Bunker Sand

[Bob Carter]

What sand company provides the best sand for bunkers?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Bob,
Trucking fees can be very expensive. Someone close to you should be chosen if they can deliver material that follows these guidelines:  
http://www.thomasturf.com/page11.html

If not, find material that's as close as possible as locally as is possible.

[RTr]

Bob,

Here's a good link.

http://www.usga.org/green/ARCHIVE/Record/98/JAN_FEB/select_best_sand.html

Also consider how you are building the bunkers and drainage.  Any good bunker sand can be quickly negated by these 2 major factors.


 

[Paul Richards]

Bob:

As part of Beverly's Master Plan and restoration project, we turned our practice-area bunker into a "living experiment."  We converted its two practice bunkers into 5 smaller bunkers, each with a different type of sand.  Hopefully the membership will test each, decide which they like best.  Then, based on the pros and cons (and, of course, cost!) we'll make a decision about which sand-type to use when we redo all of the bunkers next fall.

[Jeff_Brauer]

The best - in terms of meeting both USGA requirements, and the more demanding requirements of the PGA tour, and for its white color (but not too white) is the aptly named Best Sand Company, near Cleveland, and builders of Sand Ridge Golf Course.  We have shipped it Minnesota (at about $70 per ton) because there was, when we built our first course there, no remotely acceptable local sand - too brown and too coarse.  There is now some out of Wisconsin that is whitish, but is prone to plugged lies.  

In most other areas, we have found a closer and hopefully local sand, but have shipped from Louisiana to south Texas.

[SL_Solow]

Paul, we had a similar program at Briarwood.  It worked out quite well