Driving the Distance

What if your next project had to please would-be Tigers, Sharks and Bears? And what if, to do the job right, you had to modify your paving machine into a piece of equipment that had only been used by one other contractor in the country? And, in addition, you had to use a non-traditional mix design to create the smoothest possible surface? Would you even put in a bid? Sure you would. You'd be intrigued by the challenge and eager to give it your best shot. That's how contractor Steve Suchowolec, partner in M&S Construction, Inc., felt when he was asked to bid on constructing the longest continuous concrete golf cart path in Michigan (maybe even in the country).

The Challenges

The name of the golf course tells a lot of the story: Boulder Creek. This newly-developed 18-hole course just outside Grand Rapids had terrain challenges most concrete contractors just don't find in their usual projects, particularly in a primarily curb and gutter operation like M&S. At Boulder Creek, they faced the kind of steep (15%) grades, trees and natural landscape that make golf interesting, but that make placing 5.5 miles of continuous cart path about as easy as scoring an eagle on a par three. And there were other special considerations.

The path needed an ultra-smooth surface to minimize the "thumping" sound of carts driving over joints - a distraction to golfers. The path (and, therefore, the paving machine) also needed to be tilted on a 2% grade for drainage so that golf play could resume immediately after a rain. Course designer Mark DeVries also wanted the path to be an unobtrusive part of the landscape, out of "play"; and an aesthetic asset rather than an eyesore. In fact, that was one selling point for concrete over blacktop-a concrete cart path could be edged precisely in keeping with the well-manicured look of the greens and fairways.

Teeing Up

The first step M&S took was to convert their Gomaco curb and gutter machine into a paver capable of laying 8 to 10 foot wide pavement. With assistance from the Gomaco representative, they completed the conversion in less than a day and proceeded to the golf course for the first day of paving. This conversion had only been tried once before by a contractor in Texas who had not yet reported back his success or failure - so no one could be sure what the result would be. There was a lot of industry interest, and a fairly large audience had assembled at the course for the first day of paving. What followed was, as Steve Suchowolec describes it, a "learning experience." Within the first few minutes, the turn buckles snapped from the stress, as did all the forms and bracing buckles. Work came to an abrupt halt, and it was back to the conversion drawing board. At 2:00a.m. the next morning, after hours of welding and fabricating, they finally had the right machine for the job. "There were a few other snags along the way," says Steve. "But they were mild by comparison, and usually a quick call to the manufacturer handled it. Since we were sort of flying blind on this one, the support we got from Gomaco was invaluable. We'd just put in a call, and they were right there with the answers we needed."

Staying the Course

Primarily due to weather delays, the entire path took nearly nine months to finish with delays up to an entire month between placements. The 8-foot-wide path (extended to 10 feet near the clubhouse) was constructed over terrain so steep that, on some of the grades, the machine couldn't make it and had to be towed to the top by a dozer. On a good day, they placed over 200 cubic yards with the converted paving machine and a lot of ingenuity.

Because aesthetics were a primary consideration, Steve decided to use a mix that contained 25% ground blast furnace slag. This created a pure white finish that would provide a stunning contrast to the lush green of the course. To minimize bumps, M&S saw cut construction joints, and created expansion joints every 80 feet. The result was a smoother, quieter ride.

Coming In Under Par

Course owner Andy Dykema thought long and hard about the investment he wanted to make in Boulder Creek. On the one hand, he wanted a spectacular course that would draw golfers from all over the state and would be a great place for outings and tournament play. On the other hand, as the owner of Dykema Excavators, he knew the extra costs and challenges of constructing 5.5 miles of continuous path. However, he also knew that concrete would last 10 times longer than blacktop, require less maintenance, drain more efficiently give a smoother ride, and add significantly to the beauty of the course. In the end it was no contest. And he couldn't be more pleased with the result. "It's interesting," says Dykema. "I've invested a lot of time, effort and money in developing a golf course that is challenging to play, beautiful to look at, and on a par with some of the best courses in the country. And by far, the number one comment we get about the course is how beautiful that cart path is."