Pine Needles 2016 Bermuda greens and more.

[Jay Mickle]

 After a touch and go 2015 summer with bent grass greens that wanted in the worst way self-destruct the management decided that this was the year to convert to Bermuda.  Given that the NC Sandhills has been in the mid 90s for the past month the decision seems a very wise one. To that end Kyle Franz, the magician of Mid Pines was brought back to oversee the re-grassing.  In the 2 weeks between the closing of the course and the sprigging with Bermuda, Kyle and his team did some reshaping of all of the greens adding some wonderful new pin positions and tying the greens in better with the ground contours and the adjacent bunkers. While it did not seem possible that all could be accomplished in such a short time it appears that he has added significant character to greens that had been homogenized over time.



At the moment major bunker and waste area work is being done on holes 9, 11 and 18. The course closed at the end of June and will reopen around Labor Day, still plenty of time for Kyle to find more interesting projects on the course while grass grows. If you are in the area and looking for an almost undisturbed round to check out the changes, the course is open with very well placed temporary greens and fairways as good as I’ve seen since the 2007 Women’s Open ($30.00).


Pine Needles will retain its own character as a counterpoint to Mid Pines across the street but will surely provide more interesting approaches and putts. I am looking forward to its reopening.
 

[hhuffines]

Jay, I know the new Bermuda likes the heat, but does it thrive in this stuff after sprigging?

[Jay Mickle]

Driving by #3, from the road there seems to be significant greening in the past week and a half. The nursery green that was planted earlier looks great.

[mike_beene]

I seem to be alone on this subject, but to me Pine Needles uses fall lines and ridges ( subtle ones) better than any course I have seen. Drive it in the right place and you can see the green or get a speed slot.

[Tim Passalacqua]

Jay,


Any pics?  I was hoping Kyle would get to do a little work during the course closing.  Exciting stuff!


Tim

[Joe Sponcia]

I seem to be alone on this subject, but to me Pine Needles uses fall lines and ridges ( subtle ones) better than any course I have seen. Drive it in the right place and you can see the green or get a speed slot.

Mike,


I don't disagree.  It feels like a big course with broad shoulders.  The subtle lies and the correct lines you need to learn would certainly be fun to apply over time.  I'm not a bermuda green fan, but understand why so many are going that direction in the heat.  The last five weeks of summer are tough on bent.

[PThomas]

After a touch and go 2015 summer with bent grass greens that wanted in the worst way self-destruct the management decided that this was the year to convert to Bermuda.  Given that the NC Sandhills has been in the mid 90s for the past month the decision seems a very wise one. To that end Kyle Franz, the magician of Mid Pines was brought back to oversee the re-grassing.  In the 2 weeks between the closing of the course and the sprigging with Bermuda, Kyle and his team did some reshaping of all of the greens adding some wonderful new pin positions and tying the greens in better with the ground contours and the adjacent bunkers. While it did not seem possible that all could be accomplished in such a short time it appears that he has added significant character to greens that had been homogenized over time.



At the moment major bunker and waste area work is being done on holes 9, 11 and 18. The course closed at the end of June and will reopen around Labor Day, still plenty of time for Kyle to find more interesting projects on the course while grass grows. If you are in the area and looking for an almost undisturbed round to check out the changes, the course is open with very well placed temporary greens and fairways as good as I’ve seen since the 2007 Women’s Open ($30.00).


Pine Needles will retain its own character as a counterpoint to Mid Pines across the street but will surely provide more interesting approaches and putts. I am looking forward to its reopening.

good to hear re the waste areas..any idea if they will put then in more spots?

[mike_beene]

I like bermuda ( the newer strains) because it seems they can be very firm and fast and summer chipping is much more interesting. What happens to the new strains of Bermuda n the winter? How many times do you punch greens. Bent seems a great surface nine months of the year with very little downtime . I hear horror stories about frequent punching of Bermuda.
Will the resort punch both courses at the same time or do the keep one in playing shape?

[Tim Passalacqua]

 When I called down there, it sounded like they punched twice a year in the hot summer months when the Bermuda is really growing. I have been down there the last two winters and Mid Pines' Bermuda greens were much smoother than Pine Needles bent greens. 

[hhuffines]

Any pictures of new green surfaces or changes?

[Dean DiBerardino]

Here's an image taken from near the 18th tee a few days ago. Note the new fairway bunker/natural area on the left side....

[hhuffines]

Thank you. Looks menacing!

[Tom Fagerli]

Can't wait to whack hook one into it!

