Posts Tagged ‘Golf bunker construction’

Golf Course Material Testing

August 22nd, 2010

Abstract: When in doubt, always test golf course construction materials before purchase. When not in doubt, test anyway to confirm salesman’s rhetoric.

Soil testing is cheap insurance. I remember a big bunker renovation at a private club. The project involved rebuilding 40 bunkers. The owner decided to purchase (and assume the responsibility for quality control) all bunker sand. We installed many feet of bunker drainage on the bunker floor, and we made sure our slope laser worked. The bunker forms looked great and we installed the sand at a uniform six-inch depth. A few months later, seven bunkers had poor drainage and it wasn’t our fault.

A post-installation bunker sand test showed that the sand vendor changed the product halfway through the project. The vendor changed sand pit locations and the new pit had sand loaded with fine silt. The vendor never told the superintendent, and the sand color didn’t change, so the superintendent assumed that all the loads were as quoted. The vendor, new to the golf industry, didn’t know about bunker sand nuances.

We replaced all the bad sand and the superintendent kept his job although he told everyone about the sand fiasco. The sand vendor doesn’t sell to golf anymore.

I always do a batch sample test of root zone mix and bunker sand. Drive over to the pit-I know it takes time-and grab a sample with your own hands. Don’t rely on vendor supplied reports that always show good news. Do your own tests and sleep well.

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Posted in Golf bunker construction, Golf construction communications, Golf construction specifications

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Golf bunker floors

July 20th, 2010

Abstract: Good golf course bunkers begin with a properly constructed bunker floor. I like them contoured to permit positive drainage.

Golf course bunker floors vary from flat to highly-contoured.  I’m a proponent of gently sloped bunker floors that encourage gentle subsurface water flow directed toward drain pipes. Flattish bunker floors collect water or drain water slowly because they don’t have subsurface slopes.

Bunkers built by bulldozer during the 1970’s and 1980’s often suffer from flat bunker bottoms. These bunkers usually have drainage problems along with stone encroachment into bunker sand. They were built by pushing out earth, forming a flat surface then clean bunker sand was placed on top of the exposed gravel. These bulldozer cuts often scraped away good soil leaving a gravel layer with bunker sand added in uneven levels.

Often seen on municipal golf courses, these flat bunker bottoms require major reconstruction to fix. After we create a new bunker floor with a rounded shape, we add subsurface drain pipes along with 6 inches of silty material to form a stone barrier. Another option involves bunker liner installation but I’ve found that the costs are similar for both processes.

After we shape the bunker bottoms, we strip about 10 feet of sod around the new edge. On most of these courses, dramatic bunkers look out of place so we construct low and slow features that provide a clean, yet aesthetically pleasing sand hazard. By gently pitching the bunker floor we improve sand visibility while maintaining a subtle appearance.

When visioning a bunker renovation, start with rounded bunker floors, then add character mounding as needed.

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Golf Course Bunker Removal

June 26th, 2010

Abstract: Tired, poorly defined golf bunkers provide unsatisfactory golf course visuals. Poor bunker location infuriates golfers penalized for good shots, and outdated shapes distract from golf course aesthetics. When a rebuild won’t work, it’s time to remove the bunker.

Bunker removal begins with a site assessment. You will replace the bunker with a flat surface that looks natural. The filled-in area should blend in with surrounding fairway and rough grades.

The project scenario:

  • View the bunker from all sides. Visualize what a flattening will do with surrounding grades. Expand work limit so you remove all existing bunker forms. I know, this will increase the work limits and increase cost, but if you keep a remnant of a former bunker grade you will regret it. It’s common to remove 3 or 4 times the bunker floor area in total work area.
  • Look for surface drainage flow patterns and irrigation impacts. Don’t create a water pocket or divert water from properly functioning surface flow. Stub existing bunker irrigation and watch out for valve boxes and sprinklers; raise or move as needed.
  • Install wooden stakes on proposed work limits, and adjust as needed. If you can’t determine the surface water flow by eye, use a laser. If you are filling in a bunker that has strong mounding, you may want to incorporate some of the fill into a subtle mound.
  • Paint out final work limits, and remove sod. You may want to save existing fairway sod. Using an excavator, or backhoe, scrape all the bunker topsoil and stockpile nearby. Leave the bunker sand in place, it’s not worth the trouble moving it out. To prevent settling, install solid fill in 8″ lifts (layers) and compact with excavator tracks. I usually build these fill areas strong by adding a six inch crown to allow for some settling. Surface the final 6 inches with topsoil.

The removed bunker should provide joy to golfers, while reducing your golf course worry list.

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Golf construction compaction

March 13th, 2010

Abstract: Golf course specifications include vague references to compaction. Some promote bulldozer tracking, and others require rolling and compaction testing. What’s the best compaction method?

I recently read specifications for a sportsfield renovation. The project involves subgrade preparation and spreading loam over an acre and a half. The design engineer required that after grading the field, the contractor will roll the surface four times with a heavy roller. The engineer doesn’t understand that if properly bulldozer tracked, the field will settle evenly

I see this philosophy in golf course construction. Some worry that fairway and rough areas will settle unevenly if they are not compacted before seeding. One owner wanted me to run a big Cat roller down his newly finished fairway.

