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🔈Design bunker edges, without limits. Check out the new Edgevantage now.
The goal of this guide is to provide you and your maintenance staff with the tools and insights necessary to ensure that your course's bunkers not only meet golfers' expectations but also enhance the overall beauty and playability of the course. Our recommendations are designed to manage resources efficiently and sustainably. By following all our suggestions, your bunkers will maintain their intended appearance and performance for many years without any issues.
The sand depth in your bunkers should be determined based on the Water Release Curve of your sand and the desired compaction levels as measured by the TrueMeter from the USGA. Since different players may require different compaction levels, it’s crucial to establish a general TrueMeter value for all bunkers, considering the specific rakes to be used and raking methods. This value directly correlates with the moisture levels of the sand, which are determined by the Water Release Curve. Your sand supplier should provide this Water Release Curve. However, the USGA recommends an average sand depth of 4-6 inches at the base of the bunker and 2-4 inches on bunker faces, providing a general guideline. As a rule of thumb, faces should never have the same sand depth as the bases. The firmer the faces, the better, as it promotes faster play and reduces maintenance problems.
For more on why sand depth alone isn't the fix for a wet bunker, see our blog post on sustainable bunker care.
Monitoring player feedback on bunkers and sand is important. Remember that the less sand in a bunker, the more moisture it will hold, resulting in firmer play. Regularly washing the sand with Capillary Wash Box is also important, depending on your location and contamination levels.
Spot check sand depth monthly; conduct thorough checks every quarter.
Use a grid pattern with a maximum spacing of 10 ft (3 m) between measurement points across the entire bunker floor.
Sand is gradually lost from bunkers as a result due to player activity, wind erosion, and maintenance operations to remove tree litter, grass clippings and other airborne contaminants. It also compacts over time. To ensure player safety, prevent liner damage and maintain desired playability, sand depth should be kept within the recommended range.
Equip maintenance staff with one probe each (e.g., broken steel golf shaft) marked with clear indicators (tape or similar) for floor and face depths.
Locate spots in a grid pattern across the whole bunker floor. Measure the sand depth at these points and make sure it is your desired depth. Measure at even distances on faces.
Sand naturally compacts with about 10 %. If you aim for a 4” sand depth in your bunkers, we recommend initially installing 10 % more than that (4,4’’). The excess will naturally compact down to 4” over time. While using a light plate compactor on wet sand is necessary for compaction, please note that it may take several months for the sand to reach its final compaction level, which depends on your chosen sand type.
The Capillary Bunker Liner is designed to work seamlessly with various raking equipment and methods. Bunkers can be raked according to your preferences and at a frequency of your choosing. Regular raking and mixing of sand are essential to prevent algae and weed growth (weeds cannot penetrate the Capillary Bunker Liner but can germinate in the sand layer).Various raking methods exist, each with its pros and cons. The choice often depends on your desired visual appearance of the bunkers, and some methods may be more labor intensive than others. However, the most crucial aspect is consistency: Select one method and stick to it. Bunkers can be raked as you wish and on a frequency of your choice. Mechanical trap rakes are okay to use as well, but require more attention to sand depths, see below.
With the added stability of the sand on the faces due to the Capillary Bunker installation, some clubs have gone to the “Aussie” method of bunker raking. They will use the rounded back of the rake to smooth the slopes of the bunker and rake the interior as usual. Regularly raking and mixing up of sand is important to avoid algae and weed growth (weeds do not grow through the Capillary Bunker but can germinate in the sand layer).
Machine raking is an excellent method to rake the bunkers when the Capillary Bunker Liner is installed. There is no risk in damaging the liner.It's important to note that CapillaryFlow's Bunker Liner revolutionizes the approach to maintaining golf bunkers, significantly reducing the reliance on traditional raking methods. The system utilizes capillary action to maintain optimal sand moisture levels, resulting in the following impacts on traditional bunker maintenance methods:
The need for manual raking to distribute sand evenly and remove debris becomes somewhat redundant. The system maintains consistent sand conditions, reducing the labor and time involved in this method. Raking bunkers twice a week is however important.
This method, used for aerating compacted sand, becomes less necessary with the Capillary Bunker Liner. The system's ability to manage moisture levels prevents the sand from becoming overly compacted, thus reducing the need for deep raking.
The CapillaryFlow Bunker Liner eliminates the need for applying water to firm up the sand. Its ability to move moisture up into the sand when dry, and drain efficiently during heavy rainfall maintains the ideal sand condition without additional watering.
Since the CapillaryFlow system ensures consistent sand conditions, the selective raking of disturbed areas is less frequently required. This leads to more uniform playability and reduces the need for constant monitoring and selective maintenance.
Depending on your choice of edge construction, you can use various techniques to edge the bunkers. If your bunkers have artificial turf edges or stacked sod edges, exercise great care to avoid damaging the edge and refrain from using any tools other than string trimmers or hand scissors. It’s crucial to bear in mind that a bunker’s shape tends to change over time due to edging, and eventually, all bunkers will end up oval-shaped. Therefore, it is essential to locate the original edge before commencing the edging procedure. Remember that edging without properly locating the original edge will result in oval-shaped bunkers where noses have been edged back, and other areas of the bunker have grown over with grass. Applying a plant growth regulator to bunker edges can reduce the need for frequent edging and minimizes the risk of compromising the bunker edge integrity.
