Michael S. Williams
| Pomona,
California 91767 |
| (818)
425-6142 |
Chester Washington Golf Course - Bunker Renovation
Overview
The bunkers at Chester Washington Golf Course had never received any type major renovation in 15+ years. The sand depth was inconsistent throughout the course, irrigation heads were visible, uneven bunker lies and several bunkers didn't have any kind of modern drainage system in them at all. An action plan was created to do a complete renovation of all the bunkers in three phases. With the help of a local golf course construction company and my crew the goal was to have all 55 bunkers completely done in 14 months. Each trap was to be reshaped, complete drainage and new sand added then sod the entire bunker faces and adjacent areas. The challenge was to maintain the golf course to it's highest level while renovating the bunkers and not sacrifice quality.
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Irrigation
head visible
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Uneven
lies
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Renovation
A certain section of the course was selected as phase one of the renovation to save time man hours. The old sand was removed and saved for later use on the course. Bunkers were now dug out with the old drainage removed and reshaped. During this process the entire bunker was reshaped to best fit the hole with new faces added. When the shaping was complete, new drain lines were trenched for the 4" corrigated pipe that was to be used. All existing lines that were going to be connected to were tested for clogs or damage to make sure that water could move through the trap during a heavy rain.
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#14
bunker dugout......
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#14
bunker shaped
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#14
bunker shaped...
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#14
bunker with drainage added
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With all of the shaping and drainage complete it was time add new bunker sand. Green side bunkers were to have no less then 4" of playable sand and fairway bunkers 2". Once the sand was spread out and leveled, the final step was to sod the faces and surrounding areas with a bluegrass/ryegrass mix. Completed bunkers were roped off for about 2 weeks until the sod was firm enough for play.
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-#3
Bunker being sodded--
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#3
Bunker complete
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#2
Bunker before
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#2 Bunker Complete
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In conclusion
There is nothing better to have a project that pays so many rewards when completed and this was one of them. To remove an on going issue for so many years and turn it around for the positive makes the Superintendent's job easier. With proper maintenance these new bunkers will remain in the best condition possible for years to follow.
During the construction phase not one material was wasted. The old bunker sand was used to topdress fairways to help level out uneven lies and extra soil was used for flower beds thorough out the golf course. To have the opportunity to use free raw materials for a public golf course with a limited budget sure can go a long way in the maturity of the course and playabilty to our guests.