ShoreSOX® Case Study
Cress Creek Country Club
Location
Naperville, IL
Installer
Cress Creek Country Club
System
400 LF of ShoreSOX
Key Steps
Site Preparation
The Cress Creek team created dry work conditions and planned shoreline restoration to cover the old liner, ensuring a clean start for installation.
Anchoring System
Crews refined drilled stake holes, set proper spacing, and drove upper and lower anchors into place, establishing a stable foundation for the ShoreSOX system.
Assembly and Fill
The team sewed, tethered, and positioned ShoreSOX sections, including creating new rope channels and setting tension. They tested pulverized dirt versus sand as fill materials, ultimately selecting sand for its efficiency and cleaner results.
Aesthetic Finish
The restored shoreline was shaped and graded to create a smooth, natural transition from pond edge to turf, with the area prepped for sod placement once conditions allow.
Problem
Cress Creek Country Club was managing a challenging combination of shoreline erosion, aging pond liner exposure, and naturally fluctuating water levels around a prominent irrigation pond near a greenside area. As the shoreline receded over time, more liners became visible, making it difficult to maintain a clean, consistent appearance, especially during seasonal water-level changes.
The course sought a sustainable, long-term solution that would protect the existing liner, rebuild the eroded bank, and support more stable water-level management. With multiple ponds showing similar wear, Cress Creek also wanted its maintenance team trained in a proven system they could apply across the property.
Solution
Cress Creek restored roughly 400 linear feet of shoreline using the ShoreSOX system, reinforcing the eroded bank while concealing the aging pond liner. Their team installed a stable, anchored containment structure and rebuilt the shoreline with sustainable fill, creating a stronger and more consistent pond edge.
During the installation, the crew completed every phase of the system; staking, sewing, tethering, filling, and shaping - building confidence for future projects across the course. They also evaluated different fill materials, comparing pulverized dirt with sand; the clear performance advantage of sand helped establish best practices for upcoming shoreline work.
Through this hands-on project, Cress Creek not only stabilized the shoreline but also strengthened their internal capability to execute additional SOX system installations independently.
Outcome
The finished shoreline blended naturally with the surrounding turf and pond edge, meeting the course’s aesthetic goals while restoring functional integrity to a high-visibility irrigation pond. This improvement eliminated the need to adjust water levels to hide exposed liner, reduced maintenance demands, and preserved visual appeal year-round.
Beyond the restoration itself, the project demonstrated how effectively Cress Creek’s team can implement SOX systems across their property, supporting environmentally responsible shoreline improvements on additional ponds. By strengthening their in-house installation capability, Cress Creek invested in a scalable solution that will benefit course aesthetics, infrastructure protection, and long-term maintenance efficiency.
