GB2245132A

GB2245132A - Drainage of sports surfaces

Info

Publication number: GB2245132A
Application number: GB9113080A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Dermot Solon; Gary Leonard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-06-19
Filing date: 1991-06-18
Publication date: 1992-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-18
Also published as: IE64041B1; GB9113080D0; GB2245132B; ZA914680B

Abstract

A construction of a green for a golf course which green has a natural grass cover (16) on a layer (17, 18) of sand or a sand/soil and/or peat mixture supported on a layer (19) of pea pebble laid on a water impervious base foundation of puddle clay (20). A plurality of drainage pipes are embedded in the pea pebble layer (19) intermediate the depth of the layer. Each drainage pipe has an outlet member which may be adjusted to determine the level of retained water in the foundation of the green. A no fine concrete layer may be interposed between the pea pebble layer (19) and the base layer of puddle clay (20). <IMAGE>

Description

A CONSTRUCTION OF A GREEN ON A GOLF COURSE This invention relates to the construction of greens on a golf course. A conventional construction of green on a golf course comprises grass grown on a foundation of fine sand to a ten to twelve inch (25-30 cms) depth on a layer of course sand to a depth of approximately two inches (5.8 cms) laid on a 4 inch (10.16 cms) pea pebble or gravel base. In many instances perforated pipes spaced apart at approximately fifteen feet (457 cms) intervals are embedded in the bottom of the pea pebble or gravel foundation to provide drainage. Rain water falling on the green or water from greenside sprinklers or hosing falling on the green percolates down through the green's foundation to the drainage pipes and is fed away from the green area by said drainage pipes.

A problem associated with such a construction of green is that the water percolating down through the green's foundation is automatically drained away from the said foundation. In addition in the construction of a conventional green the associated drainage pipes do not allow one to alter the water table level in the green foundation to take cognizance of the foundation's requirement to retain/not retain water.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming the above identified disadvantage of conventional green construction by providing a construction of green which comprises a natural grass cover on a foundation consisting of a first or top layer of sand or a mixture of sand and/or soil and/or peat moss, on a second layer of sand or a sand and soil mixture which second layer is laid on a third layer of stone, pea pebble or the like material resting on a water impervious layer of material, a plurality of perforated pipes embedded in the foundation in a predetermined spaced-apart relationship, one end of each pipe being housed in a greenside drainage channel and having secured thereto an outlet member adapted to or incorporating means to allow the adjustment of the level of retained water in the foundation of the green.

Preferably the water impervious layer of material is a layer of puddle clay which in addition to forming the base of the foundation is also extended or contoured upward around the edges of the green foundation to provide not just the base for the foundation of the green but also side walls to support the sides of the foundation. In place of puddle clay a water impervious plastics material may be used.

The invention will be understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a green according to the present invention: Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the green; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical cross-sectional view showing an outlet pipe in the drainage channel; Fig. 4 is an end view of the outlet pipe in the drainage channel; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a portion of the green illustrating the position of a drainage pipe in the pea pebble or gravel layer; and Figs. 6 & 7 are vertical sections through a portion of a green illustrating further embodiments of a construction of greens according to the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings the green 10 illustrated is a two-tier green consisting of a lower level 11 and an upper level 12. Also illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings is the greenside fairway 13 and conventional greenside bunkers 14 and 15.

The green 10 comprises a natural grass cover 16 grown on a 2 inch (5.8 cms) first layer 17 of mixed sand, soil and peat moss. The said first layer 17 is laid on a second layer 18 of sand and soil to a depth of 9 inches (22.8 cms) which second layer 18 is itself laid on a 4 inch (10.16 cms) layer 19 of pea pebble laid on a water impervious layer 20 of puddle clay. The layer 20 of puddle clay is used first as a base for the multi-layer 17, 18, 19 foundation and is contoured upward around the side of the foundation to provide a side wall 20a support for the foundation.

A pair of 4 inch (10 cms) diameter perforated land drainage pipes 21 and 22 spaced-apart 15 feet (457 cms) are embedded in the green foundation in the pea pebble layer, one end 23 of each pipe 21, 22 being connected to a non-perforated drainage pipe outlet 24 housed in a greenside drainage channel 25. The pipe outlet 24 comprises a connection pipe 26 having pivotally connected thereto an arcuate pipe 27. In use rain water falling onto the green and/or water poured onto the green in a predetermined manner through a conventional automatic water sprinkler system or through a valve system feeding hand held hoses, percolates down through the various layers of green foundation and drains into the drainage pipes 21 and 22. The pipes 21 and 22 feed the water into the drainage channels 25 through the pipe outlets 24.The drainage channels 25 feed the water away from the green area.

The pivotally mounted arcuate pipe 27 may be used to determine the water table level in the green foundation - bearing in mind that the water impervious puddle clay base 20 and side wall 20a traps the water by rotating the pipe 27 on the connection pipe 26. If the pipe 27 has the position shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings with outlet 27a at its high point the water level will be at its high point. If the pipe 27 is rotated from the solid line position to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings then the outlet 27a is at a lower point and the water table level in the green foundation will also be lowered. By rotating the pipe 27 one is able therefore to effectively control the water table level in the green to ensure that the correct water feed to the grass roots is maintained irrespective of varying climatic conditions.

