Proper drainage and the golf course drainage products to use

While there are some specialized golf course drainage products on the market, if you are starting from scratch, you will be able to use much less expensive landscape style drainage products. If on the other hand you already have a green built and now realize that it doesn't drain well, it might be wise to consider the more expensive golf course drainage products on the market. The advantage they have is that they adapt very well to being installed within an existing green with limited surface damage. These pipes will often be rectangular to fit perfectly within a trench or vertically stacked small diameter pipes, again to fit within a narrow trench. As well these pipes usually come wrapped in a geotextile, which allows water to move into the pipe but prevents soil and in particular fines from getting in and blocking it over time.

But before we get away from ourselves, let's look at why that drainage is critical. The roots of turf plants do more than just take up water and nutrients, they also exchange oxygen and other gases. Because of this the roots require exposure to air and water in the soil. More than the soil itself, it is the spacing between the soil particles that is important to the roots. Ideally that space consists of 50% macropores (large spaces) and 50% micropores (mini spaces). The water will remain in the micropores through capillary action and if we have good drainage the macropores will be filled with air. After heavy rain or overwatering, only good drainage will allow excess water to move out of the soil profile through gravity.

Another important aspect to look at is compaction. If the soil is oversaturated and anything moves over it, smaller soil particles get displaced ant lodge in the larger spaces between the soil particles. This creates compaction, which means we have less macropore space, less air for the roots and it is harder for the water to move away by gravity. That will result in roots dying off because they cannot breathe and the excess water becomes a breeding ground for root diseases.

The best advice before you even get into golf course drainage products is to be sure you have good surface drainage. That means that a water drop landing anywhere on the green will in theory move off the green naturally by gravity. If you do not set up your slopes this way, you will end up with puddles on the green and these low areas will suffer because of water entrapment, compaction and disease problems. Ideally, the slopes will all move from center off the green in a saddle type of shape. Older greens have often been shaped in a dish shape, meaning that water moves to the center of the green then off at the front. This compensated for poor irrigation, but causes problems under today’s maintenance practices. Surface drainage is equally important to consider before creating an artificial turf putting green as well. Puddles on the green are unsightly and can cause premature failure of the artificial turf. This is particularly true if you choose to use concrete as the sub-base, in which case golf course drainage products cannot be of help.

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