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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-29-REC-rpt (USGA Turf Report)MCI PIKE 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 JUG! 0 7 2013 r ., r , United States Golf Association James E. Skorulski, Senior Agronomist Green Section Northeast Region 1500 N. Main St. I Palmer, MA 01069 I 413- 283 -2237 I Fax: 413 -283 -7741 1 Email: jskorulski(ci_)usga.orq USGA Green Section Mission. The USDA Green Section are leaders in developing and disseminating vonomically, 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 stark 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 usec 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 3 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 5 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 L). 1 — 8 urf Advisory Service Report tI a ,ry 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 right side of the 2 nd tee, the left side of No. 3 tee, the left side of No. 4 tee (front tee box) and the 6 th and 7 th tees. l recommend removing the moderate sized maple tree growing along the left side of the 5"' 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 3r tee is one that would be improved from a renovation program to level its surface. The process would involve stripping the sod from the L5GA v I Turf Advisory service Report existing tees, grading the surfaces and then regrassing with a short cuff Kentucky bluegrass sod. FAIRWAYS Drainage The perennially wet 15t 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 15t hole to the right side of the 2 nd 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 1 st 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 5 th 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 1 st 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 2 nd 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. L5GA, I `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 ;.. t,. a dangerous condition. The root pruning work can be done with a rock saw or v ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Sand Bunker Renovation stump grinder or can be done with a power trencher. Surface roots along the 5 "' hole can damage mowing equipment and create a dangerous playing condition. Root prune and then pull or grind the surface roots and grade the area with new topsoil. We discussed some options for the greenside bunkers on the 3 rd 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 V.7G 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, 1 4OZ 01, 4 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 http://turf.lib.msu.edu/20OOs/2005/050916.pdf Solving Drainage Problems http://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/grnma/article/200 Aun26.pdf LGG v I Turf Advisory service Report Page 6 lanni*ng a Golf � )rainage Project V 'T' 1alI y every golf course has experienced soe type of drainage problem on its property, floor drainage affects a golf course's playability, appearance, economics, and reputation. As far as the golfer is concerned, nothing is worse than a golf course that turns into a mud hole during wet weather. Dirty shoes, il lud balls, and cart restrictions take away some of the enjoyment of golf for most players. Most course officials and owners are not fantih n' with how to plan and design drainage "%"'trn 1s that address the needs of their facility, and they frequently succumb to several comrnori pittalls.The first one is a feeling that the super - intrndent can solve any drainage problem with 520,000 and a trencher. Another misconception is that serious drainage problems can be solved only by Closing the course from four to li months to excavate, reshape, and install drainage. A third pit- fall is that quick fixes such as aeration or fairway topdressing will dry tip % % areas. All of these of t )rts begin %vith great intentions, but without a thorough Understanding of drainage principles ours and proper planning, they are doomed from the start.The purpose of this article is to assist golf courses with the planning stages of a drainage project and to ans%ver the question of how best to attack %vet areas of the golf course. HIRING A DRAINAGE CONSULTANT A drainage master plan is the most important and often the most overlooked part of any drainage project. It can be hard for course officials to see the big picture regarding hour best to address drainage problems. Few- golf courses have experts on staff to devise a drainage master plain, and hiring a ,golf course drainage consultant who has the experience and knowledge to devise a master plan is the first step. Good consultants can visit your site and create a drainage plan %vith a hole- l y -hoic cost rstii mite. Most drainage plans .are broken into several sections, including the esti- mated cost sheet, plan notes, drain sites. drain site notes, site components, and sand and labor casts. One surprise to most people who read a drainage master plan for the first time is ho %v the 16 i.piry i ui „i4 t, rope fanning is essential. for a successful dra >«ar e ' 41 : .