Almost in Sight

The Finish Line

As we approach opening weekend, it is hard to believe that the planning for this restoration began back in late 2020. After nearly a year of construction, grow-in, and preparation, the Grounds Team and I are excited to welcome everyone back to the golf course following last July’s closure.

You will notice many changes throughout the property, and part of the fun will be getting reacquainted with the course and discovering the strategic enhancements that have been made along the way.

Over the past several weeks, the McDonald & Sons team has completed repairs to the bunkers impacted by the heavy May rain events. To help protect several of the steeper bunker faces while the zoysia continues to establish, temporary stakes and protective grid fencing remain in place. These measures will remain in select locations a little longer to allow the sod seams to fully knit together and mature.

Stakes and Wire Mesh

A few final detail items remain, including shaping behind the 2nd Ross tee, completing cart path work on Holes 2 and 8, and finishing sod installation along select cart path edges and other minor areas throughout the property.

The Hyde Park Grounds Team has been focused on the finishing touches—correcting minor settling, completing seeding projects, detailing playing surfaces, and preparing the course for its return to play.

Many of you will remember Adam Moeller from our Member Education Town Hall in May. Adam recently returned to Hyde Park to conduct an independent pre-opening agronomic review of the golf course. His assessment confirmed that all major construction work has been completed, the restoration features look outstanding, and that the scheduled opening remains appropriate from an agronomic and turf health perspective. He noted that the new bentgrass greens, tees, and approaches are maturing nicely and are ready for play, while the Meyer zoysiagrass fairways will continue to improve as summer temperatures increase.

As expected with a project of this scale, some rough areas, bunker faces, and peripheral turf established late this spring remain younger and will continue to mature throughout the summer. Adam emphasized that careful traffic management and member cooperation will be critical during the first season to protect the club's investment and allow the course to continue improving throughout the growing season.

While opening day marks a major milestone, the work for our team is just beginning. The primary playing surfaces are ready for golf, but many of the peripheral areas remain in earlier stages of establishment. Throughout the summer, our focus will be on growing in new turf, refining details, addressing minor settling, strengthening bunker faces, and continuing to improve the overall conditioning and presentation of the golf course.

This restoration represents far more than a construction project. It is a generational investment in Hyde Park Golf & Country Club and the future of our golf course. The patience, support, and enthusiasm shown by the membership throughout this process have been greatly appreciated by everyone involved.

On behalf of the entire Grounds Team, thank you for your trust and support. We are proud of what has been accomplished and look forward to welcoming you back this weekend.

See you on the first tee and please enjoy this video of the course outlining many of the changes!

Pat O'Brien,
Grounds Superintendent

Rain, Repairs & Resilience: Spring Keeps Testing the Course

Good Morning Members,

The golf course received approximately 2.6” of rainfall Friday night (close to 6" for the month) with periods of very intense rain across the property. As a result, several bunker faces on holes 9, 11, and 14 sustained damage from washouts and sloughing along the steep bunker banks.

The primary challenge continues to be the combination of saturated conditions and young Zoysiagrass sod on bunker faces that is still in the process of fully establishing and knitting together. To date, Hyde Park has received approximately 5.6” of rain during the month of May, creating extremely difficult grow-in conditions during a period when zoysiagrass naturally establishes more slowly due to cooler spring temperatures. Unfortunately, the continued unfavorable weather pattern and latest forecasted rain events are expected to further delay overall progress and recovery efforts in the affected areas.

As mentioned before, Mother Nature can certainly be in control at times. Importantly, this is not a construction defect, but rather part of the challenge associated with establishing steep grassed bunker faces during a wet spring weather pattern. In the affected areas, bunker sand has become contaminated and portions will need to be removed and replaced as repairs are completed.

Our Grounds Team and McDonald and Sons have already mobilized repair efforts and are proactively working to protect vulnerable areas ahead of additional forecasted rain chances throughout the upcoming week. Temporary measures including plastic coverings and bunker face stabilization are currently being utilized to minimize additional damage. 

Plastic Covering Protecting Faces

Despite these weather setbacks, meaningful progress continues across the property. It has certainly been a typical spring filled with ups and downs, and hopefully we will not lose any additional days to weather this week. The project is now down to the final three bunkers requiring internal drainage work on holes 2 and 17. In addition, most of the mounding work between holes 17 and 18 has now been completed and sodded. The Ley Irrigation crew also has 6  more sprinklers to install, along with completion of remaining punch list items as weather and field conditions allow.

Drainage Install Yesterday on #17 

While these setbacks are frustrating for everyone involved, the course continues to make significant progress overall. The restoration teams remains focused on delivering the highest quality finished product possible while navigating a spring season that recently has brought persistent rainfall and difficult establishment conditions.

We appreciate the continued patience and support from the membership as we work through these weather-related challenges. Additional updates will continue to be shared as conditions evolve.

Pat O'Brien 

Grounds Superintendent