I tell my shapers to track in all flat work. When working a fill area, spread about a foot of material, and then run the dozer back and forth with the blade up. This will form compacted lifts, with increased strength caused by intensive tracking. These lifts will settle evenly.

If the fill ends in a 3:1 slope or more, this detail works well. If it ends in a sharper detail, like a 2:1 slope, you may need to install geogrids, or HDPE webbing, on the exposed slope to strengthen the edge.

Feature work requires more compaction. You must intensively compact bunker and mounding faces. I’ve seen poorly compacted features soften over time, forming the dreaded “melted ice cream” look whereby sharp features at seeding turn to mush after a few years. Feature shapers using excavators must install fill in six inch lifts and bucket-compact each lift. This will maintain feature strength without settling.

Tee and green mix compaction starts another argument. Most supers are paranoid of compaction. If you drive a roller on a newly filled green core they will have a fit. I insist on track compaction of seedbed mix, and this provides enough insurance against uneven settlement.

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Golf Course bunker irrigation

October 31st, 2009

Abstract: Modern bunkers with lush green faces  are required on many modernized golf courses. They replace weathered bunkers with dessicated faces. Insure proper maintenance with bunker irrigation.

Pictures of windswept Scottish links show browned bunker faces with fescues blowing in the wind. It’s a nice aesthetic component, but many golf course owners and members want vibrant turf lining surrounding bunkers. Install bunker irrigation to insure healthy green turf.

Some golf courses irrigate bunker faces with overspray from adjoining fairway and rough sprinklers. This works if you have subtle bunker forms with short bunker faces. If you have deep and steep bunker faces, you’ll need to install individual bunker zones.

I use individual spray zones to irrigate bunker surrounds. Let’s assume you have a modern decoder irrigation system. Install an electric valve or two and connect to the decoder network. Install 1″ or 1 1/2″ HDPE pipe that bends with the bunker contour. Center spray heads to insure equal distribution. Simple and effective, this installation costs around $1500.00 per bunker in the Northeast.

Golf courses with limited controller options can use individually battery powered valves. Plumb into existing, pressurized mainlines. Nine-volt battery powered valves feature timing controls and independent operation. The batteries last about a month.

I’ve seen bunker faces with drip irrigation installed. I don’t like the coverage and inability to syringe surrounding turf and sand.

More information:

Golf course bunker construction

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Golf course bunker drainage retrofit

October 14th, 2009

Abstract: Drain wet bunker floors by installing drainage tile. Check working grades before starting the project.

Soggy bunker sand creates playability and appearance problems. Repair involves removal of existing sand and installation of double-wall HDPE pipe into the bunker floor.

Start the retrofit process by locating a suitable discharge point for the bunker drainage pipe. Set the laser on level. and take a shot on the top of sand on the low point of the bunker. Add the depth of sand and depth of pipe to this measurement. For this example , I’ll use a 6″ sand depth. The pipe invert, or bottom, is 12″ below the sand layer. The combined measurement is 18″ below the top of sand. This is the depth of the bottom of the drain pipe.Measure up on the rod, and add 18″ to the rod elevation. Remember that the bottom of the rod goes down when height of the reciever goes up. Let’s assume the rod elevation of the sand layer is 5 feet, the combined elevation is 6 feet, 6 inches.

Next, locate the discharge point. Choose this point carefully because it will usually be wet. Be sure that the exit drain discharges into a down slope without creating a water pocket. If you can’t find a suitable discharge location, consider tying into nearby drain culverts or pipe. Some construct cisterns or leaching catch basins.

Work the laser from the discharge point to the bunker. Establish a minimum slope of .1 %, or 1 tenth of an inch in 100 feet. Remember to land at the low point in the bunker at a point 18″ below the sand surface.

Install pipe in a herring-bone configuration, 12″ below the bunker floor, not the sand. Be sure to slope pipe down to the low bunker floor point.

I prefer to remove all the sand. Store the sand on plywood next to the bunker, or install new bunker sand after the pipe is installed. The partial sand method involves painting the pipe pattern on the sand, and removing only enough sand to excavate the trench and install the pipe.

I like to backfill bunker drainage pipe with bunker sand. Others use 3/8″ pea stone.

If the discharge point is exposed, add a rodent guard, a wire barrier that keeps rodents from entering, and clogging, the pipe.

Additional information:

Golf drainage backfill

Golf bunker drainage

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Golf bunker renovation checklist

October 10th, 2009

Abstract: If you’re tired of looking out at fine turf and irregular bunkers, it’s time for a bunker renovation.Create a checklist and let active members comment on each item

A bunker checklist evaluation includes the following points of discussion:

  • The shape of the bunker floor
  • The composition of the bunker floor. Does it shed stone?
  • Sod condition
  • Design integrity. Does it look right?
  • Sand playability
  • Subsurface drainage. Does it hold water?
  • Surface drainage. Do surround grades keep water out of the bunker?
  • Sand visibility. Can golfers see sand from fairway/tees?

