Greetings – I am Chris Charnas, Vice President/Golf at Canal Shores, and this is our next to last 2023 update on the course renovation. Thanks for the positive feedback on this series! We have completed moving dirt and putting seed in the ground, but the work to get the course grown in and ready to host golfers in 2024 is just starting. In the coming months KemperSports and our staff will be working tirelessly on all things turf, but we also will be developing operational plans for reopening the course and providing a terrific golf experience with an increased focus on our caddy program (Sponsored by the Western Golf Association) and youth golf development. The above photo is #12 looking west toward Ryan Field.
This week I want to highlight Wadsworth Golf Construction. Wadsworth is not only the contractor for the project, but their Foundation, The Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation, has been a long-term donor to Canal Shores and has made a major gift to the renovation of the golf course. Thank you for your support!
Brent Wadsworth started the Wadsworth Golf Construction Company 65 years ago in 1958 based on the golf industry’s need to have a dedicated golf course construction company deliver products that exceeded industry standards. Devotion to duty, proudness and “extraordinary satisfaction” remain their Mission Statement and are carried through on each and every project regardless of its size.
From the beginning, the Wadsworth Company earned a reputation for integrity, service and quality of workmanship that is unsurpassed in the industry. A key to the Company’s success has been its ability to hire and retain key employees who share a high level of values and commitment to service. Many primary managers, supervisors and shapers have served the Company for more than 25 years.
The Wadsworth Company has completed more than 1,000 major golf projects, working with virtually all of the world’s most renowned golf course architects – most of them on multiple occasions. Many of those projects have received high accolades, such as “Best New Course of the Year”, or are ranked in the “Golf Digest Top 100”. The true dedication to delivering the architect’s vision with uncompromised quality yields products that can withstand the test of time as they provide enjoyment to each golfer that embraces the great game of golf.
Thank you to all of the employees from Wadsworth that worked on the project! Special thanks go out to Eric Wadsworth, Pat Karnick, Doug Myslinski, Matt Lohmann and Mario Salas. Mario was onsite every day rain or shine kicking ass and taking names. His contributions were immeasurable.
Progress Report:
In late November, Staff and volunteers covered 14 of the 18 greens with tarps. The tarps help with erosion control (and coyote control on the 4th green) along with providing an insulating cushion which should help with grow-in in the Spring. With construction finally wrapped, here are some interesting stats on the project:
Buckthorn Removed – 201, 288 square feet
Total Disturbed Ground – 37.9 acres
Dirt Moved – 23,788 Cubic Yards
Drainage Pipe 4” – 5,965 Linear Feet
Drainage Pipe 6” – 5,580 Linear Feet
Drain Inlets – 99
Connections to the Canal – 13
Greens Area – 121,740 Square Feet (2.79 Acres) –
Greens Drainage – 16,080 Linear Feet
Tees and Fairways – 654,291 Square Feet (15 Acres)
Roughs – 683,357 Square Feet (15.7 Acres)
Bluegrass Sod – 104,299 Square Feet (2.4 Acres)
Cart Paths – 12,891 Linear Feet
Erosion Fence – 11,340 Linear Feet
Temporary Fencing – 11,340 Linear Feet
Number of Wadsworth Employees onsite – 20
Date Construction Started – July 17, 2023
Days Under Construction – 125
Days lost to Rain – 15
Subcontractors on the Project
ArborGreen – Tree Removal
Green Source – Sod Installer
McGinty Bros, Inc. Hydromulch Installer
Halloran & Yauch – Irrigation Installer
As the holes grow in, we continue to highlight the great new golf experiences coming to Canal Shores:
HOLE #15
PAR 4 210 – 275 YDS
ALPS
The straightaway 15th has some considerable width through the playing corridor, a rarity at Canal Shores. The best tee shot here will favor the right side along the hollows that parallel the fairway. From the right the approach into the green is wide open. For those who either choose or happen to play down the left side, a large perpendicular landform bisects the fairway 20 yards short of the green, obscuring vision of the putting surface and toying with depth perception, while also protecting the 16th tee. If lucky, a shot played just over the mound could jump onto the putting surface, or it might be funneled left into one of the deep greenside hollows that closely guard the green.
Hole #16
PAR 3 90-130 YDS;
DON’T SLEEP ON IT
Drawing inspiration from the great Short template par 3s–including its namesake New York cousin, the 16th at Sleepy Hollow–the Canal Shores version of the 16th features a distinct indentation (thumbprint) that guards the center of the green, requiring an accurate approach to find the correct quadrant. The entire complex has been repositioned on the edge of the steep canal bank and surrounded on all sides by hollows of various depths. Though short in stature, the canal crossing here provides an intimidating and dramatic lead-in to the final stretch of the back nine. Green Inspiration: Short Template.
Please let me know if you have any questions on the project or would like a tour. It’s a little cold, but if you want a tour I am happy to walk about. If you prefer to be unsubscribed from this newsletter, please let me know. Finally, a huge thank you to all that have donated to the Canal Shores 2nd Century project. We have currently raised $5.4 Million of our $5.9 Million goal. If you have not yet donated and are interested, you can email me to set up a meeting or you can access our donation site here.
Best Wishes,
Chris
*** Photo Credits to Patrick Hughes, Jr.
*** Writing help from Tim Pretzsch
