Back 9 News

Back nine update — greens taking shape

A look at where things stand on holes 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18, and what the crew is working on next.

It's been a busy stretch out there since we broke ground. If you've played lately, you've probably seen more dirt moving and more equipment parked by the creek. Here's what all that activity adds up to.

How we're building the greens

Most of the work right now is on the greens. Each one goes through the same steps. First the crew excavates and shapes it. Then comes drainage: they trench the green, lay pea gravel in the bottom, and set perforated pipe on top of it. After that come more layers of gravel and sand, grading, and a lot of hand work to get the surface right. Seed comes last. It's slow, careful work, and the drainage is what will keep these greens playable through a Santa Cruz Mountains winter.

  • Hole 12 green after initial excavation, with safety netting and redwoods beyond
    Hole 12 after excavation
  • Hole 12 green bowl after excavation, looking toward the hills
    Hole 12 — ready to shape
  • Skid steer smoothing the initial shaping on the 17th green
    Skid steer shaping 17
  • Jerry watering excavated dirt to keep dust down and help compaction while a tractor works behind him
    Jerry — dust down, dirt packing
  • Trencher cutting a drainage channel across a shaped green
    Trenching the green
  • Crew hand-trenching a shaped green for drainage pipe
    Hand work on trenches
  • Crew working trenches in a herringbone pattern on a shaped green
    Drainage pattern
  • Perforated drainage pipe laid on pea gravel in trenches on a green
    Pea gravel and pipe
  • Crew member setting filter-socked drainage pipe in a trench
    Setting the pipe
  • Two crew members working drainage lines on a shaped green
    Drainage going in
  • Dump truck and tractor placing gravel over drainage on the 12th green
    Gravel on the 12th green

Where each hole stands

Holes 12 and 17. These are the furthest along. Both greens are excavated, shaped, and trenched, and the crew is now installing drainage. The 17th tee we showed you last time is rebuilt, and work on the 17th fairway has begun.

Hole 10. The green is excavated and shaped, and trenching and drainage are next. Fairway work is underway.

Hole 11. The green has been excavated and shaping is in progress.

Hole 16. We're finishing the design for the new green before the crew starts building it.

Hole 18. This one is last in line. Once the other greens move further along, we'll start excavating here.

Fairways

On the fairways, the crew is working through the prep: discing, box scraping to smooth the surface, and getting irrigation in place. The 12th fairway is the furthest along, and the first scraping pass is underway. Here's box scraping on 10 with the orange tractor — same prep work, different hole.

  • Crew discing the 10th fairway with an orange tractor and disc harrow
    Discing the 10th fairway
  • Orange tractor box scraping the fairway on hole 10
    Box scraping on 10
  • Orange Kubota tractor pulling a box scraper across hole 10
    Box scrape — hole 10
  • Water geyser from a sprinkler head hit during work on hole 12
    Hole 12 — sprinkler hit

What's next

  • Gravel and sand deliveries for the green layers
  • A new skid steer joining the fleet to help with shaping
  • Irrigation going in across the greens and fairways
  • Seed prep and seeding, one hole at a time as each is ready

Once seed is down, it's up to the grass. We'll keep sharing photos as things turn green.

Thanks for your patience

Pardon our dust a while longer. We know the equipment and stockpiles aren't the prettiest backdrop to a round, and we appreciate everyone who keeps showing up to play while we bring these holes back.

We'd still love to hear your memories from the old back nine. Email hello@bouldercreekgolf.com with a favorite shot, round, or person from out there.