Culvert in #1 fairway

Though we don’t have many water features on the course, water management is still an integral part of our maintenance. Part of that is moving water around the property, specifically how the ponds on the course are connected. One of these connections was completely deteriorated and we replaced it last week.

The pond that is to the right of #1 approach and left of #10 approach has a pipe that serves as an overflow release. It helps to regularly manage the height of the water and serves as an escape for excess water when we get heavy rains. The culvert was put in when the course and ponds were constructed over 50 years ago. The pipe was a standard corrugated metal pipe and served its purpose well. However, in the last few years it had started to fail. 

Exposed irrigation line

We repaired one sinkhole in the rough to the left of #1 fairway, just near the creek that runs towards #2 pond. Another sinkhole was developing in the fairway, nearer to the pond on #10 side. Knowing that these pipes do fail, like what happened at #9 pond, we didn’t want to risk waiting too long to replace the entire pipe.

A glimpse at the underside of the old pipe

We hired a contractor to help, and we started by removing the grass and exposing our irrigation lines. Next, they used a mini excavator to expose and remove the existing pipe. It was far more degraded than we expected. The entire underside of the pipe was decayed, from one end to the other. It was surprising that we did not have any more, or worse, sinkholes than we experienced already.

The trench after the old pipe had been removed

The pond on #10 was temporarily dammed while a new pipe was laid into the same trench as the old. The new pipe is heavy duty, solid walled, HDPE drain pipe, which will last many decades longer than the metal. Once the new pipe was in place and secured, the dam was removed. The remaining soil was positioned to cover the pipe, compacted, and the sod was laid back down. The entire pipe removal and installation was done in one day and the sod was put back in place the following morning.

Backfilling of the new pipe

Other than the recent sinkholes, this pipe would have been entirely unremarkable and inconsequential to golfers. And now, replacement of the pipe assures us that the new pipe will again fade into the background.

 

We are now back to our in-season schedule of one post per week.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please remember to keep your cart on the cart path when we are “Cart Path Only.”

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

 

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org