Locating Exit Drains on Putting Greens Cancel The title field is required!

1. John Ballard

   

   0 posts
   
   9/22/2011 3:09 PM

   Does anyone know of a way to locate your exit drains on putting greens? Ours were constructed in 1991 and I would like to "uncover" where these pipes may be. I thought I had seen/read about a company that specializes in this type of work. Thanks in advance.
   
   John G. Ballard, CGCS
   Audubon Country Club
   Louisville, KY
   jballard@auduboncc.org

   
   
   
   
2. Dru Clark

   

   0 posts
   
   9/23/2011 6:09 AM

   The company we used was Virtual Underground. Good Luck!!

   
   
   
   
3. Wally Dowe

   

   0 posts
   
   9/23/2011 10:09 AM

   If the drainage works flood irrigate the greens. Turn all the heads on for about 2 hours and when the water releases out of the greens profile and into the tiles you will find the water coming out of the exit drain tile (look for the wet spot). Try it on one green and see what happens. A good flushing on the green will be good for it.

   
   
   
   
4. Corey Eastwood

   

   80 posts
   
   9/23/2011 11:09 AM

   Use irrigation flags bent at a ninety degree angle. One in each hand held out parallel in front of you. The wires will cross when you walk over the pipe. I doesn't work for every one but there will be several on your staff that it does.

   
   Corey Eastwood CGCS, Stockton Golf & CC, Retired
   
   
5. Homme David R

   
   9/27/2011 12:09 AM

   Yes, witching. It does work. I've found drains by just common sense, there's where it should be and just digging. Doesn't always work though, dug a mile on one green and came up empty.

   
   
   
   
6. Corey Eastwood

   

   80 posts
   
   9/28/2011 11:09 AM

   It is always handy to have a probe bar. The ground in an old trench is always softer even if it was dug fifty years ago.

   
   Corey Eastwood CGCS, Stockton Golf & CC, Retired
   
   
7. Robert Wright

   

   0 posts
   
   10/6/2011 11:10 AM

   We used a local plumber who stuck a camera in the drains and was able to trace it using a metal detector type tool. We were able to see blockages in our drains as well. Cost to do 18 greens was about $1200.
   Of course we knew where the top of the drainage started.

   
   
   
   
8. Nicholas Daak

   

   3 posts
   
   10/8/2011 8:10 PM

   Funny because we have a guy that is really accurate with the two flags. When I first started at my course many of the drains ended 5 feet from the fringe and it was always a muddy mess. Since then we have tiled them further away sometimes up to 30 yds. In the last year though a few areas have bubbled up like an irrigation break after a really heavy rain and after a few minutes of digging realized where they were often in the approaches. Dumb designing.

   
   
   
   
9. Matthew Neff

   

   0 posts
   
   10/13/2011 8:10 PM

   If you know where the outlet is, you can run a hose up it with a wire attached to it, then use a wire locator to track it. There is the issue of getting it through Y's - as long as you're not too far out you can usually get it through one of the branches. T's are obviously pretty much impassable. In my experience, it's pretty hard to get it more than 70-75 feet up the line. If you get jammed up before that, it's either a T or a Y or you found the problem.