Golf Course Sand

Choosing sand for your golf courses is one of the hardest decisions in golf courses management, with some of the longest-lasting consequences. Luckily, theres plenty of information available to help you make an informed decision. Just remember that no matter what type of sand you pick, there will be someone whos not going to be satisfied. Its just part of the job. At least, if youve done your homework, you can fully support your decision.

Root Layer Sand vs. Bunker Sand

A golf course needs good sand in two locations, but you cant always use the same sand in both spots. Bunker sand needs to be white or light-colored, with particular shape and size characteristics (discussed below) that prevent balls from being buried and allow a good, compact sand layer. Many of those same characteristics make good bunker sand act as a particularly poor root layer. Not all golf course sand is the same.

Finding Good Bunker Sand

Good bunker sand should be white or light in color, but thats not the only characteristic that should go into your decision. You may want to choose a locally available sand to minimize your shipping costs, but be sure that your local sands have good qualities for bunker uses.

Whether you choose local sand or bite the bullet and pay for sand to be shipped in, we recommend that you find a third-party lab to do soil testing on a sample of the soil youre considering before you foot the bill. You can find the USGAs list of accredited geophysical soil testing labs here.

What Makes Good Bunker Sand?

So what exactly makes for good, quality bunker sand? Seven criteria help you define the right sand: Particle size, particle shape, crusting potential, chemical reactivity and hardness, infiltration rate, color, and overall playing quality, according to GolfCourseIndustry.com.

Youll want a sand with a particle size between 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm. Smaller particles mean a higher clay and silt content that can lead to compaction, while larger particles create an uneven, rocky appearance thats displeasing to the eye and difficult to rake.

Sand with few round particles and more angular particles will support a ball and the weight of a golfer so that neither sinks into the surface too much. Color and overall playing quality are somewhat subjective measures that each golf courses management specialist must decide for themselves.

For more information on each of these seven characteristics, the USGAs article How to Select the Best Sand for Your Bunkers is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the subject out there today.

Find out about our 'game changing' golf course management practices by contacting us today! Let us make the hard choices, and make your job a little easier every day. At Eagle Golf, golf courses management is just what we do.