As an alternative to the use of the pivotally mounted arcuate pipe 27 one may employ a fixed arcuate pipe having a series of vertically aligned spaced apart holes on the vertical portion of the arcuate pipe in its in use position. A series of complimentary plugs are provided for the series of holes and by withdrawing a specific plug to open one of the series of spaced apart holes one determines the level of the water to be retained in the green foundation.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings the drainage pipe 21 is located in the green foundation intermediate the top and the bottom of the pea pebble or gravel layer 19. The location of the drainage pipe 21 in this intermediate position is considered important in that any dirt or foreign matter percolating down through the green foundation will in general by-pass the drainage pipe 21 and fall to the bottom of the pea pebble or gravel layer 19. The conventional position for a drainage pipe is at the bottom of the conventional gravel layer and this often results in dirt and foreign matter entering the drainage pipe at that level to in due time build up to cause a blockage of the drainage pipe.In the green foundation illustrated in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings the grass 16 is shown on a rootzone material 17 and 18 of a fine sand peat mixture and a sand/soil mixture laid on a binding layer 28 of coarse sand which in turn is laid on a layer 19 of pea pebble or gravel laid on the water impervious layer 20 of the puddle clay.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings the construction of this embodiment of golf green according to the present invention consists of a rootzone layer 17/18 of a fine sand and peat mixture laid on a layer 28 of coarse sand which in turn is laid upon a layer 19 of pea pebble. The layer 19 of pea pebble is in this instance laid on a three inch layer 30 of no fines concrete, being a layer of pea pebble mixed with concrete in the approximate ratio of ten to one. The layer 30 of no fines concrete is laid on a water impervious layer or base 20 of dried puddle clay.

A pipe support 31 is placed on the no fines concrete layer 30 to stand into the layer 19 of pea pebble so as to locate and support the drainage pipe 21 in the desired position. It will be readily appreciated that over the run of the drainage pipe 21 a plurality of spaced apart pipe supports 31 will be placed in an appropriate alignment on the no fines concrete layer 30. A three feet (3 ft) spacing between the pipe supports 31 would be suitable.

Referring to Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings the construction of this embodiment of golf green according to the present invention consists of a rootzone 17/18 of a fine sand and peat mixture to a depth of 12 inches (30.48 cms) laid on a 2 inch (5.08 cms) layer 28 of coarse sand which in turn is laid upon a layer 19 of fine pea pebble to a depth of 4 inches (10.16 cms). The layer 19 is in turn laid on a layer 19a of a coarse pea pebble which houses a drainage pipe 21 mounted on a pipe support 31 which is itself mounted on 3 inch (7.62 cms) layer of no fines concrete 30 beneath the layer 19a of coarse pea pebble. The line between the coarse pea pebble layer 19a and the layer of no fines concrete 30 may be a thin layer of puddle clay 30a.

In this embodiment the sides of the green have a concrete surround 42 which has mounted therein a vertical thin sheet of plastics 43 which extends upward to about 1 inch (2.54 cms) of the top surface 16 of the green. As an alternative to the use of the plastics sheet 43 one may employ a vertical concrete surround which may extend upward past the bottom area of the rootzone 17/18 to about eight (8) inches (20.32 cms) of the top surface 16 of the green to form a concrete side wall to the green foundation.

It will be readily appreciated that the present invention is directed towards providing a construction of golf green based on the concept of retaining water in the green foundation at a predetermined fixed level based on climatic conditions and plant requirements. All known systems work on the basis of adding water to a green foundation as required.

The present invention by providing a construction of golf green which retains water in the green foundation at a predetermined level encourages downward growth of the grass roots as the said roots seek to reach down to the level of the retained water. The present invention obviates the need to provide artificial irrigation which is very beneficial since artificial irrigation can encourage the growth of undesirable grasses, for example annual meadow grass.

The present invention has been described in relation to a green for a golf course. It will be readily appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to any area upon which one wishes to grow and maintain a grassed area to the standard of a golf green, for example a grassed area upon which one may wish to play bowls or to play tennis. Reference in the text and claims to a green for a golf course should, therefore, be taken in a collective sense of a grassed area of golf course greens standard.

Claims

1. A construction of a green for a golf course said green comprising a natural grass cover on a foundation consisting of a first or top layer of sand or sand mixed with soil and/or peat, a second layer which is of coarse sand or coarse sand mixed with soil, a third layer of pea pebble stone or the like material and a water impervious base layer, a plurality of spaced apart drainage pipes embedded in the foundation each drainage pipe having secured to one end thereof an outlet member adapted to or incorporating means to allow the adjustment of the level of retained water in the foundation of the green.

2. A construction of a green as claimed in Claim 1 in which a layer of no fines concrete is laid on the water impervious base layer and below the layer of pea pebble stone or the like material.

3. A construction of a green as claimed in Claims 1 or 2 in which the water impervious base layer is extended and contoured to form a side wall for the foundation of the green.

4. A construction of a green as claimed in Claim 1 in which the pea pebble stone layer has a concrete surround on which is mounted a side wall of plastics sheet.

5. A construction of a green as claimed in Claim 1 in which the pea pebble layer has a concrete surround which extends upward past the bottom area of the rootzone to form a side wall to the green foundation.

6. A construction of a green as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the drainage pipes are located intermediate the top and the bottom of the layer of pea pebble, stone or the like material.

7. A construction of a green as claimed in Claim 6 in which a plurality of spaced apart pipe supports are provided in the foundation to locate and support the drainage pipes in their position intermediate the top and the bottom of the layer of pea pebble, stone or the like material.

8. A construction of a green as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the outlet means secured to one end of each drainage pipe comprises an arcuate pipe pivotally mounted on the end of the drainage pipe.

9. A construction of a green as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the outlet means secured to one end of each drainage pipe comprises a pipe fixedly secured in a vertical position to the drainage pipe, said vertical pipe having a plurality of spaced apart holes along its length each provided with a complementary plug.