Planning a Golf CourseDrainage ProjectProper planning is essential for a successful drainage project.

rirtually every golf course has experiencedsome type of drainage problem on itsproperty. Poor drainage affects a golf

course's playability appearance, economics, andreputation. As far as the golfer is concerned,nothing is worse than a golf course that turns intoa mud hole during wet weather. Dirty shoes, mudballs, and cart restrictions take away some of theenjoyment of golf for most players.

Most course officials and owners are notfamiliar with how to plan and design drainagesystems that address the needs of their facility,and they frequently succumb to several commonpitfalls. The first one is a feeling that the super-intendent can solve any drainage problem with$20,000 and a trencher. Another misconception isthat serious drainage problems can be solved onlyby closing the course from four to 12 months toexcavate, reshape, and install drainage. A third pit-fall is that quick fixes such as aeration or fairwaytop dressing will dry up wet areas. All of theseefforts begin with great intentions, but without athorough understanding of drainage principles

and proper planning, they are doomed from thestart. The purpose of this article is to assist golfcourses with the planning stages of a drainageproject and to answer the question of how best toattack wet areas of the golf course.

HIRING A DRAINAGE CONSULTANTA drainage master plan is the most important andoften the most overlooked part of any drainageproject. It can be hard for course officials to seethe big picture regarding how best to addressdrainage problems. Few golf courses have expertson staff to devise a drainage master plan, andhiring a golf course drainage consultant who hasthe experience and knowledge to devise a masterplan is the first step. Good consultants can visityour site and create a drainage plan with a hole-by-hole cost estimate. Most drainage plans arebroken into several sections, including the esti-mated cost sheet, plan notes, drain sites, drain sitenotes, site components, and sand and labor costs.

One surprise to most people who read adrainage master plan for the first time is how the

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drainage techniques and components usuallychange based upon the hole. For example, onehole may have elevation and rolling hills, and theemphasis is on surface collection of water inbasins and 25-foot spacing of the drainage lines, asopposed to another hole with flatter terrain andlower elevations that may require the use ofsiphon basins and 15-foot spacing of drainagelines. Most course officials are stunned by thecomplexity and technology involved.

HOW THE CONSULTANTMAKES THE DRAINAGE PLANSWhen a drainage consultant has been hired, thenext step is the on-site visit. Ideally, the design isdone when the drainage problems are readilyobservable for the consultant. The motto is, "Planwhen it is wet, and install when it is dry." Mostconsultants can analyze four to five holes per day,so it may take up to three to five days to analyzean entire course, but seldom does every holerequire drainage renovation work. The superin-tendent, assistant superintendent, and a few courseofficials usually accompany the drainageconsultant during the site visit.

It is crucial to plan the work prior to theinstallation process. For a drainage expert, theanalysis of golf course drainage problems isusually the easiest part of the job, but it providesnew information for most clients. The consultantneeds to know prior to making the drainagemaster plan what the membership would like toachieve by the end of the project. For example, isthe goal for the course to be in tournament con-dition, or just to dry up wet areas enough for carttraffic, or simply to keep the course from closing?The amount of drainage needed to meet each ofthese goals has significantly different costs andstrategies. Below are the five steps a drainageconsultant will complete when developing adrainage master plan.

STEP I — IDENTIFICATIONOF WET AREAS ON EACH HOLEThe planning process begins by identifying andnaming each wet area to be drained and record-ing its location. Flags are used to mark wet areasand each receives a code.

STEP 2 — SURFACECOLLECTION AREASThe consultant s next step is to locate wheresurface water may be entering play areas and

determine where to collect this water before itreaches the defined drainage areas. Surface waterflow onto golf courses can change over time dueto local developments and new roads, causingmore water to drain onto the property. Curbs thatchannel water to open inlets at cart paths, bermsthat slow down surface runoff, V-shaped terracesor cart paths, or catch basins may be designated ascollection devices to move surface water tounderground piping systems before it reaches golfcourse playing areas. The most cost-effectivemethod is to collect surface water on a cart path,using curbing and basins. Avoid collecting surfacewater runoff with seepage drainage unless thereare no other options.

STEP 3 — SEEPAGE DRAINAGENEEDED FOR EACH AREAAND DETERMINING RELIEFStep three defines where seepage drainage will beinstalled, how deep to install these trenches, and

Trenches for seepage

lines usually are a

minimum relief depth of

18 inches.The lower the

soil permeability, the

more critical the depth.

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where to take the drainage water. Seepage wateris defined as water in any area that presents aproblem, either after all of the surface water isremoved or even when no surface water was everpresent. Some surface water always escapes eventhe best-defined plans, especially during very wetweather, and this water will enter the soil. Theground can become saturated to the point that itinterferes with either the mowing or playabilityof the hole. Seepage lines are connected to solidpipes leading to the end of an open and free-flowing drainage system.

