Bunkers are truly a challenge for the average golfer and extremely firm sand can make things even tougher. On many of my USGA Course Consulting Service visits a common complaint is overly compacted bunker sand. Most golfers assume there is not enough sand in the bunkers and think they are bouncing their wedge off the hard soil or liner underneath. However, in most cases I see sand depths of at least 4 inches in areas where golfers think there is none. The actual problem is the sand has become contaminated by windblown debris, organic matter from grass clippings and leaf litter, algae formation and soil that gets into the sand from runoff or washouts. Contaminated sand also doesn’t drain well, which causes it to play even firmer.
Golf course superintendents deploy multiple methods to soften sand when it’s become too firm or to prevent compaction in the first place. Here are a few strategies that seem to work best:
- Fluff-up the bunker sand using long tines on a mechanical bunker rake, or a similar implement fixed to the back of the machine. How often sand needs to be loosened will depend on the level of compaction and irrigation frequency. Some courses need to fluff-up the sand once or twice per week.
- Adding new sand is a great way to soften conditions. While this “fix” is only temporary, it buys time until resources are available to replace the contaminated sand. Increasing sand depth in the bunker floors helps soften the area where most shots are played from.
- Bunker sand typically needs to be replaced about every 10 years, depending on a variety of factors. For facilities on the brink of replacing bunker sand, the article “A Guide to Selecting the Right Bunker Sand for Your Course” is a great resource.
- Fixing surface and subsurface drainage issues and keeping bunkers clear of debris also goes a long way toward preventing sand contamination and keeping sand softer.
While bunkers are meant to penalize errant shots, the sand shouldn’t be so hard and compacted that the average player struggles to play a normal bunker shot. For more information on bunker maintenance or any other issues at your course, please reach out to your regional USGA agronomist.
West Region Agronomists:
Brian Whitlark, regional director – bwhitlark@usga.org
Cory Isom, agronomist – cisom@usga.org