EarthGolf

An interesting development in sand trap construction that makes sense and seems to work.

Michael was considering replacing the 10 bunkers at Grand Oaks, so he offered one for testing. Richeson’s team installed the system in one of the two bunkers fronting the ninth green.

About two weeks later, on May 3, Grand Oaks was hit by 103 mph winds, hail and four inches of rain. About 100 trees, including ones that were 150 years old, were uprooted. The next day, fairways were littered with broken limbs and brush. All the sand traps, except the one treated with Sportscrete, looked like ponds.
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Sportscrete was invented by Ian Tittershill of Derbyshire, England, about 15 years ago. The system has been used mostly as a base for sports fields. More recently, it has been used in bunkers on courses in England, Ireland and Spain.

In bunkers, Sportscrete reduces surface run and erosion. A two-inch thick base of crushed granite is put down and then sprayed with a silicon solution that hardens and keeps the rock intact. Sand is then applied.

The bunker’s surface remains porous when it rains because the fine particles that cause contamination do not percolate through the base and clog drains. The solid base also restricts stones from rising to the surface.

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