(Above left) The fourth hole at "The Quarry" in La Quinta, CA. (Above right) Caterpillar D6M dozer rough shaping at "The Quarry" in La Quinta, CA.

No matter whether it's a course with a downhill par 3 with a treacherous bunker in the middle of the green, a fairway dogleg around a cypress or stately oak tree, a tee elevated before a lake or a green tucked among the pines, Ranger Golf boasts that it "builds each one with care, on time and within budget."

For more than two decades, Ranger Golf has worked with some of America's most recognized golf designers and golf course developers. Ranger Golf's Western Division is currently working on several California projects that have their own "unique" flavor.

One such project is a 10-hole private golf course at The Quarry in La Quinta, which is managed by Winchester Development just south of Palm Springs. "It's a 10-hole, par 3 and a different design," Western Division Manager Jade Work said. "You can also play several of the holes as par 4's in different directions. It's kind of a fun thing for their members and was designed by Tom Fazio Design. It's the first time we've worked with him and we're pleased to have the opportunity."

(Above left) Jared Frederickson (Shaper) and James Murdick (General Superintendant). (Pictured above right) Jade Work, Division Manager, Chantal Sorenson, Office Manager, and Eddie Dominquez, Estimator.

Work explained that Nuevo Engineering moved the dirt on The Quarry job. "We started the project in December 2002 and will complete it at the end of March," Work added. "They're on a very fast track schedule and wanted it built immediately. At times we've had over 50 people working on the project and that's a lot of people and equipment for a relatively small project involving about 30 total acres. Members haven't been inconvenienced by dozers and excavators because the project is located across the street from The Quarry's existing 18-hole golf course."

"Canyon Trails Golf Course in Sunland, just north of Burbank, is another of Ranger's unique California courses because there is no subdivision that goes around it," according to Work. "It's a core, old-style fun golf course. It's very rare to be building something like it in Southern California anymore."

The 72-par, 18-hole public course was designed by Jack Nicklaus. The project is owned by Cosmo World Golf and involved moving about 400,000 yards of dirt. "We started the job in August 2002 and will complete it this August," Work noted. "There's a couple of lakes that are being built, 110 acres of turf and it's going to be a really neat high-end daily golf course."

(Above left) JD 210LE Skip Loader loading sand for a tee box. (Above right) John Deere 410E Backhoe filling a sand trap.

Work reports that about 50 Ranger personnel have been working on Canyon Trails. "Our equipment includes a D10, D9, D8 and a couple of D6 Caterpillar dozers along with a 631 scraper and a 322B excavator. We also have a whole cadre of smaller John Deere equipment including farm tractors and irrigators. We own about 99 percent of everything we use. Some of the larger pieces like the D-10 are rented from Shepherd Machinery and Red Mountain Machinery."

Rocks. The biggest challenge to the Ranger crews on the Canyon Trails project was rocks. "Lots and lots of rocks," Work stressed. "We worked with the Nicklaus design team and project manager John Ridenger to overcome all these little problems and hurdles. They're kind of normal for new facilities where we always encounter problems. We just find ways to figure them out."

(Above) Spreading sand on the fifth hole at "The Quarry" and laying sod at the fifth hole.

In selecting Ranger as the builder, Cosmo World Golf "not only acknowledged our competitive bid but also our impressive portfolio of high-quality golf course projects we've successfully completed over the years," Work stated. Ranger's division manager began his golf course career in 1984 and joined Ranger Golf in 1998. An accomplished golfer, Jade embarked in 1991 on a professional golf career playing the South Africa Tour and later, the Nike Tour in the United States in 1994, as an exempt player. He is also a licensed general contractor.

A third California project under construction by Ranger Golf is The Ranch Golf Club at The Ranch on Silver Creek in the heart of the Silicon Valley in San Jose. This 6,700 yard 18-hole golf course is surrounded by six new single-family communities constructed by William Lyon Homes.

(Above) Pronovost trailer dumping sand at the #4 tee box at "The Quarry."

"Ranger Golf started transforming the Casey O"Callaghan Design architectural vision to reality, converting the raw land to the planner's strictest specifications, down to the final cubic yard in August 2001," Work emphasized. "About 7-8 million cubic yards of dirt has been moved for the project which we expect to complete in July 2003. Right now we have a maintenance crew of 10 on site and April first we'll bring 30-40 personnel back to complete the job."

Work explained that The Ranch Golf Club has encountered several challenges including steep terrain, working around installation of the subdivision's infrastructure including sewer and storm drains and environmental issues. "There have been many obstacles to overcome but again we worked with the owners and designers to resolve each one," he noted. Developer William Lyon has also set aside nearly 500 acres within the project's boundaries as permanent open space to preserve habitats of threatened plant and animal species.

"One of the difficult parts of this project in San Jose," he continued, "is there are a lot of removals and remedial grading. In some places we have 20-30 feet of removal underneath a golf hole because of the slopes from the house pads projecting into the fairway. Lots of challenges."

(Above left to right) A Ditch Witch 3700 trenching for irrigation. A Caterpillar 416C Backhoe digging the main line. Caterpillar D8R shaping at Canyon Trails. Bobcat 863 performing finish work on hole #4 at "The Quarry."

The Ranch Golf Club website at www.theranchonsilvercreek.com explains that the dramatic finishing hole, Number 18, is going to be a challenging 400-yard, Par 4 with a two-acre lake to avoid. "It's a beautiful course designed by Casey O'Callaghan, a new, young rising star in our business," Work said.

Two additional California projects have just been awarded to Ranger Golf. "In March we start construction of The Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course for Rancho Mission Viejo. It's an 18-hole public golf course that Tom Lehman co-designed with Casey O'Callaghan Design. The second is a Jack Nicklaus private country club course in Corona called ÔThe Retreatâ for the Empire Land Company. Nelson and Belding are moving about 12 million cubic yards of dirt right now and Ranger's staff will move in sometime in May or early June."

Ranger Golf is based in West Palm Beach, Florida and its Western Division office is located at 27884 Del Rio Road in Temecula. The firm, a division of Ranger Construction Industries, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vecellio & Grogan, a diversified 63-year-old general contracting firm headquartered in Beckley, West Virginia. For information about Ranger Golf visit www.ranger-golf.com or call (909) 587-8104.