Bunker Renovations

For the last several weeks we have been working on some of our more problematic bunkers that have had major sand and drainage system contamination.  As a result of this many of our bunkers no longer perform from a playability and drainage stand point.

 Here is a great video from the USGA that show some of our bunker issues.

The issue stems from the last three summers of torrential rains that have mixed soil and clay particles with the bunker sand effectively closing all pore space necessary for drainage. As a result the bunkers now hold water and the sand stays wet throughout the day.  This is problematic from a playability standpoint because the bunkers play like there is no sand in them, when in actuality there is plenty.  Unfortunately the sand is so contaminated  it no longer function in all regards.

The solution for this problem is to completely remove the sand and install new drainage before re-installing the new sand. Going one step further we will be lining the bunkers with a product called Klingstone. This product is a liquid polymer that is applied to the bunker subsurface that solidifies in 24 hours into a hard impermeable surface. This newly formed liner will help minimize any future sand contamination with the subsurface soil.

New Drainge Being Installed

The end result will be a better performing longer lasting bunker that should play the same today as it does in five years. We will be installing the newer liner technology to ten of our worst bunkers this year and use this as a full scale test as to future bunker renovation solutions. For more information about Klingstone and to watch an installation video go to there website Here

The Melt

Over the last two days with temperatures in the upper 60's and high winds a big portion of the snow on the course has melted away. Unfortunately new snow is predicted over the next two days, so we will see what happens.

So far greens, tees and fairways look to be in good shape while the rough might be a different story with damage coming in the form of snow mold and Voles. Time will tell how the other areas that are still deep under snow cover will be.

 On a positive note the drainage system is working nicely removing the excess flow of water from the golf course. This rapid removal of water will help prevent any standing water from forming and reduce the possibility of ice formation.

Free Flowing Water

New Sand

As most of you are aware the sand in the bunkers has been contaminated due to repeated washouts from last seasons heavy rains. This has caused several bunker to remain wet even when small amounts of water are applied to the surrounding area. These bunkers have become less than ideal from a playability standpoint.

In order to properly address this problem we have started targeting the most problematic one first. The work that is necessary to resolve the bunker problems are; complete removal of sand, inspect and improve drain tile and reinstall new bunker sand. This process was recently done to one of the fairway bunkers on the seventh hole.

After completion it was nice to visit the bunker in the morning after irrigation was run the prior evening and see no standing water in the bunker.

Bunker Work in Progress

Completed Bunker

Bunker Repairs

The off season allows us the opportunity to do some more invasive maintenance to some of the bunkers that have had their internal drainage compromised. Over the course of last summer we had numerous heavy rainfall events that contaminated many of the bunkers as far as sand quality and internal drainage functionality. Check out these previous posts here,here and here from last summer that details the carnage that was left over after the storms.

Unfortunately the only way to properly deal with these problems is to completely replace the bunker sand and rebuild the drainage systems. This task can be somewhat of a challenge due to the fact that sand remains frozen and is unworkable for most of the day. In order to remove most of the sand we had to break it out into chunks with a spud bar and then physically load and haul it off. The drainage system was repaired and backfilled with new pea gravel to allow easy access in to the drain tile.

Chunking Out The Frozen Sand

The Finished Product

The finished product appears no different to the golfer, but from a functional and playability standpoint the bunkers will be good as new.

Drainage

Today drainage work on the tee pad began, which will put us closer to the completion of the project.

The tee itself has 1% surface drainage, but additional internal drainage is also being installed to ensure that ideal conditions are present for turf growth. A modified internal herringbone is being installed at a 20 foot spacing making excessive water removal quick and easy.

Following the installation of the drainage system the rootzone mix will be added to the tee surface to a depth of 6". After that time the rootzone mix will be laser leveled creating a perfectly smooth surface for the sod to be layed on.

Drain outfalls being dug

Lateral drain installation

The Down Side of Too Much Rain

The month of July brought us nearly 3.5" of rain which was great, except for the problems that come with too much of anything.

Mowing has become even more of a challenge than normal due to the fact that the steeps slopes have remained wet causing traction issues with the mowing equipment. Traction is questionable on most of the course when things are dry let alone wet. There is nothing flat about this golf course which makes it interesting from an aesthetic and playability standpoint. Maintaining it is a whole different story.

Another issue that has developed from the excessive rainfall has been numerous drainage system failures. We have been spending a lot of time repairing drain tile that has not truly been tested in many years.

Drain Work

Over the years debris has washed into the drainage systems that are located adjacent to the cart paths and has clogged them. The drains are critical to keep properly operating so that excess water from rain, snow melt and even irrigation does not cause standing water to occur on the paths.

These problematic drains became apparent after our last series of snow events that produced large quantities of water as the melting took place. Each of these drains has had to be physically removed and new ones installed in their place. New pipe, bedding and catch basins have all been installed to properly repair these drains. New materials were used because most of the old components were damaged in some form and rendered inoperable.

Completed drain inlet

Grading on #11 is Complete

The ditch crossing work on the eleventh hole is now complete. After several weeks of re-grading and the installation of extensive drainage, today the new sod was put down.

Now that the work is complete cart traffic will be restricted in this area until next spring allowing the new sod to become established.

From a pace of play and maintenance standpoint this area will now become greatly improved. The main area of the ditch will now be mowed grass that will better handle cart traffic and additionally if your ball lands in this area you will be able to quickly locate it.


Drainage Work
Sod Being Installed



Before Re-grading


Sod Work Completed Finished Product

Improving Fairway Drainage

The golf course was constructed with many severe slopes that shed water from surrounding rough areas into the fairways. This water is collected with a series of 4” drainage inlets that takes away the water into a maze of underground drain tiles. These inlet areas are always of a bowled shape and are typically located in one of the lowest points in the fairways. This causes these areas to retain more moisture than the other areas in the fairways. An additional problem that occurs to these areas is that golf balls tend to be funneled into these collection areas as well. Many times you will find damp lies in these areas that creates a problem from a playability standpoint.

Applying Sand to Fairway Drainage Inlet Area

We are trying to address these areas by improving the surface drainage by modifying the soils around the drainage inlets. This is being done by additional aerification and sand topdressing being worked into these open holes. The sand filled holes will help remove water from the surface and allow it to move more quickly through the soil profile. Over time these areas will begin to firm up and play more similarly to the rest of the fairway areas.

View of Multiple Areas That Were Topdressed

Solid Tine Aerification Taking Place
>