Sun City Golf Club Bunker Maintenance

During the past several weeks many emails and conversations have gone on concerning our bunker maintenance practices or lack of.  We have discussed this and working with the staff have generated a plan and steps to improve and correct the situation.  Attached you will find the components of the plan. Please remember that you have the option of playing a Bunker as Ground Under Repair if you can see that it is obvious we are in the middle of working on it.

July 31, 2015

To:  Sun City Texas Golf Committee

 

From:  Gary Wilson   Director of Golf Course Maintenance

Ron Delaney   Director of Operations

Subject: Bunker Maintenance Plan 

White Wing – During this past week July 24 – July 28, 2015 we have added three semi- truck loads (66 tons) of sand to the White Wing bunkers. We will continue to distribute one load of sand (22 tons) to the green side bunkers every week moving forward until we feel all adequate depths are being reached.  Brad Sladek, Assistant Superintendent at Cowan Creek will be splitting his time between Cowan Creek and White Wing to assist Jonathan in implementing the new procedures outlined below.

Cowan Creek – The fairway bunkers still have the original bunker liners that have been failing over the past two – three years. They are slowly being addressed by staff but the majority of the bunker refurbishment will be done this fall.

The following procedures began Wednesday, July 29, 2015.

·         The bunkers are inspected every morning by the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent at each course.

·         We have ordered new trap rakes that will be delivered prior to Aug. 17^th 2015 and this will help with any grooves left in the sand.

·         Each Course will have a staff member assigned to working on bunkers throughout each day. Their job will be to check depths, repair or remove liners and insure proper raking. This staff member will start after their first job assignment has been completed each morning. They will have rakes, shovels and all necessary equipment with them to address any deficiencies in bunker maintenance. This will take place daily until further notice.  

We are reviewing and revising our training of equipment operators in proper bunker care and educating as to what is the acceptable standards required. 

In the next few weeks I (Ron Delaney) am relocating my office to the White Wing Pro Shop.  The purpose of the move is bring me more to the “center” of our golf operations and maintenance and to be more accessible to residents.