Experience Troon Golf in the Pacific Northwest at Old Works. Discover information regarding the construction of this championship Jack Nicklaus course in Anaconda, Montana.



The construction of the Old Works Golf Course focused on achieving four remedial action objectives, waste materials management, storm water management, site management, and historic preservation. The waste materials management guidelines were to provide safe soil concentrations of undesirable wastes that existed on the site, thereby minimizing any potential recreational or occupational exposure. Storm water management goals focused on protecting Warm Springs Creek by way of controlling runoff from the golf course and surrounding areas. Site management objectives accomplished through institutional controls for the operation of the golf course, long term monitoring guidelines and appropriate planning and management of future development. The final objective of the remedial action was to preserve, to the extent practicable, historic features in the Old Works Historic District.

With these objectives in mind, construction of the golf course began in June of 1994. A total of 600,000 cubic yards of material was moved and regraded during this operation. Three sedimentation ponds to control runoff from Stuckey Ridge north of the golf course and two golf course lakes were constructed. The lakes collect and control storm water runoff from the three sedimentation ponds. The lake located on the back nine of the golf course, also serves as a water storage reservoir for the irrigation system.

A total of 11 independent drainage networks were installed totaling approximately 32,000 linear feet of piping. One hundred thirty three surface grates were installed to catch and route flows into the networks. The irrigation mainline was also installed in the subsoils concurrently with the installation of the subdrainage system. The mainline piping was installed above the subdrain piping and consists of approximately 27,500 linear feet of both plastic and iron pipe.

During construction an engineered soil cover (or "cap") was installed. The capped areas of the golf course include the fairways, roughs, and native areas. The cap consists of two or three layers depending on the concentration of wastes in the subsoils. This first layer consists of 47 thousand tons of limerock spread over the site two inches thick, to counteract the potential acidifying effects of the waste soils. The next layer consists of a 480,000 cubic yards of a clayey soil 12 to 15 inches thick, to reduce the potential for water infiltration into the subsoils. The final layer consists 117,000 cubic yards of a loamy sand soil, spread six inches thick, that serves as the growth medium. The total cap thickness is 18 to 23 inches.

To manage water infiltration special liners were used under bunkers, tees, greens and the two lakes. To reduce the potential for irrigation infiltration through the soil cap a central computer, flow sensors, and on-site weather station were installed that assists in managing the amount of water used each day.

The construction of the course also included erosion protection for Warm Springs Creek. This involved lining the stream bank with 5000 linear feet of 18 to 24 inch riprap. Additionally, any trees that were removed from the banks of the creek have been replaced by over 600 trees planted on the golf course.

Seeding and grow-in of the golf course began in July 1995, and was completed during 1996. The course was groomed for play during the spring of 1997, and the first rounds were played in late May.

Montana Golf Course, Pacific Northwest Golf Course