A links golf club on the south coast in Hampshire has survived an unprecedented tidal event.
In early December, Hayling experienced spring tides and off-shore winds that led to the highest sea levels seen in many years. The tides pushed 20 to 30 tonnes of shingle against, and through, the boundary fence, creating a slipway for sea water to run straight into the practice area.
The golf club had, just two weeks earlier, installed a high walled, revetted practice bunker.
“Over two consecutive nights the teeing and bunker practice area was completely underwater. Sediment was spread across the whole area,” explained Graeme Roberts, course manager at Hayling Golf Club.
“Our new [EcoBunker] filled up with sea water. By the time the tide had receded on the second morning, we had significant damage across the area from the sea water, including damage to the new turf that had been laid around the bunker.
“Remarkably, despite such a significant event, the only evidence that sea water had been in the bunker was the silt deposited on the liner and a sediment line where the water had reached. With a quick brush of the face and a clean of the liner, the bunker was as good as the day it went in!”
“We have lots of evidence from our Floridian customers that EcoBunkers have stood the test of hurricanes, storms and weather events. But I’m not sure we’ve ever heard of a bunker being completely under water for two nights! This was a huge challenge for Graeme and his team, so I’m delighted that our technology withstood the test and was one less thing for Graeme and his team to worry about,” said Richard Allen, CEO of EcoBunker.
Leave a Reply