-� :fir aw. drainage techniques and components usually change based upon the hale. For example. one hole may have elnution and rolling hills, and the emphasis is on surface collection of water in basins and 25 -foot spacing of tht drainage lines, as opposed to another hole with flitter terrain and lower elevations that may require the use of siphon basins and 15-Foot spacing of drainage lines. Most course officials are stunned by the complexity and technology involved. HOW THE CONSULTANT MAKES THE DRAINAGE PLANS When a drainage consultant has been hired, the next step is the on -site visit. Ideally, the design is done when the drainage problems are readily observable for the consttltant.The motto is," Ilan when it is wet, and install when it is dry. Most consultants can analyze four to five holes per day, so it allay take up to three to five days to analyze an entire course, but se=ldom does every hole require drainage renovation work.The superin- tendent, assistant superintendent, and a few course officials usually accompany the drainage consultant during the site visit. It is crucial to plan the work prior to the installation process. For a drainage expert, the analysis of golf course drainage probletns k usually the easiest part of the job, but it provides new inforanation for most clients.The consultant needs to know prior to making; the drainage master plan what the membership would like to achieve by the end of the prolect. For exaaarlple, is the goal tar the course to be in tournament con- dition., or just to dry up wet arras enough for cart Traffic, or simply to keep the course from closing% The amount of drainage needed to melt each of these goals has signlifacantly different costs and strategies. Below= are the five steps a drainage corlstdtant "N ill complete when developing; a drainage master plats. STEP I -- IDENTIFICATION OF WET AREAS ON EACH 'HOLE The planning process begins by identifying and ri.inil ag; each wet area to be drained and record- ing; its location. Flags are used to mark wet areas and each receives a code. STEP 2 -- SURFACE COLLECTION AREAS The consultant's next %rep is to locate where wttrface water may be entering, play areas avid determine where to collect this water before it reaches the defined drainage areas. Surface water flow onto golf courses can chaaige over time due to local developments and new roads. causing more water to drain onto the property. Curbs that chwinel water to open inlets at cart paths, berms that slow down surface runoff, V- shaped terraces or cart paths, or catch basiias iriay be designated as collection devices to move surface water to un.dergrotand piping systena_s before it reaches golf course playing auv as.'l he most cost - effective method is to collect surface water on a cart path, using curbing and basins. Avoid collec=ting; surface water runoff,,ith seepage drainage uaaless there are no other options. STEP 3 — SEEPAGE DRAINAGE NEEDED FOR EACH AREA AND DETERMINING RELIEF Step three defines where seepage drainage will be installed, how deep to install daese trenches, and Trenches for seepage lines usually are a rninimum relief depth of 18 inches.The lower the soil permeability, the more critical the depth. stPT1MC1FR -17l 1 rrP &R .. ', 17 where to take the drainage water, Seepage water is defined as ww*ater in any area that presents a problem, either after all of the surface water is removed or even when 110 surface water was ever present. Some surface water always escapes even the best - defined plans, especially during; very wet weather, and this water will enter the soil.The grrntlnd can become saturated to the point that it interferes writh either the inowbig or playability of the hole. Seepage lines are connected to solid pipes leading to the end of an open and free - flowving draiItage system. The seepage design will be driven by the objectives defined initially to the consultant, including how dry the play areas should be, soil types, shade levels, and the budget. Based on the objectives, the seepage design guidelines are as follow -s: * The spacing of drainage lines has no absolutes, due to variations of objectives, soil types, shade, and budgets. Most installations are done at W- to 25-foot spacing. • Drainage line depths will be determined by soil conditions and the relief on the site. Standard installations are 24 inches deep with no part elf any line less than 18 inches. Reliefs "Tically are between 2 and 6 feet deep, depending; on the circumstances. Hand digging; occurs around any existing irrigation installation to avoid damage to these pipes. Sometimes confusion exists as to why consultants recommend columns this sleep if the soil is only wet at the top. The answver lies with the permeability of the soil.The lower the per- meability of the soil, the deeper the colunul must be to create the hydraulic head necessary to release the water. r Drainage lines always are installed perpendicu- larly to the flown of the `vater, but the design will take into account the existing; irrigation system piping and a pattern to facilitate the most cost- Ili ,- K L l \ ,. I , I ' , I L Ill " 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. effective handling of spoils. Hated cligging is done to avoid damage where new drainage vrill cross over existing irrigration systems. • Drainag t: lines used i i native sails require the use of sand, not gravel, and geo- textile- lined drainage materials. Trenches a.re five to seven inches wide to acconunodaLe these materials. Spoils are hauled away Sands with infiltration rates of 30 to 80 inches per hour are ideal, and they can be topped off with a moiswre- holding drains, pumps, or a