Measuring sand moisture in golf bunkers is essential for maintaining the bunker's playability and effective drainage. The moisture level in the sand significantly influences the interaction of the golf ball with the bunker, where consistent moisture ensures predictable ball behavior and fair playing conditions. Additionally, maintaining the right moisture balance is key to preventing issues like waterlogging or rapid drying, which can lead to erosion or compaction, adversely affecting the bunker's condition. Regular monitoring of sand moisture is also crucial for efficient maintenance, enabling timely actions such as cleaning the bunker sand, to keep the bunkers in ideal condition.
While the Capillary Bunker Liner usually prevents issues related to excessively wet or dry bunker sand, the accumulation of silt, clay and other contaminants might interfere with this. Hence, to ensure long-term performance of bunkers, we recommend continuous measurement of sand moisture levels to identify any excessive or insufficient moisture in the sand profile. Appropriate actions can then be taken to aid the issue.
Understanding and managing the contamination level and keeping track of moisture levels are key to providing a quality golfing experience and maintaining the integrity of the course.
In the dynamic environment of a golf course, each bunker possesses its own distinctive characteristics, such as varying levels of moisture retention and specific sand requirements, influenced by unique factors. To accurately gauge these aspects, the best approach is to conduct tests. As a standard guideline, we recommend assessing the sand moisture in all bunkers six months after installation. This duration allows the bunkers to undergo changes influenced by factors like weather conditions, geographical orientation, proximity to irrigation systems, and more. Such an evaluation provides insight into the moisture levels and the presence of silts and fine particles in the sand, which in turn affects the wetness of the bunker base. If you ever find yourself with too wet bunker bases, this might be the problem. It is never a problem of too much or too little bunker sand, but is all about the amount of moisture holding particles.
Should you encounter issues with moisture or contamination, we advise proceeding with a thorough cleaning of the bunker sand.
Measure and control the sand contamination level and drain capacity is essential to have your bunkers playability as expected from the sand you originally had in your bunkers. The USGA recommends no more than 3% silt and clay and 0% organic material in bunker sand.
CapillaryFlow offers a sand test kit for easy evaluation of the quality and contamination levels of your bunker sand. With the test comes a guide that will lead you through different steps to determine contamination level. It works basically like this:
To have a test kit delivered for free, contact your CapillaryFlow representative or email info@capillaryflow.com
It's important to note that the interpretation of moisture levels in golf bunkers can vary significantly depending on several factors. The moisture levels presented here serve as a general guideline, but they may not apply universally to all golf courses due to differences in geography, climate, sand type, and bunker design. Here are some key considerations:
Different climates and weather patterns can affect how moisture behaves in bunker sand. For instance, courses in arid regions may experience quicker drying, while those in humid climates might retain moisture longer.
The composition and texture of the sand can influence its moisture retention and drainage properties. Coarser sand typically drains better than finer sand.
The shape and depth of a bunker, as well as its drainage system, play a role in how moisture is managed.
Moisture levels can fluctuate with seasonal weather variations, requiring adjustments in maintenance practices.
Therefore, while the moisture levels of low (<10%), moderate (10-20%), and high (>20%) can serve as a basic reference, it's crucial for course maintenance teams to consider their specific course condition and adjust their practices accordingly. Regular monitoring and a tailored approach to bunker maintenance are essential for maintaining optimal playability and course conditions.
Indicates dry, loose sand. Balls may bury more deeply, making shots more challenging. It would normally require light watering to maintain playability. But, in Capillary Bunkers, which moves water up into the bunker sand from below, low moisture is rarely the case.
Ideal for most bunkers. Offers a balance between firmness and playability, with consistent ball behavior.
Suggests overly wet sand, risking puddles and compaction. Restoring drainage capabilities might be necessary to restore optimal conditions. Usually, the sand is dirty and binds too much moisture due to abnormal amounts of silt, clay and other contaminants in the sand. But, first and foremost, the sand should be washed with the help of the Capillary Wash Box.
All bunker sand will get contaminated over time, by grass clippings, algae or merely by regular use and sand particles grinding into smaller shapes. With the Capillary Wash-Box, the sand can be washed instead of replaced, and this can have a significant economic and time-saving impact. It is recommended to wash your bunker sand every 1 – 4 years, depending on your site-specific circumstances.
The Capillary Wash Box and this system is designed to only remove organic material (algae, clippings, leafs etc.) and
particles smaller than 0.05 mm, which will float in water for some time.These are the particles that can darken color and slow infiltration rates. They can effectively be removed by following the washing instructions.
A locator wire is recommended in the trench with your drain tile. The wire aids in locating the pipe if you ever need to inspect it or repair it. Ensure that the locator wire follows the pipe up to the cleanouts on the exterior of the bunker. The cleanout should be installed inside a 10” round valve box with a lid for easy inspection. To prevent clogging, it is advisable to install the outfall with sufficient fall to allow self-cleaning. The recommended slope is 1.25% for a 4” pipe and 0.85% for a 6” pipe. A good practice is to daylight the drain into a 12” catch basin, safeguarding the pipe from potential crushing or clogging. In scenarios where the pipe daylights into a pond with water levels rising above the bunker, consider installing a flapper-style check valve in the pipe. This will prevent backflow into the bunker and possible damage.
Drawing from our extensive experience in building and maintaining bunkers, we recommend the following schedule to guarantee the prolonged success and durability of your Capillary Bunkers, free from any failures. If your bunkers encounter varying degrees of contamination or other factors influencing the sand, it is advisable to adjust the schedule accordingly.
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