Dennis Hurley, Author at

1st Qtr 2015: Tech Section: Surveying Turning Points

Dennis Hurley February 11, 2015October 1, 2024PRODUCT, TECHNICALbench mark, elevation, rod reading, survey, surveying, turning point, turning points

Surveying Turning Points

Most superintendents had a surveying class in college, but when a skill isn’t used everyday, it can be difficult to remember the lessons that were learned many years ago. I thought it would be helpful to provide a basic chart that could be kept as a reference for the next time you need to survey an area for drainage. This chart can be used in a log book that can be purchased from any surveying store, or created in any program, such as Excel, that can create columns. The six columns are set up as shown below.

There are six columns in your log. The first column identifies the point that is being shot. The second column …

1st Qtr 2015 – Current Projects

Dennis Hurley February 11, 2015October 1, 2024CUSTOMER PROFILE, PROJECTSAllen Storie, Bluejack, Bluejack National, Eric Bauer, Hound Ears, Hound Ears Club, Richard Luikens

Southwest

Bluejack National Golf Club

Montgomery, TX

Eric Bauer Oversees Construction of New Tiger Woods Course in Montgomery, Texas

Eric Bauer is the energy behind the golf course construction at Bluejack National, the first Tiger Woods–designed course to open in the nation. Bluejack National is built on a spectacular undulating property in Montgomery, Texas, north of Houston. Medalist Golf is the contractor, and in addition to the Tiger Woods Design team, Beau Welling and Shane Robichaud are designing the course. The golf course will have one cut of turf featuring firm and fast playing conditions. Everyone was in agreement that with the heavy rainfalls that occur in the Gulf Coast area, drainage was a major priority. Eric

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1st Qtr 2014: Current Projects

Dennis Hurley January 30, 2014October 1, 2024PRODUCT

Midwest: Westmoreland Country Club, Wilmette, IL

Todd Fyffe, Superintendent at Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette, IL, has overseen the completion of the new drainage system that is designed to store flood waters when they back up on the property.

Todd says,

“I am impressed with the ability of the course to soak up a one inch rain and the short period of time the soil remains saturated. In the past, we would have remained saturated for days after a one inch rain, and for weeks after multiple rain events. The fairways are now open to cart traffic the next day following a one-inch rain.”

The healing process has been impressive. Leibold Irrigation did a great job. They used

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1st Qtr 2014: Tech Section: Could this be why your green does not drain?

Dennis Hurley January 29, 2014October 1, 2024TECHNICALclean-out, greens, problem greens, siphon, siphon system, Turf Drain Siphon System

Do you have 17 well-drained greens, and one that doesn’t perform up to the others, and you aren’t sure why?

In traveling the country for 30 years looking at drainage problems, I periodically run into a poorly drained green on a golf course that otherwise has greens that drain properly. There are the obvious “problem greens” where the superintendent has already identified shade as the culprit. This is usually a situation where, at first glance, there doesn’t appear to be any reasons that its performance should be subpar.

In trying to help the superintendent determine what might be different on his problem green, I always start with questions related to possible problems with the outfall piping. Is it on

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Can you raise your drainage basin in 10 seconds?

Dennis Hurley February 20, 2013October 1, 2024PRODUCT, TECHNICALPerma Basin, raise basin

Perma Basin is the patented basin from Turf Drainage Co. of America that have permeable sidewalls. They not only collect surface water, but also the seepage water that collects around the basins.

One of the most popular features of these basins is the simplicity with which they can be raised. Every superintendent has dealt with basins that have become too low because of thatch accumulation, or maybe they were just installed a little too low.

With a Perma Basin, there is no need to dig the basin up and reset it. Simply take an additional frame, set it on the existing basin, and you will raise the elevation by 1¾” in less than 10 seconds.

