Hawaii is known worldwide for its beautiful beaches, but most local golf courses import their sand fromVietnam or California. In fact, golf-course and athletic-field constructors prefer the more manageable, industrial varieties of sand based on silicon dioxide, as opposed to regular sand.

Is there a science to sanding a golf course?

As you can probably see, there’s a science to sanding, and on golf courses today, Kidd says, that science is “very precise.” When you sand and how much sand you use is critically important. Sand too heavily at the wrong time of year, and you risk a range of problems. It’s best to do the work in good weather, Kidd says.

What is the best sand for golf courses?

G3 Minerals’ 100% natural sand is a premium top-dressing sand that meets USGA Sand specifications for golf course greens, tee boxes, and fairways. Given the sand’s superior soil aeration and water percolation properties, it sustains healthy grass root systems and provides smooth playing surfaces.

Where does the sand for Dubai golf courses come from?

He has, in fact, shipped 4,000 tons of it from a tiny community tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains to an exclusive golf course in Dubai. But this is no ordinary sand. “It’s a beautiful material,” said Hamrick, co-owner of Golf Agronomics, which supplies sand to golf courses.

Are sand bunkers a hazard in golf?

The amount of sand in a bunker also can be an issue. Golfers need to be reminded sand bunkers are a hazard, but at the same time, bunkers need to be a fair hazard. The major issues with bunkers are sand quality and playability, and obtaining quality bunker sand, which isn’t easy. Some bunker designs can be a real hazard.

Why is sanding greens important?

The green might get spongy, or develop brown spots, or become vulnerable to scalping during mowing. Sanding helps protect against all that. That’s not all, Kidd says. Sanding also improves drainage and helps level out the green, creating smooth, consistent putting surfaces, and firm, fast conditions year round.

What happens if you use wrong sand in a green?

Using the wrong sand, Kidd says, can adversely effect the movement of water and nutrients upwards and downwards through the root zone.

Why do you aerate greens?

Aeration comes in when soils are heavily compacted or the turf is thick with thatch. The greens get punched and sanded, and the sand is worked into each aeration hole to improve air and water flow, giving the roots a better chance to drink and breathe. There is, of course, plenty more to the science of sanding.

What is golf sand made of?

Golf course sands are different. They are made of round particles “resembling a bucket of balls with large pore spaces between each ball ,” Kidd says. They promote good drainage, and healthy air and water circulation.

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Do superintendents sand putting surfaces?

Superintendents don’t sand putting surfaces simply to annoy you. They do it for the long-term health of the greens. That’s the gist. But since you’ve been inconvenienced, you deserve to know precisely why.

Is it bad to sand your lawn?

When you sand and how much sand you use is critically important. Sand too heavily at the wrong time of year, and you risk a range of problems. It’s best to do the work in good weather, Kidd says. In inclement conditions, you might wind up smothering the grass or creating fungus diseases that diminish the quality of the turf.

What makes bunker sand good?

Golf Association considers a list of eight factors when selecting bunker sand: particle size, particle shape, crusting potential, chemical reaction and hardness, infiltration rate, color, penetrometer value and playability. Depending on location and climate, how these factors are ranked vary slightly.

What sand is used for bunker sand?

For many years, selecting bunker sand involved calling the local sand pit. Superintendents were often told, “We have mason sand, brick sand and concrete sand. I think what you want is our mason sand. That stuff would work great for you.” Mason sand might or might not be desirable sand for bunkers, but in the current golf climate, the days of calling the local sand pit are over. There are few places in the United States that have natural sand deposits that meet specifications for great bunker sand. Most premium bunker sand is manufactured in only a few locations throughout the country. These manufactured sands, along with a few rare natural deposits, make the process of finding great bunker sand difficult and expensive.

What are the issues with bunkers?

The amount of sand in a bunker also can be an issue. Golfers need to be reminded sand bunkers are a hazard, but at the same time, bunkers need to be a fair hazard.#N#The major issues with bunkers are sand quality and playability, and obtaining quality bunker sand, which isn’t easy.