[Jay Mickle]

Re Growing: the greens have been cut and top dressed and are growing in very well as the weather has been hot and humid. Perfect for Bermuda not so much for golfers.
Re Punching: Has not been more than a temporary inconvenience. In June at Mid Pines they did a solid tine punching and top dressing. Course was playable immediately and the greens while not at tournament level were running true and at good speed. They will probably be more aggressive with the next punching later this month. Last year recovery was 90% within 7-10 days and quite playable within a day or 2.
Re Bunkers: Three major additions/alterations.  Big, interesting, dramatic, add character but inconsistent with the rest of the course.
Re Greens: New pin positions, some added contouring, subtle changes that will not be apparent to the occasional guest and a bit more of the Ross falloffs around the greens. Not as much as hoped for but with a limited budget and only 2 weeks, more than expected.
All around improvement, looking forward to playing it.

[David_Madison]

Jay, given the work that we now are seeing on the bunkers,how much out of character with the rest of the course do you think the new bunkers really will end up? It looks like a good number of existing bunkers will be modified and take on the character of the new ones. These include (with likely more to follow) #'s 1 and 3 left of the green, #11 short of the green, #13 which we heard is coming as well as something in the fairway on #15, and the expansion right/short of #18 which you were raving about and which I agree will look wonderful.

I agree that what we may end up with won't be consistent throughout, but there will be enough of the new beefier style so that the three new ones won't stick out as orphans.

[Jay Mickle]

I guess we will have to wait for the completion of the work to accurately assess. Seems to be something new each day. They are cutting the greens regularly, Should be ready around Labor Day. Looking forward to it.

[Tom Fagerli]

Rode around the course yesterday. The greens look to be coming along nicely. To my untrained eye the back nine greens look further along.  A worker was digging away with a shovel on the new right side bunker on No. 9 and it was 93 with a "feels like" of 106! The new bunker off the tee on 18 will intimidate but shouldn't matter unless you snipe one (my miss unfortunately). No play certainly has helped the tee boxes!

[David_Madison]

It's getting a lot easier to identify the new cupping positions that Kyle Franz has introduced in practically every green, and the side and rear roll-offs are now more pronounced. You can really see the beautiful bunker work with much improved tie-ins on a number of holes. #2 has a new (or newly re-established) fairway bunker complex short off the tee on the right side that'll really help frame the drive.


There just wasn't enough time to get to everything. But, there's enough bunker work on enough holes to make a real difference now, and it shows the potential for what can be there if taken through the rest of the course.

[Paul Carey]

What strain of ultra dwarf did they use?

[Jay Mickle]

Mini Verdi

[Tom Fagerli]

Today was the first day of play on the new greens. Members only and very few takers it seemed. We flew around. The greens came in beautifully. The only thin spot I saw was the middle of 8 green and it will get better with top dressing I assume. Many more pin positions and several new or enlarged knobs and humps. The new bunkering nice. The removal of the love grass is coming along and 16 looks much better without it. Several fairways narrowed.
Once the greens firm up and speed up it will be something else. However I still can't play No 15 which is ridiculous. ( me not the hole).
Will play again Sunday and Monday and hope to see some of the new locations like front right on 5!

[Carl Rogers]

This thread will make me play another round or two at PN.  I have played it 3 times in an effort to like it more than I do (did??), but prefer Mid Pines (no weak holes, compact routing, more readily walkable). 

I really do not care for the 15th hole at PN.  Has anything been done to that hole?

Will there be another GCA review of PN after this re-work?

Will Southern Pines get a re-grassing re-work?

[Tom Fagerli]

This thread will make me play another round or two at PN.  I have played it 3 times in an effort to like it more than I do (did??), but prefer Mid Pines (no weak holes, compact routing, more readily walkable). 

I really do not care for the 15th hole at PN.  Has anything been done to that hole?

Will there be another GCA review of PN after this re-work?

Will Southern Pines get a re-grassing re-work?

Carl- you and I agree on 15! There is talk of moving the bunkers but I am not up on the specifics. Years ago 14 was a weak par 5 and 15 a brute par 4. I don't have the answer to it. All I know is 15 cost me dearly in a tournament this year because I am stupid.
Give the greens a few months to settle in and come play. There is more to be done as well! These new greens with more options on pins are a huge improvement I believe

[BCowan]

Was there any tree removal?  Right of #1 green, behind #2 green?  Anywhere else? 

[Philip Hensley]

Played it today, course looks great. Greens grew in well. Love the new bunkers.