HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-29-REC-rpt (USGA Turf Report) Turf Advisory Service7).4
CSN-SITE VISIT REPORT
PINE MEADOWS GOLF COURSE
Lexington, Massachusetts
Visit Date: May 29, 2013
Present Mr John Allen, Jr , Vice President of Operations, New England Golf Corp.
Mr. William Harrison, President, New England Golf Corp.
Ms Karen Simmons, Director of Recreation
Mr Chris Filadoro, Superintendent of Public Grounds
Mr Kyle Walsh, Assistant Superintendent, New England Golf Corp.
Mr. James E Skorulski, Senior Agronomist, USGA
RECErVED
JUN 0 7 2013
LEv:,r3 !N
RECREATi'ON DEPARTMENT
United States Golf Association
James E Skorulski, Senior Agronomist I Green Section I Northeast Region
1500 N Main St I Palmer, MA 01069 I 413-283-2237 I Fax 413-283-7741 I Email iskorulskiausga orq
USGA Green Section Mission The USGA Green Section are leaders in developing and disseminating
-ironomically, environmentally, and economically sustainable management practices. We help golf facilities
,aintain better playing conditions for better golf through science-based and practical solutions.
It was a pleasure for me to return to Pine Meadows Golf Course to conduct this visit I
found the greens to be in very good agronomic and playing condition at the start of the
season. Rooting was relatively deep and the turf was dense There were no signs of
disease or other agronomic issues The green speed measured at a surprising 8' 6",
which I would consider very adequate, especially considering the wet weather. We used
our time together to tour the golf course and discuss a number of maintenance issues
Drainage was one of the primary topics. We also discussed selective tree removal work
and the sand bunker renovation for the 31i hole The discussions and recommendations
are provided in the following report.
GREENS
Trees
I was very glad to see the large Norway spruce tree removed from the right side of No
3 green. This will open up the green to much more sunlight throughout the season The
tree work done around No 9 tee should also improve the growing environment there
and for No. 8 green. Remove a maple and cherry tree that are leaning over the cart path
adjacent to No 8 green to increase afternoon sun for the green in the fall and winter
seasons The 5th green is one that remains shaded especially in the fall and winter
when the sun is beneath the canopy of the white pine trees Mr Walsh can illustrate the
sun patterns on his iPhone with the SunSeeker application. Future consideration can be
given to topping or removing one or more of the white pine trees to create a gap for the
sunlight to reach the green It would also be helpful to cut back the tree line along the
left or southeast side of the green in an attempt to allow the sun to reach the complex
earlier in the day This will also improve air circulation Selective tree removals can also
be done to highlight a specimen oak tree growing in the left rough area.
Consideration can be given to planting a smaller scale or ornamental type tree along the
back right side of No 3 green (closer to the road) in place of the large spruce tree. The
smaller tree planting could be used to add some color without jeopardizing the growing
environment for the turf. A tree such as a Kousa dogwood might be well suited for that
purpose.
General Maintenance
The greens were cultivated in the week prior to this visit. Solid tines were used on all but
No. 8 green where hollow tines were used on a tight spacing. The surfaces were nearly
recovered except for No 8 green where recovery will require a slightly longer time
period The hollow tine core aerification on No. 8 green is a good idea to continue to
modify that upper profile with sand All of the greens will be core cultivated with hollow
tines later in the summer
The sand topdressing program for the greens outlined by Mr Allen is sound and a good
means to keep the surfaces smooth and reduce thatch accumulations. The topdressing
alone will reduce concerns with crown rot anthracnose disease and should make the
usicik Turf Advisory Service Report row,
greens stronger I do recommend utilizing the growth regulator Primo for the putting
green turf This growth regulator will also improve stress tolerance of the annual
bluegrass and should provide more consistent playing conditions over a wider range of
weather condition. The Primo product would be applied every two to three weeks at
about a 5 fl. oz per acre rate You may need to tighten the spray interval to two weeks
during the warmest parts of the season to keep the turf in regulation It is important to
try to keep the turf in regulation to avoid unwanted growth flushes that would have an
impact on playing conditions but could also weaken the turf The Primo program is most
effective for greens that are dominated by annual bluegrass. Hopefully, this program will
be implemented to begin to realize the benefits in playability but also in the health of the
turf
Mowing heights have been lowered slightly on the greens this season We could not
see the real impact of the mowing height change due to the recent cultivation and heavy
topdressing that has been done I would not lower the height of cut below 1/8" and
would readily raise that height of cut if the weather becomes extremely hot and wet It is
important to remain flexible when managing annual bluegrass under stressful summer
conditions. Raising the height of cut even slightly will eliminate concerns with mowing
damage but should also help to keep the turf more vigorous Consideration should also
be given to rolling the greens Rollers can be purchased for an older triplex unit and
then used in place of mowing or together with mowing to produce even smoother
playing conditions. Rolling can be done two to three times per week without causing any
significant wear injury Rolling would be suspended when the soils are saturated It is
not imperative that a rolling program be implemented. However, rolling is a good tool to
supplement mowing practices and in fact might allow you to keep the greens at a higher
135- 140 while still providing the ball roll that is desired.
