Archive for the ‘Golf fairway construction’ category

Golf construction trailers

May 1st, 2010

Abstract: You can tell if your golf course builder is serious when you look at his construction trailers. I’m not talking about the ones that people hide in during bad weather, I’m talking about the ones with the bouncy tires used to convey dirt.

I had to fill in for a crew member last week and I spent the whole day driving a John Deere tractor and dump cart. After a few weeks straight looking at a computer screen it was nice to see green grass and birds.

The tee expansion project involved the conveyance of 375 cubic yards of fill a distance of one mile. I did about 12 cubic yards per hour; or three round trips.  Moving fill on an existing golf course is quite expensive; most people don’t understand the expense.

The Pronovost trailer  P-516 holds 4 cubic yards. I’ve bought a few of them and I love talking to the Canadian manufacturers. As soon as you say the word golf, they mention this model. This sturdy cart has a nice hydraulic dump and heavy tailgate. An optional tailgate with a chute is handy when backfilling drainage ditches with sand. It’s big enough to move along golf cart paths without causing damage.

Big, bouncy turf tires insure that no turf damage will occur. The only problem is wet turf. I had a wild-and-wolly ride a few years back when I lost traction on a wet golf course.

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Posted in Golf construction communications, Golf fairway construction, Golf green construction

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Golf course construction-limited budget

September 9th, 2009

Summary: Many golf courses can’t afford premium materials and elaborate management teams. A golf course in Massachusetts first developed conditioning goals. After eliminating expensive details, a scheme using native materials and a few skilled golf course personnel created a successful, limited budget, golf course.

I’ve built golf courses for owners with limited budgets who want modest golf course conditions. They don’t want slick greens,  shaved tees and bentgrass fairways. They want a playable golf course that doesn’t require intensive grooming. This post will discuss one project in Massachusetts.

After site plan review and routing, a clearing contractor began work. The owner hired a professional forester to manage the tree clearing; a good investment because he identified valuable trees for harvest, reducing the clearing costs.

The owner wanted to hire a site contractor to perform bulk earthmoving. Usually done to save money,I’ve seen this fail on other projects. Site developers can’t create golf course features.  The finished project will look like a parking lot. The change orders will inflate the construction budget.

After persuasion, the owner hired a skilled golf course shaper for all golf course earthworks and construction. Having one golf course shaper permitted logical work sequencing without the conflicts created by two companies with different earthmoving philosophies.

The shaper used a D-8 to perform major earthworks procedures. His comprehension of  final golf course grades created sensible stockpile locations, making cuts and fills easier. Many golf projects suffer delays caused by poor stockpile locating.

The Owner wanted to retain stumps located in front of tee boxes. A cost saving suggestion, he relented after I explained that leaving stumps in front of a tee will save money, but they will decompose in a few years creating a safety hazard.

Grubbing, or removal of tree roots and wood waste, produced a clean topsoil ready for stockpiling. We grubbed the entire golf course playing surface knowing that the remaining woodwaste will complicate the fine grading process.

We removed about a foot of topsoil with the D-8, pushing it into locations not requiring cuts and fills. We didn’t screen any fairway or rough topsoil. After topsoil return, we removed surface stones and stray roots with a mechanical rake.

The cuts and fill were done with the D-8. The golf course shaper is a fine operator, and he created golf course shapes without water pockets. We eliminated loading and trucking costs by limiting cuts and fills to bulldozer pushes. Creative use of existing site topography limited earthmoving.

He roughed out the tees and greens with the D-8. The shaper planned his earthworks well. He shaped final tee, green, and bunker shapes with a small bulldozer and an excavator.

He built tees with native topsoil saving the expense of purchasing, rehandling, and installing custom blended tee mix. We installed fifty feet of drain tile in each tee. It cost about one-hundred dollars; cheap insurance from drainage problems.  We screened the tee-top topsoil to remove rocks because we didn’t want golfers breaking wooden golf tees. We laser-graded the tee top, another important construction detail.

We plated bunkers with with screened topsoil. We were fortunate to find cheap, locally available bunker sand. Intensive compaction during construction and loaming insured that the seeded surfaces wouldn’t wash out. We added bunker drainage; this is another inexpensive detail that insures immediate play after heavy rain.

