HELP YOUR BUNKERS MAKE THE GRADE - gsr.lib.msu.edugsr.lib.msu.edu/1990s/1998/981101.pdfHELP YOUR...

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HELP YOUR BUNKERS MAKE THE GRADE A guide to help you evaluate the factors affecting bunker performance. by CHRIS HARlWIGER Golfers desire a consistent bunker sand with no contaminants, such as clay or rocks. O URBUNKERS are too soft! . Our bunkers are too hard! . Our bunkers are terrible!" These are comments typically heard at golf courses throughout the country. Whether or not you like the bunkers on your course, you can be sure there is at least one golfer who thinks the bunkers fail to make the grade. Bunkers by definition are hazards, and maybe this is why bunker conditions elicit so many strong opinions. After all, playing a recovery shot from a hazard usually is not a pleasurable experience. Ask a golfer what he or she thinks about the bunkers on a golf course and you are likely to get an earful. Ask a golfer why the bunkers perform the way they do and you are likely to get a blank stare. Oh, they may be quick to tell you the bunkers need to be rebuilt, but they really do not understand bunker performance. The first step in improving the con- dition of the bunkers on a golf course is to understand the factors that influ- ence bunker performance. People have a tendency to look at a problem on a golf course and assign a single reason to why the problem occurred. After all, they reason, if one factor is identified for the poor performance, then one solution can be implemented to resolve the problem. In reality, bunker perfor- mance is related to a number of factors. To develop a plan for improving the bunkers at your course, take the time to complete the Report Card for Bunkers. The Report Card discussed in this article will enable the decision makers at a golf course to understand bunker performance and develop a plan to improve many or all of these factors. It may not be possible to raise all the grades to an A, but raising the ratings one or more letter grades can make a difference. Bunkers at thousands of golf courses throughout the country have been re- built because they were performing below expectations. In many cases, the factors that caused the bunkers to per- form poorly were not remedied during reconstruction and, within a few years, the new bunkers were in the same un- satisfactory condition again. Taking the time to understand the factors that influence bunker performance and assessing those factors at your course will enhance the chances for a success- ful bunker program. Using The Report Card for Bunkers Are your bunkers measuring up? If not, completing the Report Card for bunkers is an ideal first step in improv- ing the bunker performance at your course. To achieve the best results, a rating team that includes the golf course superintendent, the golf pro- fessional, and key personnel within the club (e.g., Green Commitee, general manager, etc.) should be assembled. Step 1:Assign an overall historical performance grade to the bunkers on each hole. Before heading out onto the course, the rating team should discuss the historical performance of the bunkers on each hole and assign a single letter grade from A to F. Make the decision whether or not to include fairway bunkers in this Report Card. Do not rate each bunker individually, but treat all the bunkers on one hole as a unit. This will simplify the process and will eliminate the cumbersome record keeping involved with rating each bunker individually. The historical performance grade represents an aver- age over the last three or four years NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1998

Transcript of HELP YOUR BUNKERS MAKE THE GRADE - gsr.lib.msu.edugsr.lib.msu.edu/1990s/1998/981101.pdfHELP YOUR...

Page 1: HELP YOUR BUNKERS MAKE THE GRADE - gsr.lib.msu.edugsr.lib.msu.edu/1990s/1998/981101.pdfHELP YOUR BUNKERS MAKE THE GRADE A guide to help you evaluate the factors affecting bunker performance.

HELP YOUR BUNKERSMAKE THE GRADEA guide to help you evaluate the factors affecting bunker performance.

by CHRIS HARlWIGER

Golfers desire a consistent bunker sand with no contaminants, such as clay or rocks.

OURBUNKERS are too soft! .Our bunkers are too hard! .

Our bunkers are terrible!" Theseare comments typically heard at golfcourses throughout the country.Whether or not you like the bunkers onyour course, you can be sure there is atleast one golfer who thinks the bunkersfail to make the grade. Bunkers bydefinition are hazards, and maybe thisis why bunker conditions elicit somany strong opinions. After all, playinga recovery shot from a hazard usuallyis not a pleasurable experience.

Ask a golfer what he or she thinksabout the bunkers on a golf course andyou are likely to get an earful. Ask agolfer why the bunkers perform theway they do and you are likely to get ablank stare. Oh, they may be quick totell you the bunkers need to be rebuilt,but they really do not understandbunker performance.

