Vail golf course work will begin in late September
VAIL, Colorado – Improvements to the Vail Golf Club will take place this fall and include rebuilding of the upper tees or back tees on Hole 7, replacement of the bridges located on Holes 11 and 17 and building new weather shelters on holes 3 and 11. Weather permitting, work will begin Sept. 27 and last through November and include a variety of impacts to play at the golf course with the entire course scheduled for a single-day closure on Oct. 4.
According to Vail Golf Club Superintendent Stephen Sarro, the improvements are taking place to address safety concerns and replace 40-year-old aging structures. Sarro says depending on the area of work taking place, the golf course will have from six to 13 holes open for play during construction.
“We’re scheduling work with the least impacts feasible to our golfers while being able to complete the work as quickly as possible,” said Sarro. “These projects are going to result in positive impacts to both golf and Nordic experiences. Safety for our users is a top priority and these improvements will also ensure a safe and enjoyable course for future years.”
A schedule of the work is as follows and is subject to change:
Hole 7 tee box: Sept. 27 to mid-November. This six-week project will include work on the walls and soil structure during the fall with final irrigation work and sod being installed during the spring. From Sept. 27 to Oct. 4, holes 1, 2 and 8 through 18 are scheduled to be available for play.
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Weather shelters: Sept. 27 to Oct. 31. Weather shelters will be installed along holes 3 and 11. The shelters will provide cover during storms, a shaded resting place and shelter when the lightning detection system sounds off. Construction of the shelters will not impact play on the golf course.
Bridges: Oct. 4 to Oct. 31. Work to replace the bridges across Gore Creek on holes 11 and 17 will take approximately two to four weeks and during installation will require closure of holes 11 through 17. Approximately six holes of golf will be available at all times during this work. Replacement of the bridges is needed to address the aging structures, enhance the creek banks and repair damage from the high creek water that occurred late this spring. The bridges will be wider than the current bridges to allow for year-round maintenance equipment.
Additional work is scheduled during the improvements including removal of beetle killed trees on holes 2, 5 and 8, hollow tine and top dressing work on all practice greens and winterization of the irrigation system.
Discounts for daily green fees will occur during the work and vary depending on the amount of play available. According to Vail Golf Club Director Alice Plain, 2010 Punch Cards will not be valid in 2011 as the golf club will offer a variety of options to entice golfers to play at the Vail Golf Club during construction, including opportunities for unlimited play.
We understand the work will be an inconvenience for our golfing community,” said Plain. “We’ll offer great fall deals so that our golfers, both guests and visitors, can enjoy the best experience possible during the work.”
The tee box and bridge projects are being jointly funded by the Vail Recreation District and town of Vail and are a portion of work budgeted between the two entities based on a 10-year agreement that includes repairs and replacement needs for facilities and areas including the Vail Golf Club, Dobson Ice Arena, Vail Nature Center, Vail Gymnastics Center, Ford Park Tennis Center, Ford Park athletic fields and the VRD Youth Services office in the LionsHead parking structure. The town and VRD completed an irrigation renovation on the course, plus improvements to tee box three in 2009 as part of the agreement.
For details on the course work, call Sarro at 970-479-2262.
