Bunkers are always a popular topic at any course between Golf Professionals, Members, and Golf Course Superintendents. Typically you could hear comments like, the sands too hard, sands too soft, its too much sand, there is not enough sand and the always popular the sand doesn’t provide a constant lie. The easy comment back is they are bunkers and they are hazards, but you do find many different sand conditions at Bluegrass. Currently, the bunkers do all have the same sand in them, but over the years older bunkers have become contaminated with silt or dirt giving a harder packed playing condition. The newer bunkers have clean sand, but is very soft due to the size and shape of the sand granules. Below is a paragraph taken from Dr. James Beard’s, Turfgrass Management for Golf Course textbook that every superintendent has referred to at some point in the career. He briefly describes what makes good sand for bunkers.
– “Angular, sharp sands are preferred for bunkers use since they set up better than rounded sands and are firmer surfaces from which to play. Round, smooth sands have a tendency to shift underfoot. The likelihood also is great that the ball will become buried if the smooth, round sands are of a uniform particle size. It could take several months to several years for an acceptable firmness to be achieved. A soft sand condition, resulting from rounded particles and a narrow particle size range, will eventually firm up to the point of becoming hard by contamination from dust and organic matter and by mixing with soil particles from the floor of the bunker.”
The bunker sand on the course is a rounded granular sand which is very soft when new and eventually becomes firm after contamination from silt. This coming week we will be removing the new sand from the two recently renovated green side bunkers on #18. We have selected an angular sand widely used and recommended by the USGA that adheres to their specifications, just as selecting a USGA sand in putting green construction.
New Bunker Sand
We will begin the renovation next week and anticipate completion by the end of the week, weather permitting. It is our goal to evaluate the playability of the new sand and member’s opinions before developing a plan for the rest of the bunkers on the course. Stay posted to see updates of the procedures.