The first step in improving the con-dition of the bunkers on a golf courseis to understand the factors that influ-ence bunker performance. People havea tendency to look at a problem on agolf course and assign a single reasonto why the problem occurred. After all,they reason, if one factor is identifiedfor the poor performance, then onesolution can be implemented to resolvethe problem. In reality, bunker perfor-mance is related to a number of factors.

To develop a plan for improving thebunkers at your course, take the time tocomplete the Report Card for Bunkers.The Report Card discussed in thisarticle will enable the decision makersat a golf course to understand bunkerperformance and develop a plan toimprove many or all of these factors. Itmay not be possible to raise all thegrades to an A, but raising the ratingsone or more letter grades can make adifference.

Bunkers at thousands of golf coursesthroughout the country have been re-built because they were performingbelow expectations. In many cases, thefactors that caused the bunkers to per-

form poorly were not remedied duringreconstruction and, within a few years,the new bunkers were in the same un-satisfactory condition again. Takingthe time to understand the factors thatinfluence bunker performance andassessing those factors at your coursewill enhance the chances for a success-ful bunker program.

Using The Report Card for BunkersAre your bunkers measuring up? If

not, completing the Report Card forbunkers is an ideal first step in improv-ing the bunker performance at yourcourse. To achieve the best results, arating team that includes the golfcourse superintendent, the golf pro-fessional, and key personnel within the

club (e.g., Green Commitee, generalmanager, etc.) should be assembled.

Step 1:Assign an overall historicalperformance grade to the bunkers oneach hole. Before heading out onto thecourse, the rating team should discussthe historical performance of thebunkers on each hole and assign asingle letter grade from A to F. Makethe decision whether or not to includefairway bunkers in this Report Card.Do not rate each bunker individually,but treat all the bunkers on one holeas a unit. This will simplify the processand will eliminate the cumbersomerecord keeping involved with ratingeach bunker individually. The historicalperformance grade represents an aver-age over the last three or four years

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1998

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At times, water accumulates in a bunker faster than the subsoil can absorb it.In sandy soils, no drainage system may be necessary, but in clay soils a properlyfunctioning drainage system is a must.

and will provide a reference point forthe other ratings on each hole. A gradeof A reflects superior performance overthis period, while an F reflects failure.

Step 2: Visit each hole to completethe Report Card and identify wherechanges should be made. Listed on theaccompanying table are a variety offactors that should be rated. There isroom on the Report Card to add addi-tional factors at your discretion. TheRating Team should assign one lettergrade from A to F for the bunkers oneach hole. After 18 holes, the ratingteam should have a total of 18 ratingsfor each factor. The rating process issubjective and it is important for eachindividual to be consistent throughoutthe entire process. The rating processshould take approximately three hoursand should be completed in one day.

Step 3: Implement the changes.Implement as many of the changes aspossible. Improving the factors thatlimit the success of the bunkers willmake a difference in how they performand play.

Factors InfluencingBunker Performance

The factors discussed below have atremendous influence on how a bunkerperforms. Sample criteria for determin-ing a grade are included with eachfactor. These criteria are not meant tobe set in stone, but are a starting pointfor the rating team. It is quite possiblethe rating team will want to modify

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the criteria or add additional factors tomeet the needs of their course.

Historical Quality: This categoryprovides an overall assessment regard-ing the quality of the bunkers over thepast several years. Has there been auniform depth of sand in all parts ofthe bunkers? Are the bunkers properlyraked each day? Is the sand qualitysatisfactory?

• A = Bunker conditions meet orexceed expectations all the time.

• B = Bunker conditions usually meetexpectations most of the time.

• C = Bunker conditions meetexpectations some of the time.

• D = Bunker conditions consistentlyfall below expectations.

• F = Bunker conditions never meetexpectations.

Intensity 01 Daily Maintenance:The intensity of daily maintenance isone of the most important factors thatinfluence bunker quality. The bunkerscan be constructed according to thelatest standards, but if routine mainte-nance is neglected, unsatisfactory con-ditions will be the norm.

