Course and Bunker Drainage

This past Saturday night we again felt Mother Nature’s wrath.  Seems like it is the theme of the spring--“I’ll show you who’s in charge”.  1.79” of rain hit the golf course in a matter of 20 minutes on Saturday afternoon.  If you were around on Saturday, I hope you made it to cover, but I’m sure you also said to yourself, “I’ve never seen it rain this hard”.   

For the most part, the golf course took it well. On the other hand, the bunkers did not.  Since the bunker renovation in the fall of 2011, this is the worst they’ve been damaged.  I was asked the question, “With the new drainage and sand in the bunkers, why are there so many holding water?”  I thought I’d take a few moments to address this question as I’m sure others have thought the same.

The bunker drainage is all part of a larger drainage system.  The system includes multiple drainage pipes tied into one another. With any system, there is a sequence of events that occur to make it work, and it is no different with the drainage system.  The system is devised of mainlines, secondary, and tertiary drainage lines.  Most of all our bunker lines are in the tertiary range if not higher on the system, leaving them to be the last part of the system to drain.  When we receive so much rain, such as Saturday, the system becomes overloaded.  Here at Briarwood we have 3 points where water/drainage leaves the golf course: the pond on 14, the right side of 17, and the right side of 18.  Each of those areas can only allow a certain amount of water to exit at a time.  An example I’ve used is being at a large sporting event and trying to leave.  The parking lot is the bunker (tertiary level of drain lines), the roads out are the secondary and mainlines.  Until traffic is flowing on those secondary and mainline streets, you are standing put with nowhere to go.

A great deal of work is being done today to rehab the golf course and the bunkers.  More investigation will be done on certain bunkers to be sure flow is okay inside but also in the pipes outside the bunkers.  Often, roots grow into the drainage pipes and restrict flow, thus slowing down the draining process.  Following the pipe investigation, we will look at loosening the sand a bit as compaction over the last few years can also impede percolation rates of water. 

We appreciate everyone’s patience with the course conditions after these events.  Besides just looking at bunker drainage, we are starting to put together ideas of looking at a large drainage scope for the golf course.  These events really hurt the club in a negative way, not only conditions but also revenue, as rounds and cart use is limited. 

Thanks for your attention,

Justin

Upper photo is #2 right greens bunker, lower is 3 fairway.

#3 1st right fairway bunker

#5 2nd left fairway bunker