Now that mowing has shifted from high to low gear, the golf course maintenance focus moves to equipment maintenance and repair, and winter projects. These tasks usually include items like tree work, bunker renovations, or amenity upgrades/repairs, and, of course, drainage projects.

Drainage is one of the most critical aspects of golf course construction in all areas of the golf course, including greens, tees, fairways, and bunkers. It also is an ongoing capital improvement project on every golf course due to settling, development drainage onto the course, or the sudden appearance of wet springs. Below are a few suggestions to help make your winter drainage projects even more successful.

Catch basins are usually put in low areas to deal with standing water. However, the area immediately around the basin remains wet and rutting is still a problem if it is in the traffic flow. The riser from the pipe to the basin must be perforated so the water from the saturated soil has access to the drain pipe and is not totally dependent on the infiltration rate of a heavy soil alone. There are basins and risers on the market today that are porous for this purpose. Perforated risers with a fabric wrap can be encased with a coarse sand or pea gravel jacket 4" to 6" thick to serve the same purpose. This greatly increases the performance of basins.

Should a French drain be the approach to a wet area, remember that sodding over the line can render a drain almost totally ineffective. This creates a surface tension similar to a thatch accumulation on a high sand green, which ruins water and air movement.

If French drain lines are sodded, then the sod lines should be aggressively aerified and topdressed next season. The greatest success has come when sodded lines are core aerated three to four times the following season and sand topdressed. This establishes maximum surface flow in the French drain and actually improves subsurface movement.

Additionally, don't forget that French drains or interceptor drains must be installed above a wet spring that has broken the surface. The goal is to intercept ground water before it surfaces. Installing a drain line in or below a wet spring is unsuccessful.

Lastly, laying a 14 gauge wire in the ditch with the pipe and bringing it to the surface with the flush-out provides a very inexpensive way to locate the pipe with a wire locator in the future. Eventually, drains always have to be located.

If I can help with other drainage concerns, please do not hesitate to call the office at (972) 662-1128 or e-mail me at budwhite@usga.org.