Bunker Renovation Options

[David Ober]

At my club, the bunkers are in need of some serious work. They have degenerated into sad little ovals with almost no contour or shape. They have also been built up around the edges such that they stick up from the ground -- some considerably.


We are looking at re-doing a couple bunkers as a "test," and I'm interested in other clubs experiences with bunker work.


Anybody do it in house? Or is hiring a firm the only way anyone does bunker work nowadays?

[Blake Conant]

Hiring a firm/designer is not the only way to go. Lots of clubs do general upkeep in-house i.e., replacing sand, removing build-up, sod, etc. Make sure your superintendent has the time and the staff to take on such work without it impacting his day to day too much.


If you think their shape, their size, or location is in need of tweaking, it may be time to seek out some help.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Some of the bunker liner firms require their "certified installers" to place the liner.  There was also a time when they might have come up to do a few bunkers as a test gratis to help sell.  The big boys (last year at least) now want some sort of fee to install a bunker product as a test.  However, there are at least 15 bunker liner products out there, and they may all vary in their reaction to a test project, with lesser known products perhaps being more pliable.


When you start the project, it is also tough to get the major players out for just a few bunkers.  You probably need to do about half the bunkers on your course as a minimum (i.e. front nine/back nine of grees/fw bunkers if even).  Of course, your experience may vary.


Also, based on my experience through late last year, installing new bunker liner, re-sand, etc. probably cost $8-10 per SF.  Shaping into new shapes requires a dozer and shaper, and will add tens of thousands to project cost.  While sorely needed at most courses, I have found that too many clubs opt only to add liner back to existing bunkers to save money, rather than spend whatever it takes to make the bunkers better for play and aesthetics.  Hiring a gca is also critical to best results, but may also cost thousands to tens of thousands (whether hidden in the shaping fee or as an independent consultant) and is often overlooked.   On my last project, I offered to develop plans for an old client under $10K and was told I was the low quote by a considerable amount for architectural services! It's busy out there and there seems to be a wide range of fees (and profit margins for contractors) at the moment.


Obviously, I recommend the latter two options in some form, despite the cost.  If you are going to fix the bunker problem, go ahead and fix all of it rather than chintz out.  The cost divided over the 15-20 year lifespan of the bunker is nominal, especially if considering low interest rate financing.

[Bernie Bell]

Maybe a day will come when bunkers will be removed in large numbers as trees are today.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Maybe a day will come when bunkers will be removed in large numbers as trees are today.

I'm not sure that can happen but i'd like to more holes without bunkers. It pushes designers to think of different ways to make the hole interesting. Just don't replace them with water.

[Ryan Farrow]

Some of the bunker liner firms require their "certified installers" to place the liner.  There was also a time when they might have come up to do a few bunkers as a test gratis to help sell.  The big boys (last year at least) now want some sort of fee to install a bunker product as a test.  However, there are at least 15 bunker liner products out there, and they may all vary in their reaction to a test project, with lesser known products perhaps being more pliable.


When you start the project, it is also tough to get the major players out for just a few bunkers.  You probably need to do about half the bunkers on your course as a minimum (i.e. front nine/back nine of grees/fw bunkers if even).  Of course, your experience may vary.


Also, based on my experience through late last year, installing new bunker liner, re-sand, etc. probably cost $8-10 per SF.  Shaping into new shapes requires a dozer and shaper, and will add tens of thousands to project cost.  While sorely needed at most courses, I have found that too many clubs opt only to add liner back to existing bunkers to save money, rather than spend whatever it takes to make the bunkers better for play and aesthetics.  Hiring a gca is also critical to best results, but may also cost thousands to tens of thousands (whether hidden in the shaping fee or as an independent consultant) and is often overlooked.   On my last project, I offered to develop plans for an old client under $10K and was told I was the low quote by a considerable amount for architectural services! It's busy out there and there seems to be a wide range of fees (and profit margins for contractors) at the moment.


Obviously, I recommend the latter two options in some form, despite the cost.  If you are going to fix the bunker problem, go ahead and fix all of it rather than chintz out.  The cost divided over the 15-20 year lifespan of the bunker is nominal, especially if considering low interest rate financing.

Anyone still using dozers to shape bunkers on a bunker reno? Asking for myself. 

[Ally Mcintosh]

I’m sure it was just a typo, Ryan.