TEES
General Maintenance
Continue to keep the perimeter of tees open of small trees, brush and tree limbs.
Cutting back the tree lines adjacent to the tees will allow the entire teeing surface to be
utilized for play I recommend that the small maple tree on the back left side of No. 1 tee
be removed to alleviate an overcrowded condition, future damage to the cart path and
its poor quality Monitor the wood line along the nght side of the 2nd tee, the left side of
No 3 tee, the left side of No 4 tee (front tee box) and the 6th and 7th tees. I recommend
removing the moderate sized maple tree growing along the left side of the Stn fairway
This will open up the dogleg somewhat and should bring golfers playing the fairway into
greater view from the tee You may also need to remove the cherry tree and cedar tree
from the location but that decision can be made after the maple tree is eliminated.
A longer range goal to level tee boxes would improve the golf course. This is not the
highest priority capital project by any means but one that would improve the playing
experience for golfers. The 3rd tee is one that would be improved from a renovation
program to level its surface The process would involve stripping the sod from the
USGvI Turf Advisory Service Report
existing tees, grading the surfaces and then regrassing with a short cut Kentucky
bluegrass sod
FAIRWAYS
Drainage
The perennially wet 1st fairway and left rough area remains a concern. It was good to
hear that contractors have been contacted to examine the site and provide proposals for
drainage work. The need for the drainage is long overdue A drain will be installed from
the 1st hole to the right side of the 2nd hole. Hopefully, the water table beyond the 2nd
hole will be low enough to move water through this area. Once the main artery is
installed then lateral drain lines can be connected to remove water from the area
between the 1st green and 2nd tee and more of the areas in the left rough. A drain line
should also be extended in front of No 1 green to collect water in a low pocket there
Drainage that has been installed in the 2nd hole has been effective Part of the upcoming
project will also include drainage work for the 5th hole and especially the right side of the
hole that has been perennially wet. It would be most helpful to begin to raise the
elevation of the low pocket to the left side of the green Elevating the low pocket and
producing a more uniform grade to the wood line will help move water away from the
green but will also make it possible to install internal drainage in that area
General Maintenance
The fairways were in very good condition The turf was dense and the surfaces were
uniform and much improved since I first began visiting the golf course The aerification
practices, weed management programs and fertility programs are all sound and no
changes are recommended there. Addressing the drainage concerns on the 1st and 5th
holes is the top priority to improve the fairway playing surfaces.
Trees
The following is a list of tree recommendations that were made during our tour of the
golf course. The recommendations are provided to selectively remove poor quality
trees, potentially hazardous trees, trees that are impacting playing conditions or the
original design intent of the golf course
• Remove two smaller and poor quality trees that are growing into a better quality
maple tree in the left rough in front of No 1 tee
• Selectively remove the remaining willow trees from the 2nd fairway The willows
have deteriorated and are unsightly and may be potentially hazardous.
• Consider thinning some of the new maple trees that have been planted along the
right side of the 3rd hole Remove every other tree or consider transplanting the
trees to more favorable sites if desired The trees are being impacted by more
mature trees growing on the south side along the entrance road. Unfortunately,
the competition from those trees is impacting the structure of the newer trees.
