Golf Course synthetic turf

 Golf range construction, Golf tee construction  No Responses »
Sep 032009
 

Summary: A dedicated strip of synthetic turf increases practice tees  usage during inclement weather or tee renovation. Portable tee platforms provide teeing options to golf course superintendents.

Manufacturers now sell durable synthetic turf that mimics blue grass, bermuda, rye grass, and other golf cultivars. Some products duplicate low-cut bluegrass and bentgrass playability and color. Old style, poorly constructed, gaudy green carpets with limited life spans are rarely used.

A strip of synthetic turf works well on the rear of a grassed range tee, providing an ideal surface for iron and wood practice. Synthetic turf allows tee use during wet weather, over seeding, or sod establishment.

For range tee installations, I use a 6 foot width and a length equal to the width of the tee top. A synthetic range tee installation in Massachusetts included a tee strip 100 x 6 feet. It cost $10,000.00

Synthetic turf detail also works well on regular golf tees.  If level, temporary tee locations are not available, construct a 10 x 10′ square on a frame and cover with synthetic turf.  Add removable wheels and you’ll have a portable and playable tee surface. It’s a better alternative than placing tee markers in unsuitable settings.

Heavily-played golf courses also use synthetic turf on tee tops. Costs are justified by all-weather playability. Partial turf installations work well on par-3 tees.

Synthetic turf is installed on a sub base of 6″ compacted dense grade. Pitch the sub base 1% to improve surface drainage.After compaction of the sub base material, install the artificial turf with sod staples placed every 6 inches. The staples are hidden below grade. Synthetic turf is sold in 50 foot lengths. Longer installations require seaming, a process that uses a heat gun and two-sided tape with glue that melts when heated.

Quality synthetic turf accepts a wooden tee. It requires a light top dressing with fine sand every few weeks. Iron play is allowed, but the base material creates a harsh impact.

Synthetic golf green turf  equals the color and putting speed of  low-cut bentgrass. Green construction is similar to tee construction details. Add golf green shapes like swales and rolls increase golfer enjoyment. Test contours with a putter and golf ball before you fasten the turf. Sharp contours are difficult to modify after project completion.  Synthetic golf greens in New England cost $10,000.00 and up depending on size.

 Posted by Ray Richard at 5:07 am  Tagged with: , ,

Golf range construction-Part 2

 Golf range construction  No Responses »
Sep 012009
 

Summary: Second post in a series on golf range construction includes construction methodology.

A golf range includes a tee and a landing area; the fairway-like area that receives golf balls. After engineering and site plan approval, golf range construction includes the following:

  • Tree clearing (if needed)
  • Grubbing of roots and wood waste
  • Topsoil removal
  • Subgrade  modification
  • Drainage installation
  • Topsoil return
  • Irrigation installation
  • Fine grading and seeding

This post describes the construction of a range on a wooded site. Use a golf course shaper to build your range. Site developers create flat, featureless installations that look like parking lots. Your range must look like a golf course, not a rest area along an interstate highway.

Locate property corners and establish setbacks as per local ordinance. Remove trees, stumps, and wood waste. A root rake mounted on a mid-sized bulldozer works well to remove forest floor debris.

Stockpile topsoil on areas without severe cuts and fills. Create a few piles, not one large pile. My construction standards on a range landing areas require topsoil with golf ball sized stones and smaller. Larger rocks, 4-6″ in size,  buried 6 inches below the surface are fine. After topsoil return, process with a rock picker if needed, but plating the landing area with 6 inches of screened topsoil is a waste of money, except on target greens and tee slopes.

Construct the tee base using fill generated from the range sub grade and site grading processes. Range tees require a large quantity of fill to provide a raised elevation to create better visibility. An 8-10 foot fill is not uncommon. Be sure to slope the tee forward 1-2% to insure positive drainage and optimum visibility.

Consider drainage patterns when making landing area cuts. Contain surface water and install inlets and pipe discharges, or divert water off the site with swales. Don’t create water pockets. Conform to off-site water discharge laws; don’t shed water into a wetland or neighbor’s property without approval.

Create 2500 square foot target greens at 50 yard intervals. These forms mimic golf greens. Don’t worry about recreating classical golf green forms. Pitch the target greens toward the tee and create subtle mounds that permit easy mowing while providing a distinctive golfer target.

Install irrigation using large golf course fairway heads on the range and smaller heads on the tee.

After fine grading, install a resilient seed mixture containing blue and rye grass (in the Northeast USA).

Additional information:

Golf Range Tee Construction

Golf Range Construction-Part 1-Layout

 Posted by Ray Richard at 5:30 pm  Tagged with:

Golf range tee overview

 Golf range construction, Golf tee construction  No Responses »
Jul 282009
 

Abstract: Consider the following lessons before building or renovating a golf tee.

When you build a new practice tee, watch out for the grade  on the forward edge. A practice tee should be pitched toward the line-of-flight of the golf ball. A slope of 1-2% should be used. If you pitch the tee differently, the following will happen:

  • Front to back slope will create a blind spot in the landing area of the range. If the tee markers are back, and a golfer wants to hit lob-wedge shots, they won’t see the ball land.
  • Side-to-side pitch creates a blind spot on on the high side of the tee.

I’ve built range tees with rocks and silty material as a base. I’m only worried about the top 6-12 inches. of the tee–the seedbed layer. The under fill can be anything that will compact and won’t decompose.  Clean out that pile of silty fill. Cut out that obnoxious mound next to a fairway and add it to the fill.

I use a 70/30 blended tee mix as a seedbed mix. You can mix your own to save money. Spread the material with a dozer, then laser grade the surface. Laser grading is critical to create an even practice surface. You don’t want water pockets–they create big problems down the road.

You can seed or sod the surface. Some sod one-third of the tee and seed the rest. When the sodded area is worn,  practice zone can be directed toward the established seed area, and the sod area can be seeded.

 Posted by Ray Richard at 10:58 am  Tagged with:
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