I think Jeff’s post is spot on. Too many clubs spend a lot of money renovating old bunkers in situ rather than fixing the entire problem. I’m having to watch that at the moment where a club I was hoping to work with have - for a couple of reasons - proceeded on their own. They are spending large sums on putting eco-bunker in to a penal, uninteresting scheme that needed a complete re-do. All in all, it would likely have been a very similar cost for me to come in and give them something much better.

[Thomas Dai]

If the site isn't naturally sandy should there be sand bunkers at all? Just asking.
atb

[Jeff Schley]

If the site isn't naturally sandy should there be sand bunkers at all? Just asking.
atb

Thomas if there aren't some now, don't add. If you have them, place sparingly and remove some excess. What aren't utilized enough are grass bunkers, which from a play ability standpoint pose a problem themselves and much cheaper to maintain.

[Joe Hancock]

If the site isn't naturally sandy should there be sand bunkers at all? Just asking.
atb

…….and much cheaper to maintain.

I don’t know if this is true, but if it is, it’s by choice.

[Niall C]

I also doubted the "cheaper" comment. I've been a member at more than one old links course that have had a number of old bunkers that had long been left to go to seed. Mostly they were situated in the rough and out of the line of play. The rough would periodically get cut by a machine but because the bunkers were sunken and still had a lip round them they had to be maintained by using a strimmer. Also in certain locations, because they were essentially hollows they tended to be wetter for whatever reason and the grass tended to be the rank broader leaf variety which is not ideal.


Don't get my wrong, I love the look of grass bunkers particularly where they have kept their shape but I just don't accept off-hand that they are a cheap or even cheaper option.


Niall

[David Royer]

At Brookside Golf And CC in Columbus Ohio, we completed a full bunker renovation this past fall.  It was a complete tear down with drainage replacement tying in to some new mains. We created restored old fairway bunkers lost to excessive tree planting in the 1960-1970 timeline.   It was done to restore the bunkers in tradition with our 1927 founding.  Brian Silva was the GCA and NMP doing the work.  We went with billy bunkers and grass faces.  One of working premises was the billy bunker would decrease maintenance however the offset was increased fly mowing with the new faces.  I think we’ll see a increase in maintaining the faces.  Can’t provide the exact cost per square foot but a $10 would seem reasonable.  I served as green chair doing the master planning.  Members seem pleased with changes. 

[Lou_Duran]

At Brookside Golf And CC in Columbus Ohio, we completed a full bunker renovation this past fall.  It was a complete tear down with drainage replacement tying in to some new mains. We created restored old fairway bunkers lost to excessive tree planting in the 1960-1970 timeline.   It was done to restore the bunkers in tradition with our 1927 founding.  Brian Silva was the GCA and NMP doing the work.  We went with billy bunkers and grass faces.  One of working premises was the billy bunker would decrease maintenance however the offset was increased fly mowing with the new faces.  I think we’ll see a increase in maintaining the faces.  Can’t provide the exact cost per square foot but a $10 would seem reasonable.  I served as green chair doing the master planning.  Members seem pleased with changes.

At Gentle Creek CC, a property recently acquired by Arcis, a contractor was hired to essentially remove the sand, the remaining synthetic liner, and the drainage pipe, mostly using a good-sized backhoe, a bobcat, and four or five laborers;  and then to install the BBB sprayed gravel bed and Arkansas White Prime sand.  I've been watching the project over the last three months (the contractor said it would be done by the end of January, but ran into sand delivery problems and left the project for another one with less than half of the bunkers filled as of a week ago).  To the best of my knowledge, no architect was used and all the bunkers but one have exactly the same dimensions and probably drainage.  A course with a mid-range operating budget and a membership of less-than respectful golfers (i.e. indifferent to raking, stepping in at the right places), we typically have had maintenance and water-retention issues with the large, steep-faced bunkers.


The course, IMO, was a great candidate for a reduction in number and size of the bunkers, and re-positioning so as to have a greater impact on the more powerful, low handicap players and less punishing for the majority of our members (only one green has a reasonable approach on the ground).  I suspect that the new owners got a great deal on this project as the contractor reportedly was delayed on another one and had a break in his schedule.  With our large bunkers (one on the front side alone will require 2+ dump trucks of sand), steep, flashed faces, a relatively small maintenance staff and more than a few uncaring members, I have to believe that the upfront costs of hiring an architect and redesigning the bunkering would likely be offset in a relatively short time by lower material and maintenance expenses.  But the new owners are the pros and I suppose know what they're doing.   

[David Ober]

If the site isn't naturally sandy should there be sand bunkers at all? Just asking.
atb

We have "dirt" where we are ... ;-)