Turf Advisory Service Report Page 4
• Any work that can be done to clear some brush and selectively and carefully thin
the tree stand behind No 4 green will improve the growing environment for turf
on the green but will also open up some lovely interior views of the wooded area
behind the green
• We already discussed removing a maple tree from the left side of the 5th fairway
to open up a greater view of the fairway landing zone. The staff also commented
on white pine trees that guard the right side of the fairway I agree that a number
of the pine trees should be removed as they are in poor condition and are
impacting surface quality of the turf along the right side of the fairway. We
discussed removing three white pine trees and one red maple tree This will open
up space for the trees that will remain there and will also improve the growing
environment for the turf. Root prune along the entire perimeter of this fairway to
eliminate surface roots that have encroached out into the fairway and now create
a dangerous condition. The
root pruning work can be
.4 r: done with a rock saw or
sir stump grinder or can be done
with a power trencher
- - Surface roots along the 5`n hole
rex/It.r. ' ' . can damage mowing
I P' iar; Y►��4 AP"
,a • equipment and create a
` - i dangerous playing condition
•r ry Roof prune and then pull or
' . '�.si grind the surface roots and
; ", � grade the area with new topsoil
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Sand Bunker Renovation
We discussed some options for the greenside bunkers on the 3rd hole You can work
with a golf course architect to develop a plan that might relocate or replace the existing
hazards with fairway bunkers or perhaps a bunker complex along the left side of the
green In my opinion, the current bunkers could be eliminated and filled in and that
alone will improve the playability of the hole. Placing fairway bunkers at a point where
they will impact the lowest handicap golfers is also an option The fairway bunkers
would also help to frame the fairway and may prove to make the hole more interesting.
Discuss the bunker options with your golf course architect.
CONCLUSION
The Green Section appreciates your continued support of the Turf Advisory Service
(TAS) It has been my pleasure to work with the town of Lexington and New England
Golf Corporation and I am pleased to see course conditions continue to improve Pine
M r I Turf Advisory Service Report
Meadows Golf Course is a very nice and unique asset for golfers in the town of
Lexington and surrounding areas and should remain so with continued investments in
drainage, tree work and some bunker renovation The putting greens continue to be the
primary asset of any golf course and fortunately they are in good condition Continue
with the basic agronomic practices and topdressing, strong cultivation and selective
water management to keep the turf healthy and the surfaces smooth and true for play.
Do not hesitate to contact the office if there are any questions regarding the
recommendations or discussions in this report or should any questions arise as the
season evolves Best wishes for success and I look forward to our visit in fall
Sincerely,
fadnoi-Z9..44-4-
James
E. Skorulski, Senior Agronomist
Northeast Region Green Section
JES.jc
cc: Mr. John Allen, Jr , Vice President of Operations, New England Golf Corp.
Mr William Harrison, President, New England Golf Corp
Ms Karen Simmons, Director of Recreation
Mr Chris Filadoro, Superintendent of Public Grounds
Reprints.
Planning a Golf Course Drainage Project
htto./lturf.lib.msu eduf2000s/20051050916 pdf
Solving Drainage Problems
htto l/archive lib msu edultic/grnma/article/20041un26.odf
mak, I Turf Advisory Service Report page 6
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1anninga Golf C 0"1117?as -
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rainage Project
'rope. •lanrang is essential for a successful drainage project.