Green construction included standard herring bone drainage tile with a pea-stone backfill. We manufactured our own green mix with on-site loam mixed with sand excavated from a pond location. The ratio of 70% sand and 30% topsoil performs well.

An irrigation vendor designed the irrigation system without charge.  His in-house designer created a sensible system on a site plan provided by the owner. We purchased all  irrigation components from his company. The irrigation vendor assisted during the installation process.

We seeded the tee tops with low-cut bluegrass. The bunkers faces and tee surrounds were seeded with a bluegrass and fescue mix. We added a small quantity of annual rye for quick germination.

The Penncross greens provide durability to this public golf course. This course will never see extreme putting speeds.

We built the golf course for half the cost of a typical project. Abundant on-site materials created the opportunity to manufacture tee and green mixes that saved money. Lab testing insured agronomic viability.

The owner hired a grow-in superintendent with the following job description: ” You’ll work seven days a week with rainy days off.” The grow-in went well, and after a few months, the course opened for limited play. The course will never host the U.S. Open and that’s how the owner and his customers want it.

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Posted in Golf construction specifications, Golf fairway construction, Golf green construction, Golf tee construction, Richard Golf projects

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Golf sod-buy new or reuse

August 24th, 2009

Summary: Evaluate labor costs and turf structure before deciding to reinstall existing golf turf.

When golf managers ask about reusing existing rough sod in new construction, I tell them to evaluate the following:

  • Condition of the existing sod
  • Cost of labor to remove and store the sod
  • Cost of labor to maintain the sod during storage
  • Loss of sod during the removal and installation process

Check the existing sod for weeds, turf vigor, and root vitality. Examine the existing subsoil. Confirm that the new topsoil is similar to the existing subsoil; heavy soil laden sod installed on sandy soil will create dessication problems.

Determine if the existing sod will survive during removal, storage, and restoration. I’ve seen vibrant bluegrass sod fragment when cut and handled. Fescue sod grows in a bunched pattern making it difficult to rehandle.  Cut a few test strips to see how the sod adapts to rehandling.

Develop a cost analysis by determining delivered sod prices.  Multiply square footage times unit cost and transportation fees to determine sod cost delivered to the work site.

Commercial sod companies use mechanical harvesters that cut and load perfectly cut sod. The sod is placed on pallets in a unique pattern that knits one roll with another, creating a stable load. Spyders, or conveyance vehicles, transfer the sod to the work limit.

Next, itemize the cost of removing the existing sod. Laborers will cut the sod and place it on pallets. This is not the most efficient way to remove sod. Inexperienced sod laborers usually cut sod in shorter lengths. Thickness may vary. When the sod cutter completes a pass, a few inches of sod will be destroyed. They will drop a few rolls. You’ll loose 20% of the sod during the cutting and stacking process.

After unrolling the sod and placing it in a flat, shady area, the sod must be irrigated. Consider the cost to maintain the recycled sod.  Hand watering, if needed, adds to the labor costs.

Additional labor is needed to roll up the stored sod, load it on pallets, and transport it to the work site.

Reuse of existing sod may look like a way to save money during the construction process. Commercially grown sod, delivered in pallets, or rolls, is a better option.

In another post, I’ll discuss the reuse of existing green and fairway sod.

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Posted in Golf bunker construction, Golf construction specifications, Golf fairway construction, Golf tee construction

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Village Links-a par-3 golf course

August 21st, 2009
Village Links, Plymouth MA

Village Links, Plymouth MA

Summary: Faced with a flat, sandy site of 30 acres, Richard Golf built a stylish par-3 layout. Using on-site materials and a skilled golf shaper created substantial construction cost reductions.

Village Links is a par-3 golf course built on a thirty-acre site in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The permitting engineer used a plot plan with preliminary green, tee, and bunker details drawn in. To save money, the plan didn’t include highly defined golf course details; most of the design was done in the field with sketches and conversation.

The sandy site had a light forest of pitch pine and white oak. The site has an elevation change of 15 feet.