Few people realize that when viewedon a per-square-foot basis, bunkers arethe most labor-intensive part of thegolf course. Routine bunker groomingprovides a smooth, uniform playingsurface for golfers. While routinegrooming is time consuming enough, aheavy rain can wash the sand off abunker face down to the low point in

a bunker. Shoveling the sand back onthe face is the only way to restore theface of the bunkers following a heavyrain. Another storm a day later willwash the sand off the face again andthe repair process must be repeated.

Decision makers at every golf coursemust decide how intensively thebunkers will be maintained. The num-ber of bunkers, the size of the bunkers,and design features such as flashedfaces are all factors that must be con-sidered when developing a daily main-tenance program. How the bunkersare groomed and how frequently theyare groomed will have a major impacton bunker quality regardless of thechanges made to the bunkers them-selves.

Some golf courses prefer to use amechanical bunker rake, while othersprefer to hand rake the bunkers. Handraking is performed if the highest levelof surface grooming is desired. Even ifthe sand in the bunkers is not the bestquality or purity, hand raking is themethod that provides the best day-to-day playing conditions.

The mechanical bunker rake wasdeveloped to allow the bunkers to beraked more efficiently, but there is areduction in grooming quality with amechanical rake. It can cause damageto the edges of the bunker and con-tributes to contaminating the sand. Inall likelihood, this factor will be gradedthe same on every hole since it reflectsthe overall intensity of the bunkermaintenance program.

• A = Bunkers hand raked daily;washouts repaired promptly.

• B = Bunkers mechanically rakeddaily; washouts repairedpromptly.

• C = Bunkers hand raked daily;washouts repaired sporadically.

• D = Bunkers mechanically rakedwhen time allows; washoutsrepaired sporadically.

• F = Bunkers raked when timeallows; no consistent programfor washout repair.

Steps to improve the grade in thiscategory involve changing the groom-ing techniques and adding more man-hours to bunker maintenance. Somecourses find an immediate improve-ment in the playability of the sand bychanging from mechanical raking tohand raking. Hand raking generallyproduces firmer playing conditions.Some superintendents retrofit theirmechanical rakes with leaf rake attach-ments to simulate hand raking. This

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Proper internal drainage is a must for a bunker to be successful in the long run.

Flashed sand faces are dramatic architecturally, but when surface water is allowed torun into a bunker with a flashed sand face, washouts are inevitable.

then this may be an option to helpimprove the playability of the bunkers.Extending turf down steep bunkerfaces reduces the potential for wash-outs and improves the bunker quality.• A = None of the bunkers on the

hole have flashed faces; nosurface water from surroundingareas flows into the bunkers .

• B = Fewer than 50% of the bunkershave flashed faces; no surfacewater from surrounding areasflows into the bunkers .

• C = More than 50% of the bunkershave flashed faces; only a fewbunkers wash out severely fromsurface water flowing into thebunkers.

• D = More than 50% of the bunkershave flashed faces; surfacewater runs into many of thebunkers .

• F = Most bunkers have flashedsand faces; severe washoutsoccur in many of the bunkersfrom surface water running intothe bunkers.

Internal Drainage: From a mainte-nance perspective, overhead rain andirrigation water is the only water thatshould enter a well-built bunker. Attimes, water accumulates in a bunker

If the bunkers are going to be re-built, consider building them withflatter bottoms and fewer flashed faces.Be forewarned that eliminating highsand faces will change the architecturalintegrity of the bunker. Nevertheless, ifthe course does not have the budget toproperly maintain the high sand faces,

modification reduces the tilling of thesand and helps to firm the bunkers.

If the bunkers are not raked daily,implementing a daily raking program isanother way to improve the grade thiscategory receives. The sight of freshlygroomed bunkers each day makes astrong impression on the golfers. Rak-ing daily eliminates unsightly footprintsand other disruptions in sand.

Surface Drainage: The frequencyand severity of washouts is directlyrelated to the amount of water thatruns into a bunker from the surround-ing area. If the bunker has flashed faces,the washout problem will be evenmore severe. Repairing washouts ishard work and time consuming. Sandmust be physically shoveled from thelow points back up onto the faces everytime a heavy rain occurs. Bunkerswith flat bottoms have fewer problemswith washouts, even though surfacerunoff from surrounding areas can cre-ate problems. Failing to repair bunkersproperly after washouts creates incon-sistent sand depths throughout thebunker. Washouts also contribute tosand contamination problems, short-ening the life of the sand.

