What would you like to know?

[Jeff_Mingay]

Next week, Duane Sharpe and I are speaking at the Alberta Golf Superintendents Association's annual conference.

Duane's the course superintendent at Blackhawk GC in Edmonton. We're going to talk about economy in golf course construction in general, using our practical experience assisting course architect Rod Whitman with construction of the course.

Duane's also going to touch on some of the unique techniques he and his staff employ to maintain some unique features at Blackhawk (bunkers in particular).

My question is: if you were scheduled to attend our talk, what would you like to know in relation to the design, construction, and upkeep of Blackhawk GC?

Thanks in advance for any input,

[TEPaul]

What I would like to know and would ask is how long you think the bunkers of Blackhawk will last before they need to be rebuilt?

The reason I ask is I'm beginning to hear some restoration architects say that bunkers may need to be rebuilt every 15 years or so. I'm just not sure why that is. I doubt the bunkers of GMGC (my course) which were flashed up were rebuilt in about 80 years. The same was pretty true of Merion East too.

[Bill_McBride]

Jeff, I just played at the two Stranz courses at Caledonia and True Blue.  One of the characteristics there was very steep sand-flashed bunker faces.  I'm not sure how they keep sand on some of those almost vertical, maybe 4' high faces.

At the other end of the spectrum is the bunkers at our new course at Pensacola CC which just opened.  The bunkers all have flat bottoms with grass slopes, rolled over at the top.  It's a very attractive look and I'm thinking a lot more economical to maintain.

My construction question is, how would the two styles compare in cost to construct?

Thanks.

[RJ_Daley]

I'd be interested to know what methods of greens protection of turf is employed way up there.  Do they cover the greens with a very heavy top dressing, cover with turf covers, combination thereof, or some other approach?  

[Mike_Sweeney]

With you and a Super, I would be interested to hear how design effects maintenance cost:

- This bunker cost XYZ to maintain.

- We were thinking of building the bunker like this, but it would cost XYZ+ to maintain.

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