Westmoor CC and Toronto GC

Are these clubs linked together? An odd question you might say. Firstly, let me explain the 08 Westmoor CC restoration project completed by TDIGolf and XGD.

Westmoor CC, http://www.westmoor.org/ in Brookfield,WI was designed by R. Langford in the early 1900’s. Since that time, minor renovations have occurred with no real consistency in architect intent. The club hired Lohmann Golf Designs http://www.lohmann.com/ to restore the club. XGD Systems installed our subsurface drainage system on 14 greens in spring 08, and the club remained open until mid August when TDIGolf arrived to begin the restoration including a regrassing of the greens, and a fairway, bunker,rough, and tee restoration. TDIGolf http://www.tdigolf.com/ shaped the subgrade of four of the Westmoor greens that required rebuilding out of on site topsoil, and created a small 4″ cavity. XGD would then install our system in to these 4 greens backfilled with the same final greensmix. Also, the same backfill material XGD used on the untouched 14 greens during the pipe install. It was a way to create consistent golf and maintenance conditions. Then TDI pushed a 4″ layer of greens mix over the XGD System, which enabled pipe,depth and spacing of the XGD System was consistent on all 18 greens at Westmoor.

That all said, Westmoor CC opened last month to rave reviews. XGD will continually monitor these greens,as these are the first of this type built using these methods. We call them an XGD Modified Green, and TDI/XGD will be completing a similar project this summer at Toronto Golf Club http://www.torontogolfclub.com/ beginning in July.

The Toronto GC restoration is groundbreaking as well. TDI is completing the restoration of this. H.S. Colt club along with Dr. Martin Hawtree http://www.hawtree.co.uk/ of England. As the club is just off the sandy shores of Lake Ontario its greens and subsoils were originally of a pushup style used in golf construction in the early 1900’s. Due to this fine subsoil material XGD is using this native material recovered from our trench spoils as backfill material for all XGD laterals/mainlines, creating an environment for excavated trenches to remain invisible to the eye, yet still providing a positive drainage improvement medium as the subsoils mix with the more organic material in the top of the turf rootzone. We have performed this process once before on a green at Shinnecock GC with great results.

Two greens are being moved slightly and will be constructed using similar techniques to the Westmoor greens, save for the native backfill here. TDI’s restoration techniques will be very labour heavy, trying to mimic techniques employed during original construction. This will avoid compaction issues associated with many projects, this process is much more common in Europe as well.

Tune in again as I will post pics on this medium during the entire process at Toronto. Some have said how the Westmoor restoration may change the way mid western courses are restored. We feel the same may be said and more about our unique Toronto Golf Club restoration.

Thanks, Poor Old Dirt & Grass Farmer