reclaim cupable green surface lost to decades of sand spray. I think the photos tell the story of how dramatic these changes are when implemented on the ground.

And now on work on a hole that does have a dramatic difference in words. The par 5 4th will have the Great Hazard reintroduced. (It was removed ca 1980 as an accommodation to less skilled players. ). The Great Hazard will be a second shot hazard, running from approx 310 to 380 yards off of the tee. The right side will be much less carry but the left side is the preferred approach to this green which is substantially enlarged with the removal of sand build up.

Start the excavators!




This shot of Keith Foster and the Medalist team gives a good sense of scale for the Great Hazard

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

First time i've chimed in here (i think? ).... This is great stuff watching these changes unfold... many thanks for posting these updates.  About 8 years ago, i brought a couple buddies East with me... one is a member at Olympic the other from Wichita CC and Prairie Dunes.  We played Merion, Aronimink, and Cricket... and of course they loved all three.  But I remember them thinking how awesome this course - Philly Cricket - was that they'd never heard of before, and how many truly great courses the Phila. area has. 

Congrats again to the Phila. Cricket membership!!!

[Powell Arms]

Another perspective of the sand installation this morning, July 9, in the green front bunker on 5. No doubt , that bunker is DEEP!  Strong defense for a short par 4 , approx 350 yards.

[Mark McKeever]

Im hoping not many balls get hung up on the lip of that bunker!   

Mark

[Powell Arms]

Im hoping not many balls get hung up on the lip of that bunker!   

Mark

Time for  a preemptive reading of Rule 28