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January 2013: Current Projects

Dennis Hurley January 29, 2013October 1, 2024PROJECTS

East Coast

Highlands Falls Country Club

Fred Gehrisch, CGCSA Superintendent at Highlands Falls Country Club isn’t afraid to tackle big projects at Highlands Falls C.C. in Highlands, NC. Fred’s next big project is the implementation of a drainage plan done by TDA in 2012. Fred will be doing the project in-house. Highlands Falls C.C. sits on one of the most spectacular sites in the Eastern U.S., and presents a formidable challenge because of the shallow rock. Fred will be utilizing gravity, as well as siphon systems and Irrigation Driven Pumps to alleviate the difficulties that come with installing drainage in mountain courses.

Midwest

Westmoreland Country Club

Todd Fyffe, Superintendent at Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette, IL, has overseen …

January 2013: Tech Section – Difference between drainage envelope and drainage filter

Dennis Hurley January 29, 2013October 1, 2024TECHNICALdrainage envelope, drainage filter, filter fabric, filters, geotextile

One of the most commonly asked questions we receive is, “Isn’t the filter fabric (geotextile used around Turf Drain and Perma Basins) going to clog up?” In the early 80’s, when we first introduced Turf Drain to the golf course industry, I called on golf course architect, Joe Finger in Houston. Joe was a civil engineer. As soon as I showed him the Turf Drain and explained how it worked, he said, “I have never seen a filter yet that didn’t clog up and have to be replaced.” I wasn’t able to counter his statement, but as soon as I left his office, I started my search for the explanation. Since that time, I have spent untold man-hours trying …

Fall 2012: Where are the drain lines?

Dennis Hurley August 17, 2012October 1, 2024CUSTOMER PROFILE, PROJECTSdrain, Franklin Hills, French drain, seepage drainage, Turf Drain

Where are the drain lines? One of the biggest challenges of any drainage project is making it look as if the project never took place. Nobody likes to see droughty drain lines for years after the completion of a project, especially not Brian Schwiehofer at Franklin Hills C.C. in Franklin, MI (just outside of Detroit).

Anyone that has ever visited Brian’s course would vouch for his attention to detail, and 50,000 feet of visible drain lines would not have been acceptable in Brian’s world. Any project can suffer from some wilted lines during prolonged dry stretches, particularly in the first couple of years after the completion of the project. Here at Turf Drainage Co. of America, we have witnessed millions …

Fall 2012: Tech Section – Cardinal Rule #1: Proper seepage drainage must have an adequate airspace

Dennis Hurley August 17, 2012October 1, 2024TECHNICALairspace, cardinal rule, drainage envelope, proper design, seepage drainage, Terzaghi formula

Cardinal Rule #1: Proper seepage drainage must have an adequate airspace

If we could only explain one principle to improve people’s understanding of proper seepage drainage, it would be that proper seepage drainage must have an adequate airspace to drain to in order to be effective. If a person absolutely understood this one critical concept, 90% of failed drainage installations would be eliminated. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t have some type of discussion with a golf course superintendent, engineer, or golf course architect whereby it is obvious that cardinal rule #1 is either not truly understood, or is underestimated in its importance.

The basis of all seepage engineering is a formula for the proper design of …

Fall 2012: Installing Drainage Like This Could Be Making Your Problem Worse, Part 2

Dennis Hurley August 17, 2012October 1, 2024PRODUCT, TECHNICALcollect water, collecting water, collection, perforated pipe, transport water, transportation

This is the second of a series of articles about installation mistakes that can actually cause your drainage problems to worsen instead of improve (Part I). A common practice in the golf course industry is the use of perforated pipe for transporting water. Every drainage system has two major functions; collection and transportation of water.

Collection can either be done by an open inlet collecting surface water, or a seepage line collecting water that is trapped on the profile. Many superintendents feel that if they use perforated pipe for their transportation lines, it can also collect their seepage water. Makes sense right? Maybe not. When a perforated line is used to transport water from a surface inlet, the …

The Turf Drain Siphon System™ is the first drainage system where you can install drainage without the need to grade pipe. Piping can go over mounding or into an ungraded trench.It has application in flat coastal properties where there is a need to take the water a long distance with little elevation change.

Any property where grading pipe may be difficult, such as rocky property or a course with lots of underground obstructions, can benefit from a Turf Drain Siphon System™.