Championsgate

Success depends on teamwork and experience

The task was clear — on an 800-acre site build two 18-hole Greg Norman designed championship
courses, a David Leadbetter Golf Academy and a practice facility equivalent to a ninehole course. And, finish the project in 14 months.

Success would require golf course superintendent Bobby Ellis to draw on every facet of his nearly 20 years of construction and maintenance experience. In the end, making ChampionsGate a high-end resort facility would depend on a team effort between Ellis, his crew, the architect and contractor.

The International is an authentic links-style golf course reminiscent of the great courses of the British Isles.

Get organized
Site preparation at the layout in ChampionsGate, Florida, just outside Orlando, began in August of 1999. Ellis, an associate of Meadowbrook Golf, arrived more than a month later to oversee the project for its Houston, Texas owner.

Ellis first requested the plans and specifications for both golf courses. Then he carefully read the general contractor’s agreement. He wanted to know the scope of the contractor’s work and his responsibilities. Other questions were: Will material be cleared, stripped and burned onsite, or will it be hauled away? How much dirt has to be moved and what is the cost for additional material relocation? How are the greens to be constructed?

“Doing 36 holes at once in a tight time frame puts the contractor on a very fast-paced schedule,” Ellis says. “The contractor is so busy that his work may take him into areas not approved by the architect. This is where site coordination becomes so critical. It is the responsibility of the owner’s representative to prevent problems such as putting material in an improper location.”

At any project, someone needs to be at the site at all times looking out for the best interests of the owner. Ellis met daily with the contractor and a Norman Design representative. The group didn’t talked about what they were doing that day, but projects a few days out and into the next week.

“I saw myself as the inspector for the project,” Ellis says, “representing the owner’s and the company’s interests. Without that person, the owner takes it on good faith that the architect and contractor are working to the specifications, plans and bids. When there are field changes and change orders, someone has to relay that to the owner so he’s not surprised. With an $8 million budget, someone needs to make sure that money is being spent prudently.”

Only the unknown is certain
With all his construction experience, the only thing Ellis can say with certainty is that each site will have its share of unknown circumstances. Architects always have the option to change the original design plan. However, these changes are typically made at the owner’s expense, so there must be a representative to decide what the limits will be. The architect OKs the design, but the superintendent approves the construction.

Scott Zakany (at left) and Bobby Ellis agree that teamwork, experience and commitment are the reasons for ChampionsGate's success.

“Norman Design’s specifications were top-notch and very elaborate,” Ellis says. “I always try to stay on budget, but the inevitable change orders pushed us over the top. The owner wanted us to cut in other areas to stay on budget. So, some fairways were narrowed to reduce the number of sprinkler heads. We straightened out some cart paths instead of winding them around. We used more surface drainage or went to a closer area to use fewer pipes. One of the best places to save the owner money is with a superintendent experienced in construction. He knows what to look for.”

Consider maintenance
Scott Zakany CGCS is executive vice president of International Golf Maintenance Inc. (IGM), a division of Meadowbrook Golf. He and Ellis worked with the architect to make the course easier to maintain.

“Norman Design wants to be on the cutting edge,” Zakany says. “Originally, the International Course was intended to resemble a true links-style course, hard and fast, just like in Ireland and Scotland. They didn’t want any irrigation, but these site conditions didn’t allow for that.”

The National Course’s “look” called for a hard line of separation for each type of grass. In fact, the course uses six types of grasses. Some are more aggressive and want to encroach on other areas. And, all have different cutting heights.

“On our very sandy soils,” Zakany says, “grass only grows where water hits it. We also have prevailing winds that blow irrigation water all over. To get these distinct lines, sprinkler heads had to be precisely located. The original design called for a typical double-row system. In order to get the sharp grass line look, we modified it to a triple-row configuration. This allowed exacting coverages so that the turf
received maximum irrigation with little or no overthrow into native outlying areas, which also helps prevent weed growth. This expanded the basic irrigation system by 40 percent, and Norman Design was pleased with the results.”

All drain tile patterns in the USGA-constructed greens were laid out by the superintendent based on field changes by the architect.

The National is a traditional American golf course featuring one classic hole after another with a variety of shot-making challenges.

“Paper drawings are not three-dimensional,” Zakany says. “It may look like water should drain one way, but because of the way surface and walk-up areas are designed, there needs to be an agronomic decision that says a different drainage pattern will be better for the long-term viability of the course.”

Ellis adds: “Everyone wants the ultimate design in the beginning until they find out what it costs. When features are scaled back, it’s important not to jeopardize the course. Irrigation is not one area where I like to see reductions. In fact, every project I’ve ever been on has had irrigation taken out, and then it’s been put back and most often increased.”

Learning never stops
When both courses opened on Oct. 24, 2000, the results were spectacular. Ellis credits a team effort and the owner’s commitment.

“He had a vision and faith and trust in the people he hired,” Ellis says. “He was confident we were making the correct decisions and protecting his interests.”

The project also relied on the support services of IGM.

“We are involved with about 100 golf courses,” Zakany says, “and we share our collective experience with our superintendents so they can operate more efficiently. All of us get together periodically to share ideas and knowledge and make sure we don’t revisit areas where other people may have stumbled. When you deal with Mother Nature and site, turf and irrigation challenges, something will come up. We’re trying to minimize issues and effectively solve a problem before it becomes critical.”

While Ellis likes the fast-paced nature of construction, finished maintenance offers him the challenges of preparing for high-end tournaments.

“We will host the state amateur this year, and are highly scrutinized by PGATour players because of the Leadbetter Academy,” he says. “Preparing the golf course and showing it off gets me excited now. Regardless of whether I’m working in construction or maintenance, I’m constantly learning. I’ve found the more I experience, the more I learn, the more valuable I am to the owner or the company I’m working for. To be successful, I’ve always kept learning. I try to associate with knowledgeable people who share their experiences. Our industry is very good at that.”