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irtually every golf course has experienced and proper planning,they are doomed from the
some type of drainage problem on its start The purpose of this article is to assist golf
property Poor drainage affects a golf courses with the planning stages of a drainage
course's playability,appearance,economics and project and to answer the. question of how best to
reputation As far as the golfer is concerned, attack wet areas of the golf course
nothing is worse than a golf course that turns into
a mud hole during wet weather Dirty shoes,mud HIRING A DRAINAGE CONSULTANT
balls,and cart restrictions take away some of the A drainage master plan is the most important and
cnfovment of golf for most players often the most overlooked part of any drainage
Most course officials and owners are not project It can be hard for course officials to see
familiar with how to plan and design drainage the big picture regarding how best to address
systems that address the needs of their facility, drainage problems few golf courses have experts
and they frequently succumb to several common on staff to devise a drainage master plan and
pitfalls.The first one is a feeling that the super- hiring a golf course drainage consultant who has
intendent can solve any drainage problem with the experience and knowledge to devise i master
$20,000 and a trencher Another misconception is plan is the first step Good consultants can visit
that serious drainage problems can be solved only your site and create a drainage plan with a hole-
by closing the course from four to 12 months to by-hole cost estimate Most drainage plans are
excavate,reshape,and install drainage A third pit- broken into se\eral sections including the esti-
fall is that quick fixes such as aeration or fairway mated cost sheet plan notes drain sites drain site
topdressnig will dry up wet areas All of these notes,site components,and sand and labor costs
eftbrts begin with great intentions,but without a One surprise to most people who read a
thorough understanding of drainage principles drainage master plan for the first rime is how the
16 {i f l 'J `,1. I i '\ 5;I f 11 14 1 1
•
drainage techniques and components usually - • -
change based upon the hole.For example.one _- -
hole may have elevation and rolling hills,and the -
emphasis is on surface collection of water in -- . � - _ _
basins and 25-toot spacing of the drainage lines,as _ _ _.� -
opposed to another hole with flatter terrain and "—
lower elevations that may require the use of _ _T_.
siphon basins and 15-foot spacing of drainage - - .�._ - _
lines.Most course officials are stunned by the -
complexity and technology involved
HOW THE CONSULTANT -� �. .. .. f
MAKES THE DRAINAGE PLANS .,`
When a drainage consultant has been hired,the .\.
next step is the on-site visit Ideally,the dcsi¢ i is
done when the drainage problems are readily -
observable for the consultant.Thc motto is,"Plan ___. ---
when it is wet,and install w hen it is dry"Most - ,
consultants can analyze four to tine holes per day, ee:.._.. - ,
so it ma) take up to three to five days to analyze ,
an entire course,but seldom does every hole .. . - ' , 't.L• ,
require drainage renovation work Tilt superan" ' . r` "
tendenr,assistant superintendent,and a fess course �. a. �' i
officials usually accompany the drainage .,.. • .,r ,."'""
consultant during the site visit }~' ,, w w.;
A
It is crucial to plan the work prior to the ' - ?
iinstallaanon process.For a drainage e expert,the ,- '. ,.
analysis of golf course drainage problems is -c ,;.
usually the easiest part of the job but it provides �,
new information for most clients The consultantit ,, -r�inr�y ., ,
needs to know prior to making the drainage "' '—
master
master plan what the membership would like to
achieve by the end of the project For example,is determine where to collect this water before it Trenches for seepage
the goal for the course to be in tournament con- reaches the defined drainage areas Surface water lines usually are a
minimum relief depth of
cfition,or lust to dry up wit areas enough for cart flow onto golf courses can change over tune due 18 inches The lower the
traffic,,or simply to keep the course from closnne to local developments and new roads.causing soil permeability.the
The amount of drainage needed to meet each of more water to drain onto the property Curbs that more cr+tical the depth
these goals has significantly different costs and channel water to open inlets at cart paths,berms
strategies Below are the five steps a drainage that slow down surface runoff-,V-shaped terraces
consultant will complete when developing a or can paths,or catch basins may be designated as
drainage master plan collection devices to move surface water to
underground piping systems before it reaches golf
STEP I — IDENTIFICATION course playing areas The most cost-effcctivc
OF WET AREAS ON EACH HOLE method is to collect surface water oil a cart path,
The pi i nning process begins b) identifying and using curbing and basins Avoid collecting surface
naming each wet area to he drained and record- water runoff with seepage drainage unless there
