Shoreline Erosion Repair for Golf Courses That Want a Natural Look
Many of the world’s top golf courses are renowned for embracing the natural splendor of the surrounding landscape, working with it rather than against it. However, there’s a stark difference between harmonizing with nature and neglecting it. A stunning green or fairway juxtaposed against weathered ponds with crumbling shorelines, exposed pipes, and muddy water is hardly the “natural look” golf course superintendents envision. Fortunately, superintendents have access to sustainable shoreline restoration solutions that mirror nature’s beauty and blend beautifully with well-manicured turf.
How Erosion Can Impact Golf Courses
Shoreline erosion is a natural process influenced by factors such as wind, rain, and wildlife. However, human activities like urban development, poor landscaping practices, inadequate drainage, and recreation can accelerate sediment loss. Erosion may happen gradually over several years or rapidly within a few months, often resulting in the development of bottom muck that produces foul odors, leads to complaints, and diminishes the depth and volume of a waterbody. This decrease in water availability can have significant impacts on essential functions such as irrigation, stormwater collection, and flood prevention. If erosion is not addressed early on, important equipment can become exposed and sustain damage that requires costly repairs. Safety hazards and liability risks may also arise. Unstable banks can collapse under the weight of carts, mowers, and even golfers.
Bioengineered Living Shoreline Results
- Shoreline Erosion Damage Repaired
- Restored Shoreline Post Storm Damage
Repair Erosion Damage with Geotextile Technology
Advanced bioengineering techniques have become the new standard to rebuild healthy, natural-looking shorelines. The bioengineering process involves reshaping the eroded shoreline using a knitted geotextile mesh filled with sand or soil, and securely fastening it to the bank for years of stability. In some cases, professionals can repurpose sediment that has eroded into the waterbody, restoring depth and volume. These mesh systems are dynamic, allowing professionals to mimic the slopes and contours of the course – and potentially restore several feet of shoreline. By employing these restoration methods, professionals can complete projects in a matter of days. Once secured and sodded or planted over, the banks are immediately stable, allowing play to resume quickly and minimizing downtime for courses.
Creating A Living Shoreline on Your Course
Following installation, native vegetation should be introduced either directly through the mesh or by laying sod on top. Over time, the roots of these plants will expand under the material, further anchoring the system and creating a living shoreline buffer that can better withstand the impact of weather, wildlife, landscaping, and recreation. Buffers are low-maintenance, typically requiring only basic weeding and trimming, which frees up funds and bandwidth for other essential management tasks.
How to Reduce Water Quality Issues In Golf Course Lakes
Repairing erosion issues is just the first step in keeping ponds beautiful and clean. On golf courses in particular, it’s important to take steps to mitigate the impact of lawn fertilizers. These fertilizers not only promote turf growth, but can also fuel aquatic weeds, thick mats of algae, toxic cyanobacteria, and other nuisance growth that clogs irrigation intake and can wreak havoc on precious greens and surrounding ornamentation. Aquatic Specialists conduct ongoing water quality testing to identify imbalances or detect the presence of potential pollutants. By catching these problems early, they can implement sustainable strategies, such as nutrient remediation, biological bacteria, and aeration to help restore healthy water quality conditions. When water is healthier, turf is too, and this will ultimately allow better playing conditions.
Maintain Your Pristine Course
With the unending list of responsibilities that fall on a superintendent, finding time to restore and maintain lake and pond shorelines can be challenging, but this attention to detail can take your golf course from noteworthy to bucket-list-worthy. With a secure shoreline and sustainable solutions in place, you can relax knowing your course’s waterbodies are clean and beautiful – and devote more time to giving your turf the care and attention it needs. Contact SOLitude today to discover how a bioengineered shoreline can enhance your course!
Enhance Your Course with Lake Management Solutions
SOLitude Lake Management is a nationwide environmental firm committed to providing sustainable solutions that improve water quality, enhance beauty and preserve natural resources.
SOLitude’s team of aquatic scientists specializes in the development and execution of customized lake, stormwater pond, wetland and fisheries management programs. Services include water quality testing and restoration, algae and aquatic weed control, installation and maintenance of fountains and aeration systems, shoreline erosion control, muck and sediment removal and invasive species management. SOLitude partners with homeowners associations, golf courses, private landowners, businesses and municipalities. SOLitude Lake Management is part of Rentokil, a leading business services company, operating across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
For more information, visit SOLitude Lake Management at solitudelakemanagement.com, and connect on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
