Par 3 GC OPEN today! 18-Hole GC to open Thursday (weather permitted).

Lake Winnetka NO LONGER EXISTS as of Wednesday July 27th, 2011.
PLEASE remember you can click on any photo to enlarge.

Over 50,000,000 gallons of water were pumped off the Championship course over the last four days. This last weekend's grand total of 8.01-inches of rain left the course with a great deal of clean-up to do before opening. The primary function of the course is flood relief for the community followed by recreation. The water-shed is twice the size of this 110 acre course. Thus after a five week drought and 3.5-inches of rain in the first hour and over 5-inches in the first three hours, most all "ran-off" straight to the course. Staff acknowledges that this was the worst flood in any ones memory. This includes Don Voss who has faithfully served the golf course and park district since 1977.

Following are pictures mostly from Tuesday as the flood waters receded and exposed the huge task of cleaning up flood debris, siltation and getting the 78 sand bunkers on both courses restored. If you follow this blog ...last Sunday there was mention of an unorthodox idea on how to get walking greens mowers and staff out to all the "island greens" such as #'s 8,10,14,15,16 and 17. Staff was extremely concerned as not all of the greens had been cut since last Thursday. Damage can occur when trying to get the greens height back down in this hot & humid weather with soft conditions. The total material cost to 'construct' new boats was $90 thanks to Walmart in Arlington Heights who had the inventory we were looking for.

Following are two very brief movies...enjoy!

USS Michna leaving the 'dry-dock' from #6 Tee in route to #8 Green. The second 'ship' built by staff is the USS Gonzalez II named after a Medal of Honor recipient from the USMC who served with Ast. G.C.Supt. Mark Anderson in Viet Nam 1967-1968. The United States Navy launched the Destroyer USS Gonzalez DDG-66 in 1995. Our boats were built using three sleeved together 5-foot diameter kiddie pools. The base is reinforced by a sheet of plywood to help support the 220 pound walking greens mowers. Kudos go out to staff member's Mario Contreras and Matt Bukovac who had to not only walk in sometimes 3-foot deep water pulling the ship but then take the hip weighters off and walk mow the six greens for an additional six miles of walking AND come back to the shop for coffee and lunch breaks. Not to mention lifting in and out of the ship. Job well done men!

USS Gonzalez II just left dry dock for Lake Winnetka.

Staff Mario Contreras, Mark Anderson (master mind behind the floatilla) and Matt Bukovac.

Here Mario and Matt have just pulled in to "First Port-O-Call" #8 Green, success!!!

Cutting #8 Green as seen from #9 Tee.

#17 Sand Bunker as waters are receding.

#17 Sand bunker contaminated with silt and  organic matter.

#17 Sand bunker close up showing the debris and silt layer. Please notice the clean sand  exposed in front of the ball.

#1 Fairway sand bunker . Notice the high-water line  3/4ths the way up the bunker.

Great photo showing  the 90+ acres of silt. Martin Acosta proudly cutting his green.

Winnetka Golf Club closed due to 7-inch rain storm!!! Course is under water as deep as three feet from bow to stern and port to starboard!

Due to the flooding Winnetka Golf Club will be closed to public play until at least Thursday July 28th. Call the Proshop/Clubhouse at 847-501-2050 for updates. The Winnetka Men's Club Invitational is still under consideration but would not have gas carts out by Wednesday July 27th as scheduled. Saturday morning's 24-hour storm total storm delivered 7.06 of rain at the official Winnetka Golf Club weather station. Chicago received 6.91 Saturday breaking their closest 24- hour records of 6.49 on 8/14/1987 and 6.64 on 9/13/2008. WGC weather station recorded 3.52" in 1-hour at 1am Saturday morning. When adding the rainfall for the next two hours gives a three(3) hour total of 5.27"!!! Absolutely astonishing. Due to the course's primary function as flood relief for the community obviously there was a lot of run off from the water shed of twice the course acreage.

From #5 Green, left to right #8,6,5 and 2

Following are some pictures from Sunday July 24th 24-hours after the major storm. Once the pumps have time to do their job the course should drain down swiftly from the 1,200+ surface drains installed over the last 20 years. Staff is most concerned with getting walking greens mowers out to the furthest greens to cut and spray for disease control this week. Stay tuned as staff has some unorthodox ideas to try and get to the greens greens Monday or Tuesday. And no, canoes would not work lifting a 220 pound machine in and out of a  canoe.

Standing on the front edge of #15 Green. Green has been 25% under water for 30 hours.

Looking down #15 from back of green.

From #15 Green towards #16 Tee.

Rico and Pascual refueling the pump at #14
Tee.

Hole #1.

From #8 Green, #8 on left and #6 on right side of Mertz Mountain.

Hole #10.

Hole #9.

From #10 Green. #9 on left side and #10 on right side.

Hole #11.

Standing on the dike during inspection for breaches. #14 Green and #15 Tee. BTW the yellow pull over boots staff uses no longer function in 36-inch deep water. LOL.

Hole #14 from green.

From #8 Approach looking across holes #10,15 and 16.

Storm Damage Update...Golf Course is OPEN for play!

On Monday July 11th just as staff completed the morning mowing and prep work was when the squall line with 60+ mph winds ripped through the golf course causing three mature trees to topple and portions of dozens others to be damaged. As of Tuesday morning the course is open for play. Yet more clean-up for staff lies ahead; same as after the June 21st and 29th storms. As Tom Skilling said, "this was arguably the most damaging of the three storms in the last month". 

The #1 Green complex opened back up for Ladies Day July 12th / Rally For The Cure Day.  Please see next picture...Staff did consider creating a tunnel similar to the ones done 100 years ago to the Giant Sequoia's in Yosemite National Park.

#1 Green from the west. 80 Year old Silver Maple snapped in the storm. The debris extended halfway into the green. Sorry this is the only photo that came out due to the rain.

 

June 22nd storm showing the debris strewn about #1 Green complex.

Although this picture is from the June 22nd storm (Practice Putting Green) it replicates the clean-up staff  now has  on the docket for the next week or so.

80 Year Silver Maple tree on #11 topples over during storm.

#11 Maple looking back toward tee.

Impaled branch from the #11 Maple.

Mature apple tree #8 just north of Willow at #8 Green.

#8 Green Willow tree from #6 Fairway during storm. The tree is salvageable but one third was lost.

#8 from 100 yards during storm.

Redd Foxx Jr. keeping a watchful eye on the ever mounting wood chip pile.