mg its location Flags are used to mark wet areas are no other options
and each receives a code
STEP 3 — SEEPAGE DRAINAGE
STEP 2 -- SURFACE NEEDED FOR EACH AREA
COLLECTION AREAS AND DETERMINING RELIEF
The consultant's next step is to locate where Step three detincs when. seepage drainage will be
surface water iiiay be enteiutg play areas and installed,how deep to install these trenches,and
it PrINItIER ill ,iiirlo -. ,,; 17
where to take the drainage water Seepage water and budgets Most installations are done at It)-
is defined as water in any area that presents a to 25-foot spacing
problem,either after all of the surface water is • Drainage hie depths will be determined b\ soil
removed or even when no surface water was ever conditions and the relief on the site Standard
present Sonic surface water always escapes even installations are 24 inches deep with no part of
the best-defined plans especially during very wet any line less than 18 inches Reliefs typically are
weather,and this water will cuter the soil The between 2 and 6 feet deep,depending on the
ground can become saturated to the point that it circumstances Hand digging occurs around any
interferes with either the mowing or playability existing irrigation installation to avoid damage to
of the hole Seepage lines are connected to solid these pipes.Sometimes confusion exists as to why
pipes leading to the end of an open and free- consultants recommend c olunins this deep if the
flowing drainage system soil is only wet at the top The answer lies with
The seepage design will be driven by the the permeability of the soil The lower the per-
objectives defined initially to the consultant, nte•tbility of the soil,the deeper the column must
including how dry the play areas should be,soil be to create the hydraulic head necessary to
types,shade levels,and the budget Based on the release the water
objectives,the seepage designs guidelines are as • Drainage lines always are installed perpendicu-
follows larly to the floss of the water,but the design will
•The spacing of drainage lanes has no absolutes, take into account the existing irrigation system
due to variations of objectives soil types,shade, piping and a pattern to facilitate the most cost-
,
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11.
.11
Seepage drainage design is critical for success of a drainage project Seepage line installation runs parallel to the flow of the
incoming drainage water,either parallel or perpendicular to the irrigation system,and is set up to facilitate the fastest
movement of the spoils
18 ; µ i - ,,I , I LIP IL
effective handling of spoils Hand digging is done drains,pumps,or a combination of all may be
to avoid damage where new drainage will cross used The length and size of the transportation
over existing irrigation systems lines and fittings are determined once the tram--
• Prainags lutes used in native soils rcguire the portation system has been completed
use of sand,not gravel,and Vireo-textile-lined
drainage materials Trenches are live to seven STEP 5 — COST AND
inches wide to accommodate these materials LABOR ESTIMATES
Spoils are hauled away.Sands with infiltration Finally,the drainage consultant will estimate the
rates of 30 to 80 inches per hour are ideal,and total cost of the dramage project The quantity of
they can be topped off with a moisture-holding material that will be moved at each drainage site
e,o
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A large
staging area
allows
storage of
the new
:`-'� �- materials for
t :- V:71"m".'. a drainage
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project
ippon 7
mix Sand,as opposed to gravel,provides desired is a critical figure,and it will be the basis for
bridging qualities in the drainage fines that estimating the total labor hours,the number of
mituizuze the impact of the native soil on the workers needed,rental equipment time,drainage
seepage drains.The objectne in seepage drainage materials,sand,sod,and the days each hole will be
tilt is to create a stable system where the water out of play Topically,in-house projects using ply-
mc>vts to the drainage without carrying fines in wood and shovels to move spoils will haul 1() to
die water strtam Proper backfill sand provides 30 of a ton per man-hour Front-end loaders and
this stable system Sodding of the trench lines is skid steer equipment can increase:this to 80 to
done in most but not all cases 1 (1 ton per man-hour,Experienced drainage
contractors using tarp systems or conveyors
STEP 4 — SELECTION OF THE typically will move between 1 0 and 1 5 tons per
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, roan-hour
DRAINAGE PIPE, AND Labor cost calculations assume that the area of
QUANTITIES REQUIRED the hole the contractor is working on will be
Step four is to choose the transportation system closed to the point where the workers can work
or combination of systems to be used to move safely and without waiting for groups of goiters
the water from each area along with the relief to pass through Usually,this does not mean
points Conventional connector pipes siphon a losing the hole,bur it may mean sometimes.
