[Kai Hulkkonen]

I'm working on a project where noise from the adjacent highway is turning out to be a bit of a problem. Has anyone been faced with the same problem, and what are the best ways around it? Building of a noise barrier obviously works. What other means could further improve the result?

How important is the psychological effect of perceived noise reduction you get through hiding the road & vehicles as opposed to them being visible?

Are there any famous examples to look for reference? I know from the write-up on Lost Dunes (and by looking at aerials) that there is a highway splitting the course in two halves. How much, if at all, that distracts during the round?

Kai

[Steve Kline]

From my very primitive understanding of highway noise (I had a few classes on it in college) the only way to get rid of it or reduce it is through a solid barrier - either dirt or a wall. The height of the barrier is determined by how close it is to the noise source. Everything else is cosmetic or pyschological.

[Mike Hoak]

The capitol beltway around DC, one of the nation's busiest roads, runs very close to several holes at Burning Tree (and several other area courses for that matter).  I did not find the noise remotely distracting.  You can clearly hear it, but the noise is consistent and constant, and completely out of sight.  Views of the road are blocked by large old-growth trees on the course and a tall concrete wall right along the highway.

[Glenn Spencer]

The capitol beltway around DC, one of the nation's busiest roads, runs very close to several holes at Burning Tree (and several other area courses for that matter).  I did not find the noise remotely distracting.  You can clearly hear it, but the noise is consistent and constant, and completely out of sight.  Views of the road are blocked by large old-growth trees on the course and a tall concrete wall right along the highway.

I agree. As long as it is constant, it would never bother me, and I am easily bothered.

[Greg Tallman]

Oakmont seems to handle such a situation OK.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Greg,

The turnpike is well below the golf course.  The difference in elevation serves the same purpose as the sound wall.

Tai,

I recall from my landscape studies that distance or solid materials are the only effective barrier against sound.  Landscape plantings do not stop sound. However, I think they do provide a mental assistance in blocking out sound - out of sight, out of mind, as it were.

The worst noise offenders are the unusual or unexpected sounds.  Colonial in Ft. Worth has the railroad switching going on constantly. You never know when you are going to hear the cars bang together.  I was standing on the fourth tee one year during the Colonial NIT when a traffic accident occurred on the adjacent road.  Scared the daylights out of me and the golfers.

Overall, if you really look at urban visual distractions, or listen for urban noise distractions, I think you will find that your ear and mind sort of factor those in if you've lived in a city long enough.  Your golfers will likely be the same and it won't turn into as big a problem as you think.

[JohnV]

Hulton Road is probably louder than the Turnpike at Oakmont.  The noise isn't terrible, but it is there.

[Ryan Farrow]

Its been getting worse since a bunch of trees were removed to extended the bridge on Hulton Rd. especially on 1 green and 2 tee. Not to mention seeing all the cars drive by and construction vehicles. I’m not sold on this vegetation doesn’t block out noise. It at least muffles it.

[Kai Hulkkonen]

Is there any noise barrier from Hulton Rd which seems to be the one on southern border?

What are the speeds on that road?

The theory says something like that "every 10 miles off the speed halves the perceived noise".

[ed_getka]

Kai,
   Like others have pointed out the road noise is just "white"  noise in the background that you quickly forget about. It is interesting that you brought up Lost Dunes as an example. I had read the review of the course in Links magazine, and the nitwit author waxed poetic about the lapping of waves on the shores of the lake, and that you didn't even hear the road noise. Boy was he wrong. If it wasn't for that article I doubt I would have noticed the noise and it certainly is not distracting while playing the course.
    For myself, I think anything that would screen the visual of the traffic going by would be good, but I wouldn't worry about the noise part.

[Ryan Farrow]

I believe the speeds are around 35-40. Liked Ed said you don't really think about it and probably wouldn’t notice it at all if the barrier of trees/weeds/shrubs was not disturbed,

[Kai Hulkkonen]

Noise, as lons as it's "white", isn't such a big problem, it seems. Based on the thread sounds like getting rid of the visual distraction is also very important. Thanks for good comments.

[John Kavanaugh]

Kai,

The Arizona Department of Transportation has been doing studies of quiet asphalts...They are much more cost effective than barriers.

[Joe Perches]

Highway and road noise is definitely not "white".

Some good information:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/htnoise.htm

I suggest earth berms close to the highway as possible.

Berms are good.  For the course and golfer, berms mitigate both the visual and the aural blights of the highway.  For the highway, berms mitigate the risk of wayward golf balls causing damage and accidents and also improve flow of traffic by providing fewer visual distractions to the driver.

