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A Useful Technique in Sand Bunker Renovation
by James T. Snow, National
Director, USGA Green Section
first published in the Green Section RECORD, March/April 1986
Sooner or later, every golf course superintendent is faced with
rebuilding sand bunker edges and banks that have deteriorated through
excessive sand buildup. One of the most critical steps in this process
is establishing a well-defined border that gives the bunker its
final shape and aesthetic appeal. When the sand bunker is on a relatively
flat plane, strips of plywood or metal sheeting work reasonably
well in establishing these edges. This method doesn't provide enough
support, though, where large, elevated capes and mounds are involved.
At the Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, New York, Bob Alonzi
has developed a technique for rebuilding the banks around the large,
caped sand bunkers that eliminates the problems associated with
plywood or metal strips. Thinking back to his days spent filling
sandbags in the Army, Bob came up with the idea of filling medium-sized
burlap bags with soil and using them to form the perimeter of the
new capes and mounds.
Plywood or metal edging works reasonably
well
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But soil-filled burlap bags...
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Using the burlap bags in this way has many advantages. The bags
form a solid, stable edge, yet they can be moved and molded to provide
the precisely desired effect. Once the bags are in place and the
soil has been used to backfill behind and between them, sod can
be laid on the soil and directly over the bags to establish the
capes and mounds. Because the burlap is porous and biodegradable,
turfgrass roots grow through the burlap and become established in
the soil below, and ultimately the burlap will decompose. Thus,
there is no need to use artificial support such as plywood strips
or metal sheeting for establishing the bunker edges, and there is
no need to remove them later. Once the sod is in place and the roots
have become established, the job is essentially finished.
In using this procedure, Bob suggests that the sod be brought down
directly over the rounded edge of the bag. Final edging can be done
when the sod becomes rooted and well established. He also suggests
that this technique can be practical for a variety of other uses
on the golf course, including landscaping hard-to-work slopes, building
retaining slopes for ponds, for outlining walkways, etc.
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