ti I I'4 L M L I i, N.,15 4 0, 4,1 '. l 9
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sod lines over the new fairway drainage are almost completely healed only three weeks after the installation
playing a par-4 or par-S hole as a par-3 for peace of mind that the problem will be resolved
a few days and that cost-ineffective quiek-fix attempts are
At the end of the project,some courses include avoided The drainage plan can be used in solicit-
an allowance to provide a GPS map of the dram- ing bids from contractors or evaluating the cost of
age instillation The map usually includes the doing the job in house In most cases,experienced
location of all catch basins,connector pipes, contractors are more cost effective because of
siphons,reliefs,and perhaps some of the seepage efficiencies in moving materials
drainage,but not all Tracking wire is usually, Poor drainage affects both the enjoyment and
included in all main drainage features economics of many golf courses Devising a
sound drainage master plan with the aid of a
CONCLUSION consultant is the most unportant stip in brmguig
Sometimes course officials and staff are over- a resolution to the problem
v,hehned with the total cost of a drainage project
once they see the master plan Fortunately,it is AUTHOR\4 NOTE Special thanks to Dennis Hurley,
not necessary to do the entire project at once President of Trtrf Drainage Co ofAmerrra,for las
More importantly though a golf course with a technical assistance with this article
drainage master plan now has a document
developed by an expert that overcomes the most PA!Ri(k O'BRu N is flu' Southeast Region director
common pitfalls.lack of knowledge and poor for the t SSGA Green Section Patrick has made more
planning With the drainage plan in hand,the than i,0001AS visas to golf courses in the U S and
course can prioritize what work will be done and around Me world over tin past 26 blare with the Gran
how much the work will cost They will have the Serum:
20 4 (SEEN ^,L( LION ItEc.OKI)
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Drainage Problems
•
Specialized equipment installing 38-mm (13-in.) diameter slit drains in a one-pass operation.
By John Kelly and Steve Ami
I f you have ever wrestled with a drainage problem—or vicious cycle starts with more compaction leading to increasingly
two or three—on your course,you know there are no lower infiltration rates This in turn leads to even greater
cut and dry solutions Like failing turf,drainage issues compaction and eventually sealing at the surface
can have any number of causes,and diagnosing them properly is To be certain the root cause of your drainage issue is, in fact,
half—if not all—the battle Your best first line of defence is to impermeable soil conditions,you will want to verify soil texture and
accept that not all drainage problems are created equal There is infiltration rates The best way to do this is to dig an auger hole near
no magic cure-all. Each golf course drainage issue is a special a group of pondings that is 50 to 75 mm(2 to 3 in.) in diameter,
case that requires individual attention, such as surveying the taking care to keep the surface water from entering the auger hole
topography and testing the subsoil conditions of each specific Wait several hours for the water table to stabilize in the hole;then
problem area Then and only then do you have a shot at devising measure the depth of the water table and compare that to the
a drainage system solution that will work.The following article level of the water in the pondings.If the water table is more than
examines four drainage problems common to golf courses. 45 cm (18 in )below the level of the water in the pondings,you
are most certainly dealing with an impermeable sod condition
Drainage problem #1: impermeable soils
Impermeable soils are one of the most common culprits m golf Drainage solution for impermeable soils,slit drainage
course drainage problems You know them well They are Your first thought might be to install a conventional drain in the
.characterized by a silty,clay-like soil texture with flat topography dry subsoil and then backfill it with native soils (or with stone
and poor infiltration rates They are also very susceptible to and then capped with soil and sod),but this will not remedy this
compaction from golf carts and maintenance machinery A type of drainage problem.
26 JuneIJuly2004 GreenMaster
Figure 1 To maintain a high infiltration rate into the slit trench,it is also
Impermeable soil condition. important that you allow the adjacent turf to root in the coarse
Conventional drains installed in the drier subsoil will aggregate without the addition of finer topsoil.This can slow the
not address the problems at the surface water's progress through the top layer of the soil profile
Installing slit drains is made easy with the use of a special
wheel trencher This piece of equipment is capable of digging a
Impermeable SoiI
trench on a grade, controlled automatically by laser-grade
control. It can then excavate the soil directly into a trailer,
Pondings-__ Turf_ installing the slit drain pipe and back-filling with a coarse
aggregate all in one fell swoop. Another appealing feature is
cleanup is hist,easy and always done as you go
Silt/Clay Soil You can drain entire fairways in lust two to six days,depending
on the intensity of drainage required Better still,golf play can
• , generally continue with the use of temporary tee placements or
Dram Pipe temporary greens.
