Renovating a golf course is a fun, exciting and busy time. Many courses I have visited this year on USGA Course Consulting Service visits have had major renovation work going on. Thankfully, the superintendents at these courses have spent a lot of time planning how these projects should be executed so they are not only successful getting the work done in a reasonable amount of time, but the work is done in a way that ensures long-term success.
One project that I’d like to highlight is at Edmonton Country Club in Alberta, Canada. R.J. Cloutier, master golf course superintendent, is overseeing a major course renovation project that includes new greens, bunkers, tees, drainage and irrigation upgrades. Edmonton C.C. was originally built in 1913 and later redesigned by Stanley Thompson, famous for his work throughout North America. Over the years, course revisions and rerouting caused some of Thompson’s design to be lost. Golf course architect Ian Andrew was brought in to revitalize the layout in a modernized Stanley Thompson style and make long overdue improvements to the course infrastructure. One key component of the project was rebuilding all of the bunkers.
When it comes to bunker renovation work, there is no shortage of products and methods that superintendents have at their disposal. Liner, drainage and edge treatment options abound. Choosing the right recipe depends on environmental conditions, available labor resources and conditioning expectations. The finished product should be one that looks and plays great and is maintenance friendly.
At Edmonton C.C., after many months of planning, Cloutier settled on a Better Billy Bunker liner system. They are also using sandbags filled with a mixture of sand, soil and compost to reinforce the edges and there is subsurface drip irrigation on the bunker noses and around the edges. His staff has assumed responsibility for installing the sandbags and subsurface irrigation. While this has added much more to their plate than having the contractor do all the work, it is great experience for the maintenance team and it will help save some money. Future maintenance of these bunkers should be much easier due to the planning that has gone into this renovation.
If you would like help evaluating the large number of bunker product and construction options available, or any other issues on your course, please do not hesitate to contact your regional USGA agronomist.
West Region Agronomists:
Brian Whitlark, regional director – bwhitlark@usga.org
Cory Isom, agronomist – cisom@usga.org