Rocks and drainage were installed along with the liner so that the ground water wouldn’t seep up and compromise the structural integrity of the project. Once the liner was installed, water was then pumped back into the man made lake. Approximately 2,000 gallons of water will be continually pumped through the “running” stream that connects to the lakes. In addition to the water works features being constructed at the new Cal Olson designed course, Cook & Solis has also installed 500 tons of boulders. The boulders range in various sizes and are used throughout the course and around the perimiter of the lakes. The company has also built 15 bridges throughout the golf course. Two

of the bridges are strictly foot bridges that allow solely pedestrian traffic. The remaining 13 bridges are designed to handle cart traffic. Crews of 8-10 workmen have been laboring 6 days a week to complete the project. Work began in November of last year and is scheduled to be completed in April 2007.

Currently the company has a number of other projects in the works. Cook & Solis are finishing up work on Dove Mountain, a Jack Nicklaus designed course located in Tucson, Arizona, where the company is constructing a lake. They are also installing 600 tons of boulders, as well as building a rock wall along the entire shoreline of the lake. Work began in December of last year and is due to be completed in March of this year.

Cook & Solis are also involved on two projects with Integrity Golf, also featured in this issue. The company is constructing five lakes and 3,000 feet of stream and installing 4,000 tons of boulders at Rams Hill in Borrego Springs. The second project with Integrity Golf is the Coyote Springs course in Nevada. This project has Cook & Solis constructing ten lakes, of which six have already been completed. The company is also installing some 2,500 tons of boulders.

Located in Escondido, Cook & Solis Construction, Inc. was stared in 1984 by Tim Cook and Andy Solis. Both men had worked together for a number of years constructing water works for Pacific Lining before they founded their own company. When the partners first opened their doors for business they had a single crew. Andy handled the site work while Tim took care of the business end. Twenty-three years later the company now has forty employees. Over the years Cook & Solis have built a solid reputation for high quality work. Cook & Solis has also worked on high profile jobs, including those featured by ABC Sports on the networks Battle at Bighorn and Battle at the Bridges. This sports exclusive featured Big Horn Golf Course in Palm Desert and The Bridges in Rancho Santa, both world class private courses that Cook & Solis is proud to have worked on. Cook & Solis was responsible for constructing seven lakes and a mile of stream at Big Horn. The company put in five lakes and 1,500 feet of stream at The Bridges. Cook & Solis worked with Site Development Studios at both courses constructing the waterfall features.

Cook & Solis Construction has completed work on golf courses not only in California, but also in Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Arkansas, Texas and the big island of Hawaii. They have worked with a literal Who’s Who of designers that include Tom Fazio, Perry Dye and Jack Nicklaus. “Our goal is to make everything appear as natural as possible,” said Andy. “This is our biggest challenge with every job we are involved with. We take the given terrain and make it look as if the lake and stream had always been there.” In order to accomplish that Cook & Solis work hand in hand with the course’s designer. Every project is literally a work in progress until completion. The design is the initial concept, but the actual terrain of the site necessitates that modifications be made as the course is being constructed.

Every job is different and every job requires a variety of equipment to be used during construction. Cook & Solis have a number of John Deere 744 loaders, a pair of John Deere 700 dozers, two Hitachi 230 excavators and three Case fork lifts. Most of their equipment is obtained from RDO Equipment located in Riverside.

“We have some really great people working for us,” said Andy. Cameron Mosher, Jonathan Seal and Gary Goolsby are the company’s foremen. Gary has been with Cook & Solis for eight years. Both Jonathan and Cameron have been with the company for a year. “These guys are all great foremen,” said Andy. “They have the skills and knowledge to get the job done right and work very well with the crews.”

One of the advantages of constructing a golf course is the added benefit of getting to play on it once it’s completed. “I love playing golf,” Andy readily admitted. “Tim and I love to get in as much play as possible during our off hours. Seeing the finished project is very satisfying, but being able to get out there and play the course is what I really love best about what we do.”

It stands to reason that people who love to play golf will put their heart into their work and construct a great course. Cook & Solis have a twenty-three year history of constructing world-class golf courses for those who love the game. For more information on Cook & Solis, visit them online at www.cookandsolis.com. Cc