I hired a skilled golf course shaper, and he used a Cat D-8 and  small shaping bulldozer to construct the golf course. Working from the first tee outward, we rough shaped tees, greens, bunkers, and mounds. He produced 80% of the final shaping with the D-8, finishing the details with the small dozer. I only spent one hour a day with him; he gets overloaded with information after one hour.

We excavated the pond, using the sand fill for green and tee mix. The pond excavation included a large vein of sugar sand, a high percolation, sharp sand that tested well for golf green and tee mixtures. We hired a local screener and operator to mix, on site, the two products at a percentage of 80% sand and 20% topsoil.

We subcontracted the pond liner installation. We installed a wet well made of  48″ corrugated pipe. The owner constructed a pump house and installed pumps.

Ground water is pumped into the pond, and a separate pumping system feeds the irrigation system.  Constant refilling with a groundwater pump provides enough water to irrigate the golf course.

A local golf course construction company fine graded and seeded the site. They installed  hemp sacks filled with topsoil along the bunker edges.

Village Links is a short course, perfect for beginners or skilled players who want to practice short irons on contoured greens. A sister course, Squirrel Run, is nearby. Check them out if you are in Plymouth, Mass. , they are located near the Plymouth Municipal Airport.

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Fairway leveling project

August 20th, 2009

Summary: Golf fairways suffering from uneven surfaces benefit from fairway leveling procedures.

A top golf course had two uneven fairways caused by subsurface peat and stump movement. The solution involved the following:

  • Removal of existing sod and irrigation
  • Bulldozer grading of subgrade peat
  • Installation of Mirafi geofabric under entire fairway fill
  • Importation of gravel fill
  • Drainage installation
  • Irrigation installation
  • Topsoil plating,fine grading, and new sod installation

The work area encompassed 7 acres. The subject holes included a long par-5 and a medium length par-4. The golf course had a large mound of gravel behind the par-5 tee; this gravel became the new fairway subgrade. An additional gravel source bordered the par-4.

After removal of the existing sod, irrigation stubbing began. The irrigation mains and lateral taps remained; the lateral pipe and sprinkler were removed. Large orange stakes marked the location of the live mainline taps.

Bulldozer grading of the peat subsoil created a smooth surface for the geofabric. We transported excess peat to a screening location for later use as topsoil.

The project was done in 10,000 square foot increments. We didn’t want to open up too much area. After placing a few thousand feet of geofabric on the subgrade, installation of a 24″ thick layer of gravel fill began. The work included construction of a haul road, 36″ by 11 feet wide, on the centerline of the fairway. The haul road permitted delivery of gravel fill to distant areas of fairway fill. After completion of the gravel fill operation, we removed the haul road by pushing the surplus material over the fairway.

The gravel fill provides a working drainage layer, intercepting water before it entered the peat layer. The mirafi cloth served as an additional water barrier while improving structural integrity to the fairway, preventing settling.

We shaped the leftover gravel into a new elevated tee box on the par-5. We also added two fairway bunkers.

The drainage system consists  of 4″ solid, double wall pipe, and 12″ inlets constructed of 12″ double wall solid pipe. Subtle swales directs water to inlets, and the pipe daylights at a bordering pond.

We used PVC lateral pipe for the irrigation system, 2″ fused HDPE would have been a better choice but the expense was too much for the owner. We installed new wire to the reused valve-in-head sprinklers.

We screener mixed the stockpiled peat with unscreened drainage sand. The six inch layer of home made topsoil provided an economical topsoil.

We installed fairway sod in strips, not rolls. The late New England weather caused muddy conditions, so we laid out plywood and this provided a suitable working platform.

Two years later the fairway looks good. A few areas have settled, but the settling is only a few inches, not the few feet seen before construction. We installed inlets in the low areas to remove pocketed water.

Additional information:

Golf course settled areas

Fairway renovations

Fairway grade modification

Fairway expansions

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Fairway grade modification

August 17th, 2009

Summary: Resolve golf fairway visibility problems with engineering and grade modification.

Many golf courses have sight line problems caused by strong fairway mounds or depressions. Others have grade problems caused by bad design or cost-cutting during construction.

Grade modifications will improve playability and calm nervous insurance underwriters. This post will describe how to determine safe golf course sightlines and begin the specification process.

