TECHNICAL
Bunker edges tend to be
more exposed to wind, sun, freeze-thaw cycles and heavy rain, and they are
”
constantly being impacted by clubs, balls and foot traffic. Some edges, because of the particular bunker design style, are exposed soil surfaces
determined to find a solution that could have saved the shape of those bunkers and started me on a completely different and exhilarating career path.
The first results of my research were surprising. Back in 2007, there were quite a few under-sand bunker liner products on the market. Brand names like Sandtrapper and Terram were found, but there was nothing in the golf amenity sales sector that could be used to stabilise bunker edges. I looked into the world of civil engineering and soil mechanics where I was very comfortable. Although there is a vast array of membranes, geotextiles, soil hardeners and other erosion control products, I could not find any solution that could deliver the essential combination of natural aesthetics and robust construction. Then the solution presented itself to me in surprising circumstances. Late one winter night, getting in my car to
Eroded edges may suit the aesthetics of some golf
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courses, but most golfers - the paying customers - rightly or wrongly, expect a more manicured and maintained appearance
132 PC August/September 2018
drive home from a meeting, I turned on the headlights, which shone across the car park. Straight onto a roll of used astroturf carpet, which was angled end-on towards me. What I saw at that moment (a natural looking layered turf effect) was the culmination of many months of research.
It prompted the invention of a new bunker edging system which is now being used worldwide on some of the best-known golf courses; protecting bunker edges from Category 5 hurricanes, six month Arctic winters and everything in between. So, what effect is artificial grass edging having on bunkers during the current extreme dry conditions in the UK? It’s relatively simple to explain. Without living grass coverage, and the healthy root structure, most soils are highly vulnerable to erosion. On the golf course, it is bunker edges where the effects of erosion are the greatest. They tend to be more exposed to
wind, sun, freeze-thaw cycles and heavy rain, and they are constantly being impacted by clubs, balls and foot traffic. Some edges, because of the particular bunker design style, are exposed soil surfaces. And, of course, all steep banks are a magnet for burrowing animals. In these conditions, bunker edges quickly deteriorate. The two main consequences are sand contamination (everything from silt to fist sized stones) and ugly aesthetics.
Contamination will lead to inconsistent playing conditions, reduced drainage potential, damaged golf clubs and, where stones and gravel are thrown out onto mowable areas, expensive cutting blades can be damaged. Stone picking, de-silting blocked drainage and sand replacement is time consuming and expensive. Quality bunker sand is not getting any cheaper. Eroded edges may suit the aesthetics (for a while, before they get out of control) of
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