combination of all may be used.The length and size of the transpomation lines and fittings are detertiiined once the trans- portation wsteni has been completed. STEP 5 — COST AND LABOR ESTIMATES Finally, the drainage consultant will estimate the total cost of the drainage prclject.Tlae quantity of material that will be moved at each drainage site A large staging area allows storage of the new materials for a drainage project. mix. Sand. ,, opposed to gravel, provides desired bridging +Mlities in the drainage lines that minimize the impact of the narive soil on the seepage drains. "Flee obiective in seepage drainage tilt is to create a stable system where the water moves to the drainage without care mig fines in the seater stream. Proper backfall sand provides this stable system. Sodding; of the trench lines is done in most but not all cases. STEP 4 -- SELECTION OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, DRAINAGE PIPE, AND QUANTITIES REQUIRED Step four is to choose the transportation system or combination of systems to be used to move the seater from each area along with the; relief points. Conventional connecter pipes, siphon is a critical figure, and it will be the basis for estimating; the total labor hours, the number of workers needed, rental equipment tinie, drainage materials, sand, sod, and the days each hole will be out of play. T }laically, in -house pn jects using; ply - wood and shovels to moire spoil.~ %val haul . ill to 3) of a ton per ttaan -hour. Front -end loaders yid skid steer equipment c.an increase: this to .80 to 1,0 ton per man -hour. Experienced drainage contractors using tarp systems or conveyors typically will move between 1.0 and 1.5 tons per man -hour. Labor cost calculations assume that the area of the hole the contractor is working; on will be closed to the point where the workers can work safel and without waiting for groups of golfers to pass through. Usually, this does not mean closing the hole, bur it gray mean sometimes. , L1 %7 t1 11- ii,. X1 , ' 15 playing a par- -q or par -5 hole as a par -3 for a few days. At the end of the project, some courses include an allowance to provide a GPS map of the drain- age instillation.The map usually includes the location of all catch basins, connector pipes, siphons, reliefs, and perhaps some of the seepage drainage, but not all. Tracking wire is usually included in all main drunage features. CONCLUSION Sometimes course officials and staff are over - wheirned with the total cost of a drainage project once they see the master plan. Fortunately, it is not necessary to do the entire project at once.. More importantly, though. a golf course with a drainage master plan now has a document developed by an expert that overcomes the most common pitfalls: lack of knowledge and poor planning. With the drainage plan in hand, the course can prioritize what work will be done and how much the work will cost.They will have the peace of mind that the problem will be resolved and that cost - ineffective quick -fix attempts are avoided.The drainage plan can be used in solicit - ing bids from contractors or evaluating the cost of doing the job in house. In most cases, experienced contractors are more cost effective because of efficiencies in moving materials. Poor drainage affects both the enjoy n - Lent and cconomic% of many golf courses. Devising a sound drainage master plan with the aid of a consultant Ls die most important step in bringing a resolution to the problem. AuTTHoti's NOTE: Special drunks to Dennis Hurley, Pmsident of R#'Drahtgee CO. nfAtrterica,for his technical a..ssistanee ii4flt this article. Pxrm( :K O'L31t EN is flit Sowheast Rigiort ditet-tor for the UTS(14 Greerr Section. Patrick has tirade more than 3,0001 °lS visits to golf cortrses in the I1. S. and artwand the iiorld over file past 6 yeark nRth eke Green secriarl. 20 61k LEN yea. rION K ELI) xu Sod lines over the new fairway drainage are almost completely healed only three weeks after the installation. By John Kelly and Steve Ami f you have ever wrestled with a drainage problem —or two or three —on your course, you know there are no cut and dry solutions. Like failing turf, drainage issues can have any number of causes, and diagnosing them properly is half if not all —the battle. Your best first line of defence is to accept that not all drainage problems are created equal. There is no magic cure -all. Each golf course drainage issue is a special case that requires individual attention, such as surveying the topography and testing the subsoil conditions of each specific problem area. Then and only then do you have a shot at devising a drainage system solution that will work. The following article examines four drainage problems common to golf courses. Drainage problem ##1: impermeable soils Impermeable soils are one of the most common culprits in golf course drainage problems. You know them well. They are .characterized by a silty, clay -like soil texture with flat topography and poor infiltration rates. They are also very susceptible to compaction from golf carts and maintenance machinery. A vicious cycle starts with more compaction leading to increasingly lower infiltration rates. This in turn leads to even greater compaction and eventually sealing at the surface. To be certain the root cause of your drainage issue is, in fact, impermeable soil con(itions, you