I posted this picture on twitter ten days ago (@spartangrass) not expecting the reaction and attention it would receive from Superintendents around the Country. Twitter is a world of quick communication that has changed how Superintendents communicate and share ideas.
The story of these signs date back to the beginning of Aldarra Golf Club (2000), the credit for the design goes to former Mechanic, Dean Owen, he was and is a jack of all trades. He had a way of promising something grand and delivering a final product that was better than you imagined. Signage on a golf course is necessary, finding a way to make it 'fit' the property is the challenge. Originally these signs were made from both fir and cedar trees that had been removed from the course. All signs are now made with Cedar (it holds up better in the elements than Fir) if a tree of proper size is taken down, six foot sections of the tree are stored for future sign or bench making.
This is the beginning of one of four new signs that were made this winter. One new hole location sign will be placed on #14. Three signs were made to replace old signs beyond repair.
One of our Assistants, Matthew, is trying to match the face angles for the signs. A sharp chainsaw and patience makes this step much easier.
The bark and soft outer layer of green wood is removed. Originally the bark was left on, but they declined rapidly. The process was changed after a few years and they last longer with the outer layers removed. The lighter color wood in the right half of the photo is what it needs to look like before moving to the next step. Two staff members, Heri and Raul, deserve the credit for stripping down all of the signs. They also painted and stained the finished product.
The outline is traced with permanent marker to aid Matt in the router process. The log is strapped to the work bench, preventing it from moving. The router is set to a depth of 1/4".
If you choose to attempt this at home, start in the middle and work your way out. The next step is branding the "A" below the green outline, the brand is a one of a kind made by Dean.
It is heated up over a propane burner, it has its own custom stand inside the burner.
Sanding around the 'A' after branding is done to cleanup some of the burnt face. Plastic studs are inserted into the sign
Plastic studs (3/8") are drilled out and inserted into the sign identifying the section of the green where the pin is on a given day.
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| From Left to Right #14, #3, #10, #2 |
The final step is two coats of stain and a couple days outside under cover to allow time for the stain to set before being placed at its post near the 14th tee.
A huge thank you to crew members, Matthew, Raul, Heri, and Bill for countless hours building these four signs and refreshing many others.
These are some of the other signs around Aldarra.
