Drainage works carried out by leading sports turf contractor, Souters Sports, at North Wales Golf Club have recently been completed and delivered beneficial results to the club.
Set in the seaside town of Llandudno with excellent views over the Conwy estuary and the Snowdonia Mountain range, North Wales Golf Club is a true Championship Links course, having previously hosted the Welsh Team Championships.
The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th holes had historically always suffered from poor drainage. However, the rest of the course is typically links on sand and drains well. Using specialist trenching machines to cut minimum-width drainage trenches to a laser controlled depth and grade; the contractor laid main and lateral drains to allow rainwater to drain freely and quickly.
“It’s a links course with a clay base which is below sea level. The wet winter we saw last year brought drainage problems to a head on several badly-draining fairways,” said Head Greenkeeper Stuart Macdonald. “Since the drainage works have been completed, it’s actually been reasonable dry, but when it has rained; the drainage has been good.
“Souters’ in house labour and plant combined with the standard of their work throughout the whole project were exceptional,” said Stuart. “Some of the machinery they have is very large, but when weather conditions were not suitable, it was kept off the course, ensuring no disruption or damage was caused.”
Souters Sports has completed extensive drainage projects on many other golf courses around the country including Gleneagles, the venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Souters Sports Limited www.souterssports.co.uk