By Barbara Palmgren
What do you do when that old sand in the sand traps just won’t work to at least help the golfer escape from its’ clutches? The first solution, of course, is not to get into the trap in the first place. I personally avoid them at all costs. My ball doesn’t always listen and so I stare at the evil little thing and proceed to bury it even further with a sand wedge acting like a hammer.
At Kelly Plantation, the old bunkers from 1999 were deteriorating and balls would land and sometimes dig themselves into the sand, making it difficult to use even the best sand wedge shot to land the ball onto the green. Two years ago, Kelly Plantation began to solve this problem by renovating bunkers.
With members in mind, this update was skillfully organized so as not to stop play on the course. Two phases were arranged. Phase One from December 2023 to March 2024 closed holes 1-5 and 9-11. One hole at a time each day was targeted and hole number 16 never had to be shut down as no bunkers loomed around it. Phase Two from December 2024 to March 2025 followed the same pattern with closing holes 6-8 and 12-18. Both phases were scheduled in the winter when the growing season is short and summer tourist season is not affected.
John Townsend, General Manager, proudly told me about the new type of sand that was placed in the bunker. Who wants old round sand that buries a ball? I don’t. Who wants friendly Tour Angled sand with flat, irregular but friendly shaped particles that welcome a golf ball to sit up, waiting for you to hit that perfect shot onto the green? I do.
As part of an excellent planning strategy, while the holes were closed in each phase, tee boxes were also renovated. Each tee box was stripped of old sod and laser leveled to allow a perfect surface for the execution of a long drive. Finally, around the practice area, the chipping green was redone with a bunker removed to create a larger chipping area.
Careful planning over a two-year period allowed members to play golf while improving an already gorgeous golf course. Kelly Plantation is to be congratulated for providing the ideal setting to improve and lower golf scores.
Now, if