Although slit trenching is a relatively expensive drainage technique,
it provides excellent results with dramatic improvements for
Water Table large,flat areas.
Drainage problem#2• depressional areas
A slit drainage system is a better solution Although lesser l)epratssional areas are the low wet spots where water ponds after
known than conventional drainage techniques, it has been a rainfall You can be certain you arc dealing with a depressional
proven highly effective in correcting impermeable soils,not only area when you have water pondings that are greater than 3 m(10
here in North America,but in Europe as well. tt.)in diameter or more than 10 cm(4 in )deep. The problem is
rhe principal of slit drainage is ton remove excess surface water there is no deep percolation available for the excess water.
before it has a chance to pond and then soften the ground surface,
inhibit turf growth and cause rutting,diseases and other problems Drainage solution(err depressional areas surface inlets
Basically, slit drainage consists of an 80 mm (3 in) wide Although conventional subsurface drains are often installed
trench, 25 to 55 cm (10 to 22 in ) deep,which contains a drain through these depressional areas, they generally do not work
pipe that is 38 to 50 nun (1 5 to 2 in) iii diameter This drainage adequately because it is very difficult to get large amounts of
system is designed to channel the excess water to a larger water to infiltrate fast enough into a drain pipe through the turf, -
collector pipe that carries it offsite The individual slit drains are soil and back-fill material. A better tactic is to install surface
spaced between l 5 and 2.5 m (5 and 8 ft I apart,depending on inlets in the lowest part of the depressional area where water
the soil type,topography and severity of the problem naturally ponds The inlets allow large quantities of water to
rapidly enter a collector pipe that mut he properly sized to allow
Figure 2 for water flow
Profile of a typical slit drainage system. Surface inlets come in many shapes and sizes.You will want to
he sure the inlet you select is sturdy and well constructed with a
metal or plastic grate at the surface that has large enough
Impermeable Soils —..i► Slit Trenching
openings to allow unrestricted water entry It is also
recommended that you include a 300-to 450-mm(12-to 18-in )
Tuif deep sediment trap to prevent sediment or debris from entering
into the drainage system
Clay Coarse Sand -
Soll >>> 8L
8L
3B mm Mom.Drain ANDER - cxs
spacing of 1.5 to x.s m SOD CO, LIMITED SUPT
•Ptnttetoss Bentgrass on USGA
Spec, Sand TOP
•Penncross and Providence
Bentgrass on Native Soil QUAL,] ayi'
With the drains in place,the trench is backfilled to thesurface with •#1 Kentucky Bluegrass ■■
a coltnnin of coarse sand aggregate. I be execs surface water can then •Fescue/Kentucky Bluegrass BlendTURF.
rmnve do ct fly tato the columns of coarse aggregate and be carriedA' irt"
sway by the slit drain pipes Be aware, how (4 6) 364-5, QQ ever, not all coarse •!rryour
aggregate is the same Only sands with permeability of 20 to 30 m/day Toll Free 1-877-727-2100 ?77
(32 to 50 in/hr? will provide the results you want and need www.zandersod,com (�
GreenMaster limp/luny 2004 27
Drainage problem #3 high water table re-compact this type of soil into its original state These large
l high water table conditions occur when soils have reasonable voids will allow the water to move freely into the disturbed
infiltration rates but no natural outlet through deep percolation— profile or mound. The native soils under the new mound will
usually due to the presence of a clay or stone barrier not permit the water to continue downward The result is the
One of the telltale signs of a high water table is the presence of same as in the first scenario.Wafer nerves horizontally and seeps
waterweeds,either in shallow adjacent ditches or in the low-lying out along the base of the new mound or hill
areas of the fairway,More obvious,however,is that water in these You can identify this problem by digging a series of test auger
areas comes to the surface very rapidly after a rainstorm,creating holes 60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 in 1 deep al the toe of—and also
numerous small ponds partially up--the wet slope,taking care to stay in the wet zone
Ponding is also characteristic of impermeable soils, so Observe the soils dunng the digging for texture changes and
diagnosing this type of drainage problem takes careful analysis observe the holes afterward for water level changes as you go up
The treatment for a high water table condition,after all,would the bill. This type of drainage problem can keep a wide, flat
be quite ineffective for an impermeable soil condition fairway adjacent to the slope very wet
The difference between the two problems can be determined
only after digging test holes,analyzing the soils,and studying the Drainage solution for side hill seepage•interceptor drains
water table depths over time, in general,you know a high water Though it might seem logical to solve this drainage problem by
table is at work when the level of free water in your test hole It c auger installing conventional drains in your wet fairway,chances are you
hole)stays within 30 to 40 cm(12 to 16 in )of the ground surface would be sorely disappointed by the outcome Wet spots due to
side hill seepage are best drained by installing 100-mm (4-in )
diameter interceptor drams—also known as curtain drains-75
l lr"F': 41k ' .
