Bunker Surround Sodding

Having a golf course in the climate we do is extremely challenging in many different ways, one of which, is growing a cool season grass on southern facing bunker surrounds.  These areas are always problematic due to the excessive sun exposure throughout the summer months coupled with a sand layer that builds up overtime.  The picture below shows the overall decline of the turf on the southern facing slope.  This is an ongoing issue, but switching to turf-type tall fescue instead of Kentucky bluegrass and removing all the sand built up will help reduce the overall stress level of the turf. 

Southern facing slope decline




Finished Product

Bunker Tamping

Hazards were once managed with very little care, but that is not the case anymore.  Bunkers are now often raked on a daily basis to produce consistent lies.  The problem with daily raking is that it can cause the faces of the bunkers to become too soft, which can cause buried lies.  To counteract this problem we are taking on two new management practices.  The first is our daily raking method.  In the past bunkers were either raked complete, or touched up where there were any marks.  Now we've taken on the Australian method, which calls for only raking the bottom of the bunkers and not raking the sides of bunkers.  This allows the faces to harden up so the ball will roll to the bottom of the bunkers.

The sides are smoothed out using the back of a rake and the bottoms are raked  normally 

The other management practice is several times throughout the season we'll be tamping bunkers.  A vibrating plate tamper is used to compact the bunkers.  Water must be applied to the bunker first, so the sand will compact.  This process takes several days to complete as well as several workers due to it's taxing nature.  This combined with the raking method should allow any ball hit into the bunkers to find it's way to the bunker bottom.  

Watering the bunker prior to tamping 

Tamping bunker faces and bottoms

Bunker Layering

Low lying areas in bunkers overtime can accumulate a layering problem.  This is caused by silt washing into the sand after heavy rainfalls.  When the silt is not properly removed, layering will occur.  These areas will not allow water to infiltrate through the sand and will create puddling.  This was the case for the greenside bunker on number nine.

Removing contaminated sand from low lying area

Up close layering in bunker 

Finished adding new sand, which will prevent future puddling 

1 Greenside Bunker

The greenside bunker on number one has consistently been looking worse and worse every year.  This is due to the amount of play the bunker gets.  When golfers hit their sand shot, a large quantity of sand begins to build up on the grass bunker faces.  This makes for a poor rootzone, in which the plant has a hard time growing in.  The bunker also has a southern facing slope, which means it will be warmer and drier than others.  So when you put all those factors together you get this...

Excessive sand on the bunker face 

Large voids where the grass died 

The best way to fix this issue is to mechanically remove all the sod and sand until you get down to the original soil layer.  

Sod and sand removed.  Some areas had 5" of sand built up!

We decided to use turf type tall fescue instead of using a bluegrass, p. ryegrass, and fine fescue mix.  Turf type tall fescue has better drought tolerance, requires less fertilization, and in general can withstand more extreme conditions.  

New sod being laid 

Finished product 

Bunker Maintenance and Reconstruction

Bunkers, Bunkers, Bunkers!!!  After many years of grass encroachment and sand movement bunker  renovations are a must in order to restore shape and turf quality.  After eight years this was the case at RiverCrest.  Here's an example of one of the bunker renovations we completed in Fall 2012. 

 

1)The sand was removed out of the bunker. 



As you can see the interface between the green and the bunker has declined severly

2) We outlined where we wanted the bunker to be placed and began removing the excess sand that had accumulated over the years. 



Outlining the shape we want

Almost 6" of sand had accumulated on the top side of the bunker!

 

3) We decided to give the bunker a grass face to prevent any plugging or fried egg lies for the golfers.  Soil was then added to make a gentle bunker face on all sides allowing for easy entry and exit. 

 

Notice the angle change with the addition of soil



 

       4) A small ledge was installed along the outline of the bunker to allow the liner to be stapled down and covered back over by soil.  This reassures that the liner will stay down and be covered over by the sod.  The old liner was removed and the bunker bottom was leveled and cleaned up. 


5) Liner was installed to help water movement through the bunker preventing washouts.

 


 



We used trident stakes as opposed to sod staples since they have
barbs.  This allows for little movement upward keeping the liner
tight to the soil. 

Trident Stake

 



When installing liner you want to take into consideration the
direction of the golf shot.  The liner should overlap with the
golf swing not against just in case your sand depth gets low.



 



 

        6) Fresh sand was added to a six inch depth on bunker bottoms and four inches on bunker faces.

 

 

6" cuts of drainage pipe were used as an indicator of depth

 

Finished adding bunker sand.  The sand will settle over the winter
months and more sand will have to be added in the Spring. 

 

7) Kentucky Bluegrass Sod was then put down around the bunker complex.

All preped and ready for sod

 

 

Final Product after sodding in the Snow!