Bunker Renovations and Reserves

Beside greens, bunkers on a golf course are the most noticed feature by players and television viewers. Well-defined and maintained bunkers can add to the manicured look of golf courses at all levels. Likewise, bunkers that have been neglected can detract from all other properly manicured areas on the golf course. Bunkers come in all different shapes and sizes. They may have different colored sand depending on what part of the world they are in. Bunkers can have sod faces or they may be flashed with sand. They can be well-defined or they may have a more natural look. No matter what the intended design of a bunker they will require routine maintenance and regular renovation to replenish sand, ensure proper drainage, and consistent playability over time. A master plan can help golf courses determine what level of bunker maintenance is ideal for their property and circumstances. A Reserve Study can help golf courses to plan for the costs associated with proper bunker maintenance and renovation.
            The USGA provides standards for bunkers including when the sand should be replaced, life expectancy for bunker drainage, and the type of sand that should be used in bunkers. The USGA recommends replacing 4-6 inches of bunker sand every 5-7 years. This sand should be of the angular to sub-angular variety and fall within the parameters set by the USGA. This can be determined by reviewing a sieve report from the sand supplier. There are many factors that can influence frequency of sand replenishment. Some of these include weather, amount of play, the type of bunkers, maintenance practices, course standards, and intrusion of fine soil material from around the edges of the bunkers. Some golf courses choose to replace 1-2 inches of sand yearly to maintain a fresh appearance each season. There can be many approaches to bunker sand replenishment. It will vary widely from course to course, based on the previously listed factors; however it should never be overlooked in course maintenance.
            According to the USGA total bunker renovation should be expected every 5-10 years. This recommendation is based on being concurrent with sand replacement. While this may make sense in some cases, it is not always practical for some courses. Many times it may be cost prohibitive. Total bunker renovation can have a significant cost, and would include replacing all drainage and bunker liner systems in place. Some golf courses may choose to phase bunker renovations. An example would be doing 6 holes of bunkers every 5 years. A course may choose to focus on problematic bunkers first and renovate them more frequently. Another option may be renovating greenside bunkers more frequently than fairway bunkers. These decisions are often cost motivated, but do not mean that all bunkers should not be renovated over time.
Maintenance practices can dramatically affect life expectancy of bunker sand, drainage, and liner systems. Routinely flushing out bunker drainage, for example, will extend the life of bunker drainage systems. Hand raking versus mechanical bunker raking may increase life expectancy of bunker sand and liner systems. These maintenance practices do have increased cost, particularly labor, and will need to be balanced with renovation costs.
Other considerations for renovating bunkers include new technologies or working with an architect to redesign bunkers. This may include reshaping, returning to original design specifications, eliminating bunkers, or reducing bunker sizes. Two newer technologies that are becoming more prevalent are Better Billy Bunkers and Capillary Concrete. These systems allow for rain water to penetrate through the bunker profile while helping to hold the bunker sand in place. Both technologies eliminate the need for traditional liner systems. Although their initial cost will be higher, they can substantially reduce maintenance costs by reducing washouts in heavy rain conditions. They can also potentially extend the life of bunker sand by reducing intrusion of silt during heavy rain events. The goal of bunker redesign and the use of newer technologies are to reduce the cost of bunker maintenance and allow for more consistent bunker playing conditions.
All golf courses should have bunker renovation as part of a master plan to routinely update and renovate bunkers. The cost associated with bunker renovation is high and should be planned in advance through a Reserve Study. Some costs to consider are redesign, continuing maintenance, sand sourcing, trucking of materials, drainage replacement, and upgrading to newer technologies. Whether they realize it or not, all golfers notice bunker conditions, and no one likes poor bunkers conditions or the “fried-egg” lie.

- Eric Dixon, Golf Club Reserves