to 120 cm (30 to 48 in ) deep,and then backfilling them with a
highly permeable drainage sand. The bottom of the trench
should be placed lust Into the less permeable subsoil
• Be forewarned This is a tricky operation.It the interceptor drains
__ are not placed in exactly the right position,your efforts will be for
_ naught.The drains should be placed just above the wet spot—or
just above the highest seepage point—along the contour
-
__ -_ The curtain of sand, which allows the water to flow freely
- downward into the pipe drain and then over to the outlet,will
Vow '� intercept the seepage water The wet seepage area will not dry if
4 - the interceptor drains are installed either too far below or too far
Is this high water table or an impermeable soil condition? above the seepage zone on the hill It usually takes more than
You cannot tell the difference without subsurface investigations one interceptor drain to solve the problem,
lite selection of the sand is also critical to the success of this
Drainage solution for high water table parallel subsurface drains drainage system The back fill must have permeability at least 10 times
lig remedy high water table conditions,you must find a way to remove greater than the native soils Another option is to use clear stone
the excess water that has entered into the soil profile. The best
way to do this is to install a system of parallel subsurface drains Ws all in the planning
An effective water table control drainage system should One thing is for certain you cannot underestimate the
include 100-mm (4-in )diameter drain pipes installed 75 to 120 importance of drainage planning—and taking the time to
cm (30 to 48 in ) deep They can then be backfilled with the properly investigate and custom-tailor drainage systems for each
native soils that we know the water can adequately enter. problem area on your course Clubs such as the Victoria Golf
The drain spacing should be based on the native soil's Club and the Magna Golf Club have recently completed a
saturated hydraulic conductivity and the desired"drawdown"on master plan for drainage improvements on their golf courses
the water table.Also,be sure you have a sufficiently deep outlet We uncovered some of these four types of drainage problems at
to allow free flow from the drainage collector pipe. both these golf clubs The master plan specifies exactly how we
plan to resolve every one of the problem areas
Drainage problem #+4• side hill seepage The advantage of looking at the whole course at once is
Side hill seepage can occur in a couple of different situations simple—to avoid situations where clubs have to duplicate their
First, there is the scenario where a relatively permeable soil—a efforts For instance,different holes could be drained together if
sandy soil—overlies a relatively impermeable sod—silt/clay— you investigate all the holes. Perhaps larger or deeper collectors
on a slope Excess water infiltrates into the sand at higher will he needed than what was suggested if only one hole was
elevations, but because it cannot continue downwards into the examined Also,when the requirements for the entire course are
clay, it is forced to move horizontally and"seep"out where the known,your long-range planning and budgeting will benefit Q
1 sand layer ends This generally happens along the toe of a slope
or partially up the slope. John Kelly and Steve Anti are partners in Kelly Anna Inc, a
Side hill seepage can also occur where clay soils have been Canadian golf course drainage engineering consulting firm For
reworked into mounds or hills by machinery.There will be large further information, you can reach them at (514) 697-1130 or
voids left in the disturbed day since it is virtually impossible to infotkellyatm corny
28 June/Ju4y 2004 GreenMasier