will want to verify soil texture and infiltration rates. The best way to do this is to dig an auger hole near a group of pondings that is 50 to 75 mm (2 to 3 in.) in diameter, taking care to keep the surface water from entering the auger hole. Wait several hours for the water table to stabilize in the hole; then measure the depth of the water table and compare that to the level of the water in the pondings. If the water table is more than 45 cm 08 in.) below the level of the water in the pondings, you are most certainly dealing with an impermeable soil condition. Drainage solution for unpenneable sorts. slit drainage Your first thought might be to install a conventional drain in the dry subsoil and then backfill it with native soils (or with stone and then capped with soil and sod), but this will not remedy this type of drainage problem. 26 JunetJuiy2004 Green Master Figure 4 Impermeable soil condition. Conventional drains installed in the drier subsoil will not address the problems at the surface. A slit drainage system is a better solution. Although less=er known than conventional drainage techniques, it IMS been proven highly effective in correcting inipermeahlc soik, not only here. in North America, but in P.urope os well. The principal of slit drainage is to reinttve excess Surface water before it has a chance to pond and then soften the ground surface, inhibit turf growth and cause rutting, diseases and tither problems. Basically, slit drainage consists of an 80 inm (3 in.) wide trench, 25 to 55 cm (10 to 22 in.) deep, which contains a drain pipe that is 38 to 50 mna (1.5 to 2 in.) in diameter. 'phis drainage system is designed to channel the excess water to a larger collector pipe that carries it offsite. The individual slit drains are spaced between 15 and 2.5 to 0 and 8 ft.) apart, depending on the soil type, topography and severity of the problem. Figure Z Profile of a typical slit drainage system. To With the drains in place, the trench is backlilled to tae surface with a c olumn {if coarse sand aggreg itv-' I he exccs: surface water can theft move direr fly into the culunttts of cuar,r .tgv cgate and ht carried away by the slit drain pipes. Be aware, however, not all coarse agg=regate is the same. Only sands with permeability of 20 to 30 ni /day (32 to 50 in./hr) will provide the results you want and need. To maintain a high intihration rate into the slit trench, it is also important that you allow the ad turf to root in the wars aggregate without the addition of finer topsoil. This can slow the water's progress through the top layer of the soil profile. Installing slit drains is made easy with the use of a special wh.eel trencher. This piece of equipment is capable of digging a trench on a gt controlled automatically by laser -grade control. It can then excavate the soil direedy into a trailer, installing the slit drain pipe and back- filling with a coarse aggregate —all in one fell swoop. Another appealing feature is cleanup is fast, easy and always done as you go. You can drain entire fairways in just 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 temporary greens. Although slit trenching is a relatively expensivedrainage technique, it provides excellent results with dramatic improvements for large, flat areas. Drainage problem #2. depressional areas Deprc ssional areas are the low wo spots where water ponds after a rainfall. You can he certain you al dealing; with a depressional area when you have water pontfings that are greater than 3 m (10 tt.)in diameter or more than 10 can (A in.) deep. The problem is there is no deep percolation available for the escc >s water. Drainage solution fit depressional areas: surfice inlets Although conventional subsurface drains are often installed through these depressional .areas, they generally do not work adequately because it is very difficult to get large amounts of water to infiltrate fast enoug=h into a drain pipe through the turf, soil and back -fill material. A better tactic is to install surface inlets in the lowest part of the depressional area where roarer naturally ponds. The inlets allow large quantities of water to rapidly enter a collector pipe that rou=st he properly sired to allow for water flow, Surface inlets come in many shapes and sires. You will want to be sure the inlet you select is sturdy and well constructed with a metal nr plastic g=rate at the surface that has large enough openings to allow unrestricted water entry. It is also recommended that you include a 300- to 450 -mm (12- to 18 -in.) deep sediment trap to prevent sediment or debris from entering into the drainage system. M 044k16*1NG 8 ` SuPPLY TOP N IT H Our r r� *G to 0 W c G r e e n M a s a E r Junelluay 2004 27 Pondings _ _ Turf Drainage problem #3: high water table High water table conditions occur when soils have reasonable infiltration rates but no natural Nutlet through deep percolation — usually due to the presence of a clay or stone barrier. One of the telltale signs of a high water table is the presence of waterweeds, either in shallow adjacent ditches or in the low -lying areas of the fairway. More obvious, however, is that water in these areas comes to the surface very rapidly after a rainstorm, creating numerous small ponds. Ponding is also characteristic of impermeable soils, so diagnosing; this type of drainage problem takes careful