There are several ways to improvethe surface drainage in and aroundbunkers. Consider installing inter-ceptor drains at the base of a hill orslope that normally channels water intoa bunker. Picking up water before itenters the bunker greatly reduces labortime needed to shovel sand back ontothe faces.

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faster than the subsoil can absorb it.As a result, many bunkers have aninternal drainage system to drain awayexcess water. In sandy soils, no drain-age system or a poorly functioningsystem may be sufficient most of thetime. In clay soils, a properly function-ing drainage system is a must or thebunkers will look like swimming poolsevery time it rains.

The first step to improve drainage isto determine if the existing drainagesystem is functioning properly. If adrainage system exists, observe howwell the bunker drains or does notdrain following a significant rainfall.How long does the water remain inthe bunker following the rain?

Poor drainage may be due to heavilycontaminated sands or a drainage sys-tem that no longer functions efficiently.The rate of internal drainage affectsthe sand contamination rate. Puddlingleaves contaminants on the surface asthe water recedes. A properly function-ing drainage system with clean sandin the bunkers reduces puddling andcontamination. If no drainage systemexists at all, it will be necessary to installa new drainage system in the bunker.

• A = Functional internal drainage inall of the bunkers on the hole.

• B = Functional internal drainage in75% of the bunkers on thehole.

• C = Functional drainage in 50% ormore of the bunkers on thehole.

• D = Functional drainage in less than50% of the bunkers on thehole.

• F = Functional drainage in none ofthe bunkers on the hole.

Sand Purity: This factor measuresthe level of contamination in thebunkers. The presence of silt, clay, andorganic debris in the sand can act asan impediment to drainage by reducingthe infiltration rate of the bunker sand.Contaminated sand is often hard. Theappearance of rocks in the bunkers isdistracting and disruptive to play.

Little can be done to improve thepurity of sand without taking out theold sand and replacing it with newsand. It is tempting to top oft thebunkers with a few inches of newsand, but this process will not remedythe underlying problems. Within ashort period of time, these new bunkerswill look just like the old ones.• A = Sand purity and contamination

levels are acceptable.• B = Sand purity and contamination

levels are acceptable on 75% ormore of all the bunkers on thehole.

• C = Sand purity and contaminationlevels are acceptable on 50% to75% or more of all the bunkerson the hole.

• D = Sand purity and contaminationlevels are acceptable on 25 % to50% of all the bunkers on thehole.

• F = Sand purity and contaminationlevels are acceptable on none ofthe bunkers on the hole.

Sand QualityThe relative firmness of a bunker

plays a key role in the playability ofthe bunker. Some players prefer firmsand, while others would opt for softersand. Developing a grading scale for'sand quality is difficult because it is

such a subjective factor. The ReportCard is a valuable tool to evaluate howbunkers are performing on the course.If the rating team decides that thesand in an ideally constructed andfunctioning bunker is undesirable, newsands should be evaluated. To learnmore about how to select bunkersands, please refer to "How to Selectthe Best Sand for Your Bunkers" byJames F. Moore in the January/February1998 issue of the Green SectionRecord.

ConclusionThe performance of bunkers on a

golf course is largely a function of archi-tectural design, the physical propertiesof the sand, and the intensity of bunkermaintenance. Although bunkers areclassified as hazards and fall belowgreens, fairways, and tees in terms ofmaintenance priority, the topic ofbunker performance is discussed fre-quently at courses everywhere. Beforemaking a quick decision that the onlyway to improve the bunkers is to re-build them, complete the Report Cardfor bunkers. Evaluate the factors thatinfluence bunker performance at yourgolf course and implement programs toimprove them. After six months, repeatthe Report Card program and comparethe results. The time invested in com-pleting the Report Card for bunkersand learning what factors influencebunker performance will pay big divi-dends as a club makes a decision aboutupgrading the quality of its bunkers.

CHRIS HARIWIGER makes the grade asan agronomist in the Southeast Regionof the USGA Green Section.

Report Card for Bunkers

Report Card for Date Completed

Factor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Historical Performance

Intensity of Daily Maintenance

Surface Drainage

Internal. Drainage

Sand Purity

Overall Quality (average of factors above)

Historical Performance

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