Holywood installs revetted bunkers

By Alistair March 19, 2017 04:29 Updated

Working closely with Swan Golf Designs, EcoBunker has recently installed three revetted bunkers in front of the 9th green, as part of a complete re-model of the green complex at Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland. The club, famously known as the home of Rory McIlroy, became the latest one to use EcoBunker’s triple stacked option.

Inventor, Richard Allen, who was on site to provide support to the local greens’ team, explained: “After designing and building the first ‘double stack’ synthetic revetted bunker back in 2010, it did surprise me that most of my clients continued to prefer the single stack option.” The vast majority of the hundreds of bunkers built by EcoBunker have been built by client request using this option where turf is stepped every layer, producing a revett typically 20mm deep.

“We decided to use BTME 2017 as a sounding board.”

At the booth, EcoBunker built three models, showing single, double and triple stack options.

“We found that among our many visitors, opinion was split fairly evenly for single, double and triple stacked options. It was also noticeable that representatives from links courses definitely expressed a preference for the triple stack which gives the appearance of a 60mm thick sod,” continued Richard.

A fan of the triple stack option was William Swan of Swan Golf Designs, and as a direct result of what he saw at Harrogate, Ecobunker was commissioned for the bunker project on the 9th hole at Holywood GC. Although not a links course, revetting was deemed an appropriate solution, as existing bunkers were set into steeply rising ground, and maintenance had always been problematic. The project has been received extremely well by both the enthusiastic greenkeeping team and club members. Several other clubs are now starting to opt for EcoBunker’s triple stack, including most recently, the iconic Pennard links on the Gower, south Wales.