analysis. The treatment for a high water table condition, after all, would be quite ineffective for an impermeable soil condition. The difference between the two problems can be determined only after digging test holes, analyzing, the soils, and studying the water table depths over time. In general, you know a high water table is at work when the level of free water in your test hole ( i.e. auger hole) stays within 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in.) of the ground surface. Drainage solrarion for high water table. parallel subsurfacc clrairrs To remedy high water table conditions, you must find a way to remove the excess water that has entered into the soil profile. The best way to don this is to install a system of parallel subsurface drains. An effective water table control drainage system should include I00 -mm (4 -in.) diameter drain pipes installed 75 to 120 cm (30 to 48 in.) deep. They can then be backfiiled with the native soils that we know the water can adequately enter. The drain spacing should be based on tine native soil's saturated hydraulic conductivity and the desired "drawdown "on the water table. Also, he sure you have a sufficiently deep outlet to allow free flow from the drainage collector pipe. Drainage problem #+4: side hill seepage Side hill seepage can occur in a couple of different situations. First, there is the scenario where a relatively permeable soil —a sandy soil -- overlies a relatively impermeable soil—silt/clay— oil a slope. Excess water infiltrates into the sand at higher elevations, but because it cannot continue downwards into the clay, it is forced to move horizontally and "seep" out where the sand layer ends. This generally happens along the toe of a slope or partially up the slope. Side hill seepage can also occur where clay soils have been reworked into mounds or hills by machinery. There will be large voids left in the disturbed clay since it is virtually impossible to re- compact this type of soil into its original state. These large voids will allow the water to move freely into the disturbed profile or mound. The native sails tinder the new astound will not pennit the water to contilllk' downward. The result is the same as in the first scenario: Water moves horizontally and seeps out along the base of the new nimind or hill. You can identity this problem by digging a series of test auger holes 60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 in.) deep at the toe of —and also partially up.--the wet slope, taking care to stay in the wet zone. Observe the soils during the digging for texture changes and observe the holes afterward for water level changes as you go up the hill. This type of drainage problem can keep a wide, flat fairway adjacent to the slope very wet. Drainage solurion for side hill seepage: interceptor drrairrs Though it might seem logical to solve this drainage problem by installing conventional drains in your wet fairway, chances are you would be sorely disappointed by the outcome. Wet spots due to side hill seepage are best drainned by installing 100 -mm (4 -in.) diameter interceptor drains —also known as curtain drains -75 to 120 cm (31) to 48 in.) deep, and then backliliing them with a highly permeable drainage sand. The bottom 017 the trench should be placed just into the less permeable subsoil. lie forewarned. T - his is a tricky operation, If 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. Tine curtain of sand, which allows the water to flow freely downward into the pipe drain and then over to the outlet, will intercept the seepage water, The wet seepage area will not dry if the interceptor drains are installed either too far below or too far above the seepage zone on the hill. 11 usually takes more than one interceptor drain to solve the problem. 1 selection of the sand is also critical to the success of this drainage system. The back -fill must have permeability at least 10 times greater than the native soils. Another option is to use clear stone. It's all in the planning One thing is for certain. you cannot underestimate the importance of drainage planning —and taking the time to properly investigate and custom - tailor drainage systems for each problem area on your course. Clubs such as the Victoria Golf Club and the Magna Golf Club have recently completed a master plan for drainage improvements on their golf courses. We uncovered some of these four types of drainage problems at both these golf clubs. The master plan specifies exactly how we plan to resolve every one of the problem areas. The advantage of looking at the whole course at once is simple —to avoid situations where clubs have to duplicate their efforts. For instance, different holes could be drained together if you investigate all the holes. Perhaps larger or deeper collectors will be needed than what was suggested if only one hole was examined. Also, when the requirements for the entire course are known, your long -range planning and budgeting will benefit.4 John Kell) acrd Steve Ann rare partners in Kelly Anai Inc., a Canadian golf course drainage engineerbr q consulting furor. For further btformation, you can reach there tit (514) 697-1130 or i n fo @kell ya tta i. ro r u. 28 June, /1u;y 2004 GreernMasIer Is this high water table or an impermeable soil condition? You cannot tell the difference without subsurface investigations.