How can a superintendent overcome language barriers?

Superintendents can overcome language barriers by drawing pictures of what needs to be done.

How to be effective in cross-cultural communication?

Additionally, be supportive. Effective cross-cultural communication is about being comfortable. Encouraging those who speak weak English gives them confidence, support and a trust in you.

How long has Harsh been superintendent?

Harsh, a superintendent for 7.5 years, says he’s been fortunate to maintain his core group of employees from year to year as well. He says if an employee doesn’t understand English, it’s difficult for him to advance at the course.

Why does Powers cross train his employees?

Powers also cross-trains his employees so everyone knows different jobs and can help each other out – avoiding the language barrier altogether.

Why is spruce pine quartz used in crucibles?

Spruce Pine quartz is molded into crucibles that are ideal containers for preserving the purity of molten silicon, which is formed into single-crystal silicon and ultimately chips. Crucibles made of inferior quartz would contaminate the silicon.

What is Tiger Woods’ sand?

Tiger Woods, the tournament’s defending champion, recently had three truckloads of Spruce Pine sand delivered to his Florida home. He called it “the brightest sand there is in the world,” and joked that whenever he’s in an Augusta trap, he’s tempted to borrow his caddie’s sunglasses. Advertisement.

What is the most valuable spruce sand?

The most valuable Spruce Pine sand is “leachable, ” meaning it can be even further purified by an acid-washing process that removes a portion of quartz that has even the slightest impurities. Cracks and fissures in grains of that premium sand allow acid to get inside and thoroughly clean them.

How many boxcars did Roberts need to fill Augusta?

Roberts decided he wanted Spruce Pine sand at Augusta and said he would need enough to fill 13 boxcars. Greene vowed to make that happen, refusing payment for either the sand or transporting it. After all, that sand was a byproduct of the mining process — Greene’s company had to dig holes to bury it.

How many boxcars did Greene use to get sand to Augusta?

Getting the sand to Augusta, however, required the transportation equivalent of a mulligan. The first 13 boxcars Greene used had hauled coal, and that black dust mixed with the white sand and dulled the color. He sent new sand in cleaned boxcars.

Where did Clifford Roberts live?

In the early 1970s, Clifford Roberts, Augusta National’s chief executive, was unhappy with the club’s bunker sand, which he found inconsistent and coarse. He had a seasonal home at Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Avery County, N.C., and knew that nearby Linville Golf Club was using Spruce Pine sand.

What is SP55 trap filler?

Known in the industry as “SP55,” that chalk-white trap filler is granulated quartz. Although coveted in the golf world, it is merely a waste product of a far more valuable Spruce Pine resource, a material that has competing multi-national corporations in this western North Carolina town guarding their trade secrets with Wonka-like fervor.

Why Choose Whittier Fertilizer?

At Whittier Fertilizer, we offer a number of different services and products to fit your landscaping needs. We provide our customers with quality products and excellent customer service each and every time. To find out how you can purchase golf course sand or a number of other products, contact us and speak with one of our many landscaping experts.

What are the factors that determine the quality of sand for a golf course?

Those factors are particle size, particle shape and penetrometer value, crushing potential, chemical reaction and hardness, infiltration rate, color, and overall playing quality.

Do bunkers work in golf?

And while the main focus is on maintaining clean fairways and well-manicured greens, you cannot forget about pristine bunkers. Quality bunkers work to add both beauty and challenges to golf courses, and choosing the right sand can go a long way in successfully doing both of these things.

Is it advisable to end up in a bunker?

And while the object is to keep the ball on the greens and fairways, you are inevitably going to find the bunker a time or two. While it is never advisable to end up in the bunker, knowing that quality sand lies beneath your ball can provide better peace of mind. At Whittier Fertilizer, we are the #1 suppler of landscaping products to the top golf courses across the United States.