Water Doesn't Run Uphill

I was in charge of the Ravines Resort and Golf Club in Middleburg, Florida (Jacksonville). Designed by former PGA Tour Professional, Mark McCumber, Anyone who ever played that golf course has named it one of the best layouts anywhere.

Unusual for Florida, The Ravines was (was, because the place failed under the subsequent ownership back in 04) a hilly golf course. It ran around and over a series of historic sand dunes, which created elevation changes of 75-feet. Black Creek ran along the 9th hole and near the back of the clubhouse.

As the Ravines was hilly golf course, and its hills were mostly sand, erosion from rains was an issue. While I was there, back in 02, there were all kinds of speculation about which way the land ran in heavy rain. It was one of those places where there was often a visible illusion that water would drain here, or there. I remembered the same illusion when I was in charge of the Oak Ford Golf Club in Sarasota, Florida (another golf course that was subsequently incompetently managed and eventually closed its doors in 2013 - that's another sad story).

Anyway, at Oak Ford, the issue was a standing water puddle in front of the par-3 sixth green that appeared it should drain into the swamp area about 35-yards away. So they created a French drain to alleviate the problem. The problem was that the fall was so slight that if the swamp level raised barely an inch, the French drain drained the wrong way. However, the owner insisted it would drain to the swamp and was prepared to rent a transom and find out for himself. I went out there during one of Florida's typical heavy downpours and watched what appeared to be water running uphill!

Back to the Ravines, we had torrential rain in early February in 2003. I found a raincoat and walked out to the second hole and watched a drainage basin fill up to become a 1/4-acre pond. The drain spewed out of a 25-foot cliff on the left of the fairway. It was pouring rain heavily, but I could hear another gushing water sound on the left of the fairway and walked over the find the source of that sound.

Wow!

The drain was running under so much pressure that the spliced drain pipe under the fairway had separated and began washing away the sand. As I watched the 25-foot cliff cave in, it was crawling toward the center of the fairway. I mean, a 25-foot deep brand new V-shaved ravine was cutting across the fairway. However, to me, the scene didn't make sense. The golf course had been there for many years. Why would it all-of-a-sudden erode like that?

As I watched the fairway collapsing from water pressure, I looked around and caught the culprit. It was a series of brand new townhomes built along the right side of the second fairway. What was happening was the roofs were concentrating the rainwater into torrents. Meanwhile, the land for the townhomes had been cleared so there was nothing to stop the concentrated water flow. It was aimed directly at that area of the second fairway.

The drain, much like the one pictured here, through the years had been more than adequate for any normal rain, However, it was not designed to handle a flooding river.

I learned in about fifteen minutes what would have taken weeks, not to mention the expense to learn what I did by surveying that spot.

MY ADVICE TO EVERY SUPERINTENDENT

Next time you have a real heavy rain, put on a raincoat and rain hat and head out to the golf course so you can easily see exactly how the golf course drains. Take pictures of the water flow - especially if you have to convince your board (or owner) exactly what happens when it rains. Why?

If you know which way the water runs, you also know which way to drain the course quickly after rain. Faster draining will mean golfers can resume play of the golf course sooner. I mean, every minute of downtime is money lost.

I answer all email Qs my way. Write to me anytime.

Mike Kahn, in golf for over 65-years. www.golfmak.com, golfrescues.com, golfkahn.com.

Email: [email protected]