The seepage design will be driven by theobjectives defined initially to the consultant,including how dry the play areas should be, soiltypes, shade levels, and the budget. Based on theobjectives, the seepage design guidelines are asfollows:• The spacing of drainage lines has no absolutes,due to variations of objectives, soil types, shade,

and budgets. Most installations are done at 10-to 25-foot spacing.• Drainage line depths will be determined by soilconditions and the relief on the site. Standardinstallations are 24 inches deep with no part ofany line less than 18 inches. Reliefs typically arebetween 2 and 6 feet deep, depending on thecircumstances. Hand digging occurs around anyexisting irrigation installation to avoid damage tothese pipes. Sometimes confusion exists as to whyconsultants recommend columns this deep if thesoil is only wet at the top. The answer lies withthe permeability of the soil. The lower the per-meability of the soil, the deeper the column mustbe to create the hydraulic head necessary torelease the water.• Drainage lines always are installed perpendicu-larly to the flow of the water, but the design willtake into account the existing irrigation systempiping and a pattern to facilitate the most cost-

Seepage drainage design is critical for success of a drainage project. Seepage line installation runs parallel to the flow of the

incoming drainage water, either parallel or perpendicular to the irrigation system, and is set up to facilitate the fastest

movement of the spoils.

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effective handling of spoils. Hand digging is doneto avoid damage where new drainage will crossover existing irrigation systems.• Drainage lines used in native soils require theuse of sand, not gravel, and geo-textile-lineddrainage materials. Trenches are five to seveninches wide to accommodate these materials.Spoils are hauled away. Sands with infiltrationrates of 30 to 80 inches per hour are ideal, andthey can be topped off with a moisture-holding

drains, pumps, or a combination of all may beused. The length and size of the transportationlines and fittings are determined once the trans-portation system has been completed.

STEPS —COST ANDLABOR ESTIMATESFinally the drainage consultant will estimate thetotal cost of the drainage project. The quantity ofmaterial that will be moved at each drainage site

A large

staging area

allows

storage of

the new

materials for

a drainage

project.

mix. Sand, as opposed to gravel, provides desiredbridging qualities in the drainage lines thatminimize the impact of the native soil on theseepage drains.The objective in seepage drainagetile is to create a stable system where the "watermoves to the drainage without carrying fines inthe water stream. Proper backfill sand providesthis stable system. Sodding of the trench lines isdone in most but not all cases.

STEP 4 — SELECTION OF THETRANSPORTATION SYSTEM,DRAINAGE PIPE, ANDQUANTITIES REQUIREDStep four is to choose the transportation systemor combination of systems to be used to movethe water from each area along with the reliefpoints. Conventional connector pipes, siphon

is a critical figure, and it will be the basis forestimating the total labor hours, the number ofworkers needed, rental equipment time, drainagematerials, sand, sod, and the days each hole will beout of play. Typically, in-house projects using ply-wood and shovels to move spoils will haul . 10 to.30 of a ton per man-hour. Front-end loaders andskid steer equipment can increase this to .80 to1.0 ton per man-hour. Experienced drainagecontractors using tarp systems or conveyorstypically will move between 1.0 and 1.5 tons perman-hour.

Labor cost calculations assume that the area ofthe hole the contractor is working on will beclosed to the point where the workers can worksafely and without waiting for groups of golfersto pass through. Usually, this does not meanclosing the hole, but it may mean sometimes

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Sod lines over the new fairway drainage are almost completely healed only three weeks after the installation.

playing a par-4 or par-5 hole as a par-3 fora few days.

At the end of the project, some courses includean allowance to provide a GPS map of the drain-age installation. The map usually includes thelocation of all catch basins, connector pipes,siphons, reliefs, and perhaps some of the seepagedrainage, but not all. Tracking wire is usuallyincluded in all main drainage features.

CONCLUSIONSometimes course officials and staff are over-whelmed with the total cost of a drainage projectonce they see the master plan. Fortunately, it isnot necessary to do the entire project at once.More importantly, though, a golf course with adrainage master plan now has a documentdeveloped by an expert that overcomes the mostcommon pitfalls: lack of knowledge and poorplanning. With the drainage plan in hand, thecourse can prioritize •what work will be done andhow much the work will cost. They will have the

peace of mind that the problem will be resolvedand that cost-ineffective quick-fix attempts areavoided. The drainage plan can be used in solicit-ing bids from contractors or evaluating the cost ofdoing the job in house. In most cases, experiencedcontractors are more cost effective because ofefficiencies in moving materials.

Poor drainage affects both the enjoyment andeconomics of many golf courses. Devising asound drainage master plan with the aid of aconsultant is the most important step in bringinga resolution to the problem.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Dennis Hurley,

President of Turf Drainage Co. of America, for his

technical assistance with this article.

PATRICK O'BRIEN is the Southeast Region director

for the USGA Green Section. Patrick has made more

than 3,OOOTAS visits to golf courses in the U.S. and

around the world over the past 26 years with the Green

Section.

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