Bunker Maintenance Tips

The bunkers are an essential part of every golf course to level up a course’s difficulty. In this article, DTE Golf® will provide you with the basics of bunker maintenance, important bunker maintenance tips, as well as some dos and don'ts of taking care of the bunkers. 

The Basics of Bunker Maintenance 

There are several reasons why bunkers need maintenance, and some of these include the following: 

• To get rid of stones, debris, and leaves 

• To loosen the sand in the bunkers 

• To add smoothness to the surface

• To monitor sand depth in the entire bunker area (100mm to 150 mm)

Maintenance Tips:

The following are some maintenance tips: 

1. Bunkers should be raked daily. 

2. It is always good to trim the edges of the bunker to keep it neat.

3. Get rid of the extra grass and weeds to avoid the issue of colonization.

4. Use care with herbicides, especially when you have green side-located bunkers. This can potentially deposit the herbicide chemicals over the green space. 

5. You may need a few turf repairs when the edges are damaged or collapsing.

The Dos:

There are several points to consider when it comes to maintaining bunkers on the golf course. The following are some of the essential dos of bunker maintenance: 

Sand Replenishment: Sand replenishment helps make up for sand loss due to the wind, erosion due to rainfall, and golfers chipping it away from the bunker. It is important to make sure that the sand that is replenished is adequately consolidated or else it will become too loose. 

Check the Drainage: Ensure the surface drainage is proper to prevent the water from entering the bunker except for rainwater. Sand erosion due to heavy rain affects the life of a bunker a lot as it causes contamination. To avoid contamination, it is important to make sure the bunkers have a proper exit strategy, which deals with getting the water away from the bunker with the help of a functional drain pipe that offers a faster return to playability. A 4-inch pipe is a good choice for large bunkers.

Shapes, sizes, location, and depth: Engaging a golf course architect can help you evaluate the critical factors about the bunker’s shape, size, depth, and location before you consider renovation. Also, with the bunker renovation, you get the opportunity to define the golf course strategy. One way to take care of the edges and faces of the bunker is to consider drip irrigation. These are simple to install and do not interfere with the play. 

The Don’ts:

Knowing some common mistakes regarding bunker maintenance can help you avoid them. Here are a few common bunker mistakes that people commit:

Failing to bring the rake with you. Just like it is not possible to hit a shot without a club, a bunker cannot be raked without a rake. Make sure you grab a rake and bring it close to you to avoid creating any mess with the sand. 

Leaving the rake in the wrong place. There is no set rule for placing a rake. You can keep it inside or outside the bunker. You can place it halfway between the two sides with the rake head in the sand and the handle outside. However, you may find the preferences of the course owner to vary. If you follow the local rule of keeping it outside or halfway, you have to place the rake parallel to the direction of the hole close to the bunker side that is far away from the line of play. If you want to keep it inside the bunker, allow the rake to remain in the bunker’s flat area instead of the slope. 

Not cleaning shoes. Make sure you clean your shoes as you come out of the bunker. Your shoe sole will have sand clinging to it. Although the sand falling on the green lawn does not cause any agronomic damage, it doesn’t look aesthetically appealing and the golfers do not want to play in a mess left behind. 

Maintaining a bunker in a golf course is an important task. It helps in keeping your course green and clean. DTE Golf® offers professional partnerships to keep your golf course in the best shape.