Use the following to convert survey data to graph paper:

  • Graph paper
  • Engineer’s scale (in decimals, not fractions)
  • Pencil
  • Laser
  • Survey rod (in tenths, not inches)
  • Marking paint
  • String line
  • Survey stakes
  • Helper who doesn’t mind waiting

I’ll use a fictitious golf hole. The fourth hole at John Doe Country Club is a par 4, 410 yards long. A fairway mound begins 140 yards off the tee. The mound rises about 10 feet in the center, and it tapers off at 240 yards off the tee.

The hole is unsafe. Golfers on the tee can’t see other golfers past the 240-yard mark. Golfers who don’t reach the 110-yard point cannot see their second shot landing. The slopes on the side of the mound direct golf shots away from the fairway.

Grade modification specifications  require new design grades. These grades indicate the shape and height of the modified fairway. Use this information to calculate cut quantities (the amount of fill removed) and finish work area.

A survey profile is a side view. Visualize a golf fairway viewed from the side. Your view includes a horizontal line that shows all the bumps and hollows of the surface from a side view. The highest points form the horizon.

Imagine cutting the side view of the fairway in two sections, along the centerline. The centerline is an imaginary line that begins in the middle of a tee and continues to the center of the target green. Slice the fairway along the centerline, and prop it up showing the side view, or profile. Don’t be concerned with dogleg bends in this example.

The graph paper should be engineering grade with ¼ inch squares. If needed tape two pieces together along the short side; you’ll have graph paper approximately 23” by 16”.

Determine the approximate work limits in the field. Walk the bottom of the mound slope. Visualize the area that will be modified to resolve the grade problem. Make an educated guess; the actual work limits will be established later in the process.

Install a stake at the beginning of the work limits. Place another stake at the high point of the mound. Install a third stake at the far point of the grade problem, the point closest to the green. The three stakes must be in a straight line; align the first and second stake, then install the third stake. Measure the distance from the first stake to the last stake. Let’s assume that the work limit is 100 yards long.

Assign a scale for the graph paper. The work limits are 100 yards long and you have around 120 grids on the horizontal plane. Let’s use 1-yard increments. Each ¼” box on the horizontal plane will indicate 1 yard in the field. Start on the left side and write 1,2,3….yards on the bottom of the page.

The vertical grids should be in feet. The grade problem is probably 10-20 feet high, not 10-20 yards high, so I’ll use 1 foot increments. Write 1,2, 3… feet in the vertical margin of the graph paper.

Connect the first, middle, and last stake with a string. Adjust to insure that the three stakes are in a straight line.

Starting at the stake closest to the tee, install a paint mark along the centerline string every 5 yards. Continue to the last stake closest to the green.

Use the laser to take an elevation shot at the first stake. This will be the base elevation; the reference point for all other elevations within the work limit. The bottom of the first stake is the height and location of the proposed fairway grade. Pencil a point in the lower left corner of the graph paper, up a few blocks from the edge of the paper.

Determine elevations along the centerline at 5-yard increments. At each centerline paint mark, calculate the elevation and distance from the baseline stake, and add this information to the graph paper. For example, assume that the second mark shows an elevation 1.5 feet higher than the base elevation. On the graph paper, count over five grids to signify 15 yards, than go up one and a half feet on the vertical scale to delineate the elevation. Be careful when writing elevations on the graph paper. Don’t confuse feet with yards.

Continue adding elevation and distance data to the graph paper. Connect the dots to form a side view of the fairway elevations. Draw a straight line from the point of the first stake to the last stake. This line will show the new fairway grade needed to resolve the visibility problem.  Determine preliminary cut or fill quantities by measuring up from the connecting line.

Obtain more precise fill calculations by repeating the staking process. Measure over 15 perpendicular feet from the original baseline stake. Establish additional centerlines parallel to the first string. Repeat the survey and graph paper processes using different pencil colors.

After completing the survey, add data about earthworks volume, irrigation impacts, fine grading, and sod quantities into a golf course construction narrative.

Additional information on specifications.