Each category includes critical components needed to having a suitable golf course bunker.

Shape of bunker floor-I always look for a well constructed bunker floor. Sand installed 6 inches deep should reflect the exact shape of the bunker floor. It should sweep up when approaching noses and capes, and lower when facing the line of play. Bunker sand installed with a variable depth creates many playability problems including fluffy sand.

Composition of bunker floor-Bunker floors that shed stones create obvious playability problems. If modification is needed, bunker liners can be installed. Another option is to remove 12″ of bunker floor subsoil, and reinstall a dense, silty fill material. Both options require replacement of existing bunker sand.

Sod condition-Many bunkers have sod management problems. Sharp, irregular bunker contours create irrigation problems. I’ve done many bunker face renovations. After existing sod removal, screened topsoil is installed on the exposed bunker face. It’s a great time to sharpen bunker contours. Install new sod and sod stakes.

Design integrity-Some bunkers don’t look right. I’ve seen newly constructed bunkers replaced after a few seasons. If a consensus says that the bunker doesn’t work, develop a written proposal to remove or reconstruct the feature.

Sand playability-Bunker sands vary in structure and appearance. Test unpopular bunker sand to determine if sand needs replacement. Choose three final sand selections, then divide a practice bunker into three sections. Let your members or decision makers decide.

Sand visibilty- You’ve seen hidden bunkers. After hitting a wonderful drive, you find yourself muttering about the unseen bunker. Some can be fixed by lowering the eentrance grades. Other require major reconstruction.

Subsurface drainage-Wet bunker floors infuriate golfers. Modern golf courses have subsurface pipe installed below the sand line. A drainage retrofit involves removal of existing sand and installation of 4″ double-wall hdpe pipe in a bed of drainage stone. I use hdpe pipe with a geofabric envelop, backfilled with bunker sand. The trench is typically cut 8″ into the bunker floor.

Surface drainage-Bad golf course shapers direct surface water into bunkers, creating obvious water problems. Properly constructed bunkers are surrounded by subtle swales that direct water way from bunker faces. A repair involves stripping sod and loam while developing a sensible water shedding theme. Plan on removing sod 15′  from the bunker edge.

Create a checklist to evaluate your bunkers. Create pricing options for your members or owners.

Additional information:

Bunker liners

Inconsistent bunker sand

Golf course construction narratives

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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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Golf bunker edging

August 5th, 2009

Summary: Golf course managers have several options when construction bunker edges. These options include:

*Hand-formed edges made of tamped topsoil

*Wooden edges, staked and backed up with topsoil

*Bunker bags

Hand-formed edges are built after completion of the bunker floor when most of the subgrade soil is in place. The proposed edge is painted on the bunker floor and topsoil is carefully placed on the back side of the line. Laborers  hand tamp the edge into a square form. It’s important to use topsoil that compacts well, sandy loam doesn’t work.

These edges look great for a few minutes. Inquisitive green chairman traffic will quickly destroy the edge. Heavy rain will require a rebuild with new material because the old material will be wet.

If the bunker is completed, this type of edge will eventually degrade in high traffic locations where golfers exit the bunker.

Wooden  edges are built of Luan or thin plywood cut in sections 8″ by 48″. This configuration makes the wood very bendable. An edge line is painted on the bunker floor, and the wooden edge is placed and staked on the line. This configuration is more durable than hand-formed edges. After approval, topsoil is carried over the top of the wooden edge.

The wood decomposes quickly. Don’t let the wood get wet or you’ll have a problem. Marine plywood is a very expensive option.

The first two options are difficult to field adjust. I like to install “draft version” of bunker edges, then allow for the architect or golf course representative to stand away from the bunker and approve the sand line. Sometimes it takes a half-hour of that wavy hand-waving you see on golf course construction projects. A few times it’s led to full blown arguing between opinionated green committee members.

I’m in the golf course business and I always allow for field adjustments. I’m not working on a nuclear power plant with tight specifications. Golf course construction is a fluid process, and I want approval of the sand line before we return the topsoil against the bunker edge. Edge adjustments are the norm. We often move the edge, and move it back. My goal is construction of a bunker edge and sand line that everyone will be happy with.

Bunker bags are hemp bags filled with screened, heavy topsoil. These bags are 30″ x 20″, and they are shipped in 500 bag pallets. They are half-filled with topsoil and placed on the painted bunker edge. Skilled construction laborers install the bags tightly in line, on the edge. An installed bunker bag has a square shape formed by a few whacks of a hand-tamper.

The bunker bag edges are easy to adjust. I’ve been through the scenario many times. Position a laborer in the bunker. Stand a few hundred feet way with the golf course representative and let them start the hand waving. After they decide on an edge configuration, adjust the edge as requested. Move the bags around all day if requested; they are durable and workable. At some point you’ll get approval.

The bunker bags are surfaced with a few inches of topsoil, and sod is installed over the edge. The hemp decomposes after a few months, and the edge topsoil remains as a durable edge.

Use bunker bags to create workable golf course bunker edges. They also work well with minor edge reconstructions.

Additional information:

Golf bunker construction

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