The 19th Hole
We were approached by Green Meadows Golf Course to build a patio and walkway to complement their addition to the club house that was built in 2020. There were numerous challenges we had to face to design and install this raised patio but with clear communication and a clear end goal we were able to overcome all of the hurdles thrown our way.
The biggest challenge on this patio were the grades we had to meet for ADA requirements and to keep a smooth transition from the parking lot to the pro shop/office and from there to the cart path. There was over 3 feet of difference from the pro shop and office entrance to the existing patio, parking lot, and cart path. With Green Meadows needing to meet ADA requirements for wheelchairs we could not solve this problem with steps therefore we had to make a sweeping sidewalk with a gentle pitch up to the entrances. We were able to maintain a 3-4% slope on the walkway and then a 1-2% slope on the main patio to keep the walk to the pro shop comfortable while not making the patio feel like a ski slope.
The next challenge was the transition from the patio to the cart path. Since we weren’t as worried about ADA requirements there, we were able to get a little more aggressive with the slope. We had to make up nearly 20 inches of difference in 8 feet so we had to make a break in the pattern to transition but that made a great delineation of space between patio and walkway!
The one challenge that we failed to foresee was the necessity for a retaining wall to create a raised patio. Initially we thought that we could retain the patio and maintain a comfortable slope from the edge of the patio towards the 18th green, however the patio had to be brought up too much to make this possible. We were able to work with Green Meadows and our supplier in order to get retaining wall materials quickly and affordably so we wouldn’t blow the budget. With this oversight and after a conversation with the owner of Green Meadows we decided to replace the walkway and steps into the clubhouse for only a labor fee to help make up for our misstep.
After all of the challenges this job presented all parties were happy with how it turned out. We went back in August of 2021 to get some photos of the patio at dusk and there were 10-12 golfers enjoying a beverage around the gas fire table and they all mentioned how nice it was to have a place to hang out after a round of golf!