[peter_p]

Interstate 5 goes right past the 11th at Langdon Farms and the traffic noise is very muted with earth berms. In contrast it it a lot better than Heron Lakes when there is racing at PIR, or when fighter jets take off over Columbia Edgewater.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Contrary to what’s stated above foliage does absorb Db's and can help reduce noise.  My firm have sponsored research into it, (a very specialised area of this but the principles remain sound), and basically the more square inches of leaf you have the more the more reduction you get, even grass helps.  However the need for it all year round means dense (ugly) conifers are the most practical solution.

If you want to IM me I can put you in touch with a guy in Australia who did his doctorate on this (in London) - but I warn you he's tired of giving free advice.

I know there is some research on this on a British government (Department of Transport?) website, good luck.

PS I've been meaning to post to see if it's London thing.  But most of the new Pay and Play courses developed in the last 15 years seem to be adjacent to a major motorway.  Is land cheaper? Does the visibility mean free advertising?  Is this a common development worldwide - it's bloody annoying?

[Mark Pearce]

The 10th green on the Blue Course at The Berkshire backs on to a major road (the A30, I think, certainly a busy dual carriageway).  I played there twice before realising.  There is a stand of mature trees between green and road.  You can hear the road when you know it's there, but it isn't a problem.

[Tony_Muldoon]

The 10th green on the Blue Course at The Berkshire backs on to a major road (the A30, I think, certainly a busy dual carriageway).  I played there twice before realising.  There is a stand of mature trees between green and road.  You can hear the road when you know it's there, but it isn't a problem.

The 9th on Walton Heath Old Had to be redesigned to allow for the M25.  At that point the Road is well below the course and it's not too bad.  

Contrast that with Maylands, a Colt course in Essex.  You can hear the M25 all over the course.  I recently had the pleasure of meeting our own Padraig Dooley there and he said on the 5th he couldn't hear himself think.

I'm sure one of the US magazine's (GW?) has a judging category in it's rating's called 'A Walk in the Park'.  Well a walk in the park next to a motorway is a lot less fun.  Good luck Kai in identifying ways of minimising the intrusion.

Mark next time you’re down this way please get in touch.

[Kai Hulkkonen]

Interesting stuff. There indeed seems to be quite a few ways to reduce noise levels - real and perceived. That rubberized asphalt John mentions seems to work really well according to studies. Berms surely work as does the "green barrier" (whether it does it through hearing or vision, I don't know) and finally there is the artificial and expensive barrier atop the berm, which of course can be hidden from the golfers by extensive planting.

[Tim_Cronin]

I-94 running by the second hole at Point O'Woods is about as loud as it gets, especially by the tee. Trees and bushes, but nothing to block the sound. I suppose you'd get used to it, but I remember a trophy ceremony for the Western Am on the first green a few years ago thanks to a 19-hole final and you could hardly hear a thing, even with a sound system. That's loud.

[Brian Joines]

I found the highway splitting up Lost Dunes to be a very minimal distraction if anything.

How did they get that road to be as quiet as it is? I am guessing they laid down a rubber compoun on the road that is supposed to reduce highway noise significantly. I-94 is a very busy/high speed interstate and Lost Dunes did an incredible job of keeping it to a very minimal distraction.

[Travis Ripley]

#5 at Perry Maxwell's Twin Hills in OKC runs adjacent to I-40--with a somewhat elevated tee so the car noise is audible.

the front 9 is a true compact routing gem at Twin Hills over a great piece of land.  and some very good holes on the back:  10, 12, 18.  though, the inward nine lacks some character landwise.    


 

[Travis Ripley]

if i recall, Colonial borders on some fairly busy streets in places.  

[Bill_McBride]

If you think highway noise is bad, try playing A.C. Read GC at NAS Pensacola on Tuesday morning when the Blue Angels are practicing.  Six F-18As rocketing over the course at 100 feet full throttle!   First time I experienced that, I hit the deck thinking WWIII was underway!  

Airports and golf courses have been neighbors for years; I'm sure the noise can be a problem there just like highway noise.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Back in another lifetime, I used to play my Saturday morning golf--every Saturday morning at the Mountain View Country Club in Corona, Ca.

The 5th green at Mountain View is situated nearly right on the 91 Freeway. Grant me a few seconds here to reminisce the days of having an eagle putt on the reachable 5th go straight to Hell when some none-golfing yuckety yuck blew his horn just as my putter was ready to make contact.

(insert pause for momentary reminiscing)

O.K., thank you...

Anyway, I learn to be a better putter because of that hole. It really taught me how to focus.

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