Fairway subsoil modification

Fairway leveling project

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Golf course fairway renovations

August 14th, 2009

Summary: Fairway modifications improve drainage and repair construction deficiencies. After developing a scope, create budget headings to develop a project budget.

Fairway renovations are done for the following reasons:

  • To improve landing area reception to a golf shot
  • To level playing surface
  • To improve visibility
  • To fix drainage problems
  • To replace inferior subsoil
  • To install new bunker and mound features.

Golf course fairways must allow a well-struck golf ball to land and roll in a straight line or be directed toward the center of the fairway by a side slope. Crowned fairway grades that direct well-struck shots toward rough or hazard areas are unacceptable.

A golfer must have good visibility from all places on a fairway. They must be able to see another golfer from the tee or when playing a second shot.

Fairway drainage problems are caused by inefficient swales or subsurface water. These problems are compounded by heavy subsoils that are incapable of draining water.

New fairway bunker and mound installations require fairway renovations. Existing fairway contours rarely blend with new features. This requires an expansion of the work limits to merge new features with fairway grades.

Fairway renovation projects include the following line items:

  • Work limit layout and staking
  • Stubbing of irrigation, removal and storage of reusable components
  • Removal of existing sod, transport to on site dump
  • Removal of unsuitable subsoil
  • Construction of new features
  • Purchase of new subsoil/topsoil
  • Fine grading
  • Installation of sod/seed
  • Post plant care

Additional information:

Fairway grade modification

Fairway expansions

Replacement of fairway subsoils.

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Golf Fairway expansions

August 4th, 2009

Abstract: Fairway edge modification involves the following procedures.

Fairway edge details have changed in the past fifty years. In the 1970’s, the favored mowing pattern had straight fairway edges. The 1980’s saw a change to heavily contoured forms that curved around bunkers and mounds.

I’ve seen a trend toward straighter fairway edges. To convert from fairway to rough, many superintendents raise the height-of-cut. A good method, provided the taller version of your fairway turf fits into your turf management program. Hitting from 2″ cut bentgrass can be difficult. Overseeding into the fairway grass before raising the height of cut will introduce cultivars that perform at rough height.

Conversion from rough to fairway involves methodical lowering of height-of-cut increasing the potential for unsightly scalping. This process assumes that the rough turf will tolerate fairway height-of-cut. This is rare with contemporary fairway mowing heights.

This leads to removal of the existing rough sod and replacing it with low-cut fairway turf. You can purchase new sod or relocate existing fairway turf. The existing fairway turf  has the same mixture of grass cultivars and it will look better than newly purchased sod.

Measure the square footage, and develop a scenario for sod relocation. If you take out 2500 square feet of fairway sod, be sure to find a home for the same square footage. Assume that you will lose 15% of the sod in the cutting and transfer process. If the sod is in poor condition, buy new sod.

Don’t open up too much area. Cut the sod and store it in a shady area with the sod rolled out. Don’t make the sod rolls too long; 4 feet works for me. I know rolled sod is easy to rehandle but you may loose sod if you get delayed by weather. Rolled up sod only lasts a few days in New England. Roll it out and it will last for weeks if watered.

Fine grade the work area. This is a good time to remove water pockets, adjust irrigation head location, or create mounding.  Install soil additives and the sod. If you need to purchase new sod, install it along the fairway and rough transition line.

Additional information:

Golf course fairway construction

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More Golf Course Stone Stairs

July 30th, 2009

I’ve had a few email questions on my previous post on golf course stone stairs.

Question: You said the stone can vary in thickness. How do you insure that the stairway doesn’t become off level in each succeeding tread?

Answer: The stones can vary 3 inches or more. Be sure to level each stone with a stone dust shim. Put the level on the top  surface to check for level, then pitch the stone forward 1%.

Question: I’m in Connecticut. Where do you get rough-cut stone?

Answer: Email me at ray@richardgolf.com and I’ll send you the name of a supplier.

Question: How do I off-load the stone?

Answer: Use an excavator with a suitable load rating. Call a company that sells rigging. Purchase a strap capable of handling the weight of the stone. Don’t use chains or cable. Don’t buy cheap straps. Don’t use heavily worn straps. Hint: Place the stone on wooden pieces of dunnage (2×4″ sections spread across the stone bottom). This will allow you to easily remove the strap, and reattach the strap when you move them again.

Question: My members want the stones to look alike. Can you order similar stone patterns?

Answer:  Stone color and texture varies between each stone. It’s nature. Call it “character” and tell your members to appreciate the infinite color and texture of nature.

Question: I’m in New York. Can this work be done in the winter?

Answer: Yes, provided the frost is less than 4-6 inches deep. Keep the stone dust warm (load it in a small trailer and keep it inside a heated building) and compact everything before you go home. The compaction will insure that the stones won’t move in the freeze.

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Posted in Golf course stairs, Golf fairway construction, Golf tee construction, Uncategorized

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Golf course settled areas

July 28th, 2009

Abstract: Settled areas on golf courses create water pockets and dangerous conditions for distracted golfers. Here’s a few methods to fix these problems.

Golf fairway depression is not a psychiatric disorder. It’s not caused by a chronic inability to nail a three-metal. Golf course depressions are turfed areas that are several inches or more below the surrounding grade. These depressed areas can be hundreds of feet long. They create depression in golf course superintendents or golfers.

Settled areas occur when subgrade material under golf course turf decomposes or relocates. This void is filled with soil from above the void.

The primary cause of settled areas is the decay of organic fill. It’s created by improper golf course construction. Golf course contractors are known for creative disposal of organic debris. In the past, environmental regulations didn’t specify where stumps, sod, and other organic debris could be buried. Off-site disposal costs are expensive, so many golf contractors buried organic materials under golf fairways.

The worse case of organic decay I’ve seen was under a top-tier golf course in the Northeast. A not-very-experienced golf course builder constructed the course in 1967. Faced with a huge volume of stumps and wood-waste, he buried this debris wherever he could, usually when the golf architect wasn’t looking. He chose the location of a golf green as a dump site. Gradually, the golf green settled and this began a yearly ritual whereby the golf super removed the green sod. After installing a few shovels of green mixture, he returned the sod.

We were asked to fix the problem. While doing a bunker renovation on this course, I asked a golf course shaper to view the settled green. He took one look and said, “I’ve got the cure.”

He moved his large excavator to the edge of the green (on plywood so no damage occurred). We marked out an area 20’ by 20’ on the putting surface, and he swung the big bucket around. Much to the horror of several members lounging on rocking chairs, he dug down about ten feet and removed three huge stumps. He eventually removed three truckloads of organic waste, concrete, and assorted other junk. We filled the void with clean gravel fill, added a 14” layer of greens mix, and installed new sod. The green is in play today and everyone has forgotten about the settled area.

Deep freezes in the Northeast can relocate large rocks creating settled areas. The rocks that cause these depressions usually can be removed and the void filled. Large rocks or ledge require localized filling of voids.

I wrote the following specification for a golf course with thirty large settled areas located in fairway and rough areas. The contractor buried  wood-waste in fairway and rough areas, and these areas settled a few feet. Someof the settled areas are 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. The settled areas include decomposed organic material, or compost, and solid wood waste (stumps). I proposed to mix the compost with sand, creating a stable fill material. The course has a cheap supply of drainage sand nearby, other fill can be used. The solid fill will be removed and transported to an off-site organic waste facility.

  • Stub all irrigation within work zone. Use a large excavator (Cat 312 excavator) to open up the settled area.  Use plywood as needed. Go wide on the excavation to include some bordering areas. Mix and ompact the decayed material with the excavator bucket. If possible,  compact the fill with an excavator mounted vibratory plate compactor.

You’ll have a final grade 1-2 feet or more below final grade after mixing. Apply a  geogrid fabric, or HDPE neting, on top of the compacted fill. This product come in rolls and it provides an integral connection to the fill. Install a layer of geogrid  on top of the subgrade material,  add 6″ of 3/4″ stone, then sandy fill to grade. Install topsoil 6″ over grade to allow for any settling and seed/sod. Add a few mounds and golf forms so the fill doesn’t look like a burial pit.

Golf course depression can be cured. You don’t need Prozac or Welbutrin. The right fix will increase your golf course playability.

More information:

Golf course fairway leveling

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