Golf Courses Reduce Pollution and Cost Using North American Green

Seeing golf course plans become reality often requires extensive excavations and topographical changes to the land, as well as dramatic changes in vegetation patterns. It is no secret that during course construction there is great potential for damaging soil erosion if proper steps are not taken to prevent such problems. However, preventing soil erosion is not difficult. Proper planning and use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) during golf course construction and maintenance will reduce the risk of adverse environmental impacts in and around the course. In addition, adamant use of BMPs, such as rolled erosion control products (RECPs), ensure a reduction in expenses normally associated with repairing eroded areas.

In the final construction phase of the Longaberger Golf Course in Newark, Ohio, turf establishment on parts of the course was addressed by hydroseeding a vast area of gently rolling hills totaling over 9 hectares (22 acres) of the 203 hectare (500 acre) course. The contoured landscape resulted in small 3:1 to 5:1 (H:V) slopes with many shallow drainage swales tracing the course like narrow veins. Initially, erosion control measures were thought to be unnecessary because of the limited slope gradients. However, subsequent summer storms proved detrimental to the first hydroseed application. Rainwater impacted heavily on the bare ground, dislodging and transporting seed, soil, and fertilizer down the small hills into the drainage swales below. As a result, concentrated rainwater in these small swales caused excessive soil erosion, necessitating additional expenditures for regrading, along with another hydroseed application. Again, rain washed large amounts of soil, seed and fertilizer from the course, leaving the course's superintendent looking for a better way.

The S75 and SC150 effectively stopped erosion where they were applied and limited further expenses associated with repairs. Ultimately, over 30,100 m2 (36,000 yds2) of erosion control blankets were installed throughout the site. In testament to the blanket's effectiveness, only a few weeks passed before the golden sheen of erosion control blankets was transformed into a green expanse over the rolling hills as seeds quickly germinated and began to grow.

Turf Reinforcement Mats Revolutionize Erosion Control Design

Protecting Golf Course Shorelines With C350

From small public courses to championship links, the advanced erosion control performance of North American Green's TRMs can be utilized with equal ease and success. The Tournament Players Championship (TPPC) courses, for instance, are some of the most prestigious courses in the United States. Boasting large budgets, PGA endorsement, and difficult layouts, they are also some of the more challenging courses to construct and protect. The TPC of Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota was no exception.

Plans for the TPC course in Blaine, Minnesota included construction of 25 hectares (61 acres) of water features including lakes, ponds, and streams. In order to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the ponds and lakes, as well as maintain safety, course designers elected not to use rock or concrete as a means for shoreline erosion protection. Instead, shorelines were seeded with a mixture of wetland plants and North American Green's C350 Composite Turf Reinforcement Mat (C-TRM) was surface applied to retain the soil and seed.

Although seemingly minor, the repetitive action of wind-driven waves across lakes and ponds can gradually erode shorelines to a point where they may encroach upon nearby homes or landscape features. Repairs for such receding shoreline damage can be very costly if the problem is not promptly addressed. Prevention is certainly the best medicine. By installing the C350 both above the high water line and below the low water line, shorelines can be protected against erosive action throughout yearly precipitation cycles.

The C350 was chosen for this course because of its proven turf reinforcement capability and innovative construction using three permanent, heavyweight polypropylene nets with a dense coconut fiber matrix sewn between the bottom and middle nets. The middle net in this configuration is crimped to give the C350 a sustained three dimensional structure, even after the coconut fiber has degraded. While intact, however, the coconut fiber matrix regulates heat and moisture at the soil surface to promote rapid seed germination, while controlling erosion before vegetation becomes established. In just two short weeks, vegetation at Blaine had become 70 percent established and fully established in only one month. This established vegetation is now reinforced at the stem by the C350's permanent net structure, forming a permanent barrier to forever protect the shorelines against erosion.

As golf courses become more prevalent fixtures in many urban and suburban landscapes, and erosion control laws become more stringent, the benefits of proper RECP use are needed more than ever. In both long-term maintenance and initial construction, use of North American Green's products will enhance your course's natural and financial resources. LCM