Mild Weather - More Drains

#4 Drainage project has been completed.  This drainage system in the approach on #4 will help this area stay much drier.  I have included many pictures with some commentary about the project below.

 Laterals leading to some of the wetter parts of the upper fairway.

The soil is still extremely wet even with no rain for a week.

This is a view of the ending branches of this drain.

The heavy clay soils native do not drain well and hold water for a long time, especially in sunken or low areas in the fairways.  The drainage in most of the areas is either non-existant or has clogged up over many years of service.

Plywood is used to keep the fairway safe from traffic and spoils.

In many cases the irrigation lines and old drainage must be located first.

A longer view of the french drain on #4

This project contains 417 feet of drainage pipe and 16 tons of washed pea gravel.  The crew spent 2 full days to complete the project from start to finish.  We estimate this job cost $4.5 per linear foot.  This is a price far below the $7 average or more that an outside contractor would charge.  Doing these projects with in house labor also lets us keep more of our staff year round which has greatly improved morale.

Cuts from the cartpath are put back perfectly.

French drains in the rough will be left open to the top.

Catch basins will be used in low areas.

Covering up the french drain with sod may be more asthetically pleasing to the eye, but it can greatly reduce the performance of the drain over time.  We will always leave gravel to surface of most french drains.  In the fairways we will cover most of the drainage with sod but will always have a slit down the center of the drain that stays open to the gravel.  The gravel line will only remain visible for about half the year and will completely cover with grass.

 

Finished product on #4 fairway.

A good shot of the slits we cut into the sod.

Another area in great need of drainage is finished!