dirty tee Cancel The title field is required!

1. Justin Murray

   

   0 posts
   
   10/11/2012 3:10 PM

   Our 419 Bermuda driving range tee is constructed on 100% sand base (10") with 4'' perforated drain tiles. I am looking to increase the amount of organic material in the top few inches. Thinking of using some good clean topsoil or doing a granular product (Humic acid, milorganite) and top-dress with these products. Tee will be over-seeded this fall and we get about three weeks to recover a area before we reuse it. Anyone who has done this before or had success with a product, ideas and suggestions?

   
   
   
   
2. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   10/11/2012 3:10 PM

   Are you trying to hold moisture in the upper profile?
   
   I think I would go with a heavy rate of sludge. We do this about once per year, and although it stinks for about a month, it does a great job at helping to hold moisture in the upper profile without sacrificing the drainage below the root zone.

   
   
   
   
3. Justin Murray

   

   0 posts
   
   10/11/2012 8:10 PM

   Should have mentioned that, trying to get the tee to respond more like our fairways (claybased). Members want it for practice.

   
   
   
   
4. Dalton Andrew

   
   10/12/2012 9:10 PM

   What about aerating with 3/8 inch tines on 1.25 inch spacing and topdressing with a compost material or topsoil? Displacement is probably close to 20% so be careful.
   
   Andy

   
   
   
   
5. Rosenthal Gregg

   
   10/13/2012 5:10 AM

   Justin,
   
   Reality in your situation is to make a sand based driving range tee act or feel like clay based fairways, one would need to rebuild it with the same soil. I have been in the same situation doing new golf course constructions and found out when done, people did not like the range tee feeling sand based like all the other sand based tees built on new golf course. They preferred the range tee to feel like the fairways based on the natural soil conditions one finds in the fairways, as one would come to the conclusion after thinking about it for awhile, you hit the ball off the turf more in the fairway and rough on the soil. The tees sand based one utilizes a tee to tee it up. One thought would be to try and rebuild the tee, possibly half at a time (right side/ left side) utilizing your native soil on top and the sand below for good drainage. Its no fun, good deal of work but would make the members happy and gain many points for your team in the long run.
   
   Gregg R

   
   
   
   
6. Justin Murray

   

   0 posts
   
   10/13/2012 6:10 AM

   Greg, I appreciate the input. I may take a section this fall and try it out. How does this sound
   1. Remove sod
   2. Excavate sand to a depth of 4''-5''
   3. Replace with native soil and compact
   4. reinstall sod

   
   
   
   
7. Larry Stowell

   

   0 posts
   
   10/13/2012 9:10 AM

   If you try to cap with a fine soil over sand, you will end up with a perched water table, anaerobic conditions and turf loss during the summer. I don't see a way to make sand feel like clay. You built the tee out of sand so that it could withstand the concentrated traffic that tees encounters. There is no way a clay will perform up to your turf needs.
   
   This is a difficult position. The golfers can't have it both ways. You can give them full turf cover and rapid recovery or dead grass on clay. I think you will have to be careful to explain these nuisances of turf management. Don't let them push you into an agronomic situation that will fail.
   
   Good luck,

   
   
   
   
8. Larry Allan

   

   0 posts
   
   10/13/2012 12:10 PM

   Larry Stowell said: If you try to cap with a fine soil over sand, you will end up with a perched water table, anaerobic conditions and turf loss during the summer. I don't see a way to make sand feel like clay. You built the tee out of sand so that it could withstand the concentrated traffic that tees encounters. There is no way a clay will perform up to your turf needs.
   
   This is a difficult position. The golfers can't have it both ways. You can give them full turf cover and rapid recovery or dead grass on clay. I think you will have to be careful to explain these nuisances of turf management. Don't let them push you into an agronomic situation that will fail.
   
   Good luck,

   
   Larry, where were you when I was loosing my drainage argument on capping stone drainlines with sand?

   
   
   
   
9. Rosenthal Gregg

   
   10/13/2012 9:10 PM

   Larry I understand what you are saying about a perched water table. I was referring to a complete rebuild to soil tee. Our driving range tee is soil as our entire golf course is. We topdress it and fill divots with sand/seed mix. No drainage issues, except under extreme high rainfall conditions and it is then closed for a day to dry out. As a country club the use/play is fit to the size. There is also an artificial tee space for use when the natural tee is not in use. I agree with you one cannot just put a few inches of clay on top of sand as you stated this would create a perched water table and trouble keeping it properly moist would easily be an issue! Sand on top of clay is one thing but visa versa is another all together! Ideally one could find middle ground if good topsoil was available for a reasonable price or on-site. My idea and proposal was based on experience utilizing decent topsoil and replacing the entire sand based tee. If your going to do it one must go full tilt so to speak.
   
   Gregg R

   
   
   
   
10. Ronald Conard

    

    4 posts
    
    10/14/2012 9:10 AM

    Where do members come up with these ideas? Does it really make any difference to a person's swing mechanics whether or not they are hitting off of sand or clay? It shouldn't. Must be the ball beaters that are wanting the change and as soon as you do complete the work, the guy who liked the sand base will whine. Such is our business.
    
    Sounds like an awful lot of work, risk, and heartburn for such little gain.

    
    
    
    
11. Justin Murray

    

    0 posts
    
    10/15/2012 2:10 PM

    Thanks for the info. We have around 12K sq ft of tee, it gets abused during the year and we have about three weeks to recover an area before it is reused. We have two practice holes that can be used to give them that "fairway" feel. I will do some sludge apps this fall (we skipped our bulk app this spring), and get more organic material into the rootzone. Thanks again

    
    
    
    
12. Larned Fred

    
    10/16/2012 8:10 AM

    Here at my driving range I use a 80\20 peat and sand bi-monthly top dressing with great results. Just finished overseeding I will be mowing it in about 12 days.