Soil erosion. Also known as a hungry beast with a mission of munching a hole in your golf course. Left unchecked, soil erosion can lead to course closure. Keep the beast at bay and away from your course by implementing the following steps.
Step 1: Identify at risk areas
Not all course areas are created equal. Some possess higher risks for soil erosion than others. Slope grade, length of slope, rainfall amounts and flow rates impact soil erosion risk, said Jeff Langner, Brand Manager for Profile Products.
“It is important to keep a close eye on areas where grass gets worn down and soil is exposed because when that happens, erosion potential increases,” Langner said.
Areas with moving water, lack of vegetation (turf) or steep slopes are more susceptible to erosion and should be carefully monitored. Keep an eye on any high traffic areas including sectors with heavy cart traffic, walk-ups to tee boxes and greens.
Step 2: Revive impacted areas
Next, work to revive any areas on your course that have already been impacted by soil erosion. Given free reign, erosion damage can cause long-term course closures that will hurt your bottom line.
“In the most severe cases, soil erosion changes the integrity of a course,” Langner said. “Areas become unplayable when the amount of healthy turf on the course is reduced by erosion.”
If an area of your course is currently impacted, work to restore it to full health before it gets worse.
“Many spots can be repaired by seeding and covering an area with an erosion control blanket, or by re-establishing grass through hydroseeding.” Langner said.
If the damage impacts the way the course was originally intended to function, you will likely need to rebuild the soil on that part of the course to re-create the slope.
Step 3: Prevent erosion from starting
Finally, prevent soil erosion from taking a bite out of your course by stopping it before it starts.
“The best way to prevent erosion is to establish vegetation,” Langner said. Once the turf is established, keep it healthy and thriving to minimize the risk of soil erosion.
For areas that show consistent problems, consider applying erosion control products.
“Combining hydraulically applied mulch with a turf reinforcement mat can be a terrific solution in water features of the course where there will be significant flow and the potential for a lot of erosion,” Langner said.
Implementing erosion control products before any signs of soil erosion manifest may not seem profitable, but it’s worth it.
“Investing in preventative measures can save a significant amount of time and money in the long run,” Langner said. “Most importantly, it preserves the integrity of the course and the surrounding environment.”
Preventing soil erosion increases course profitability by keeping it open, playable and healthy. If you have questions about controlling erosion on your golf course, click here to reach out to Ewing’s Golf Team.
Do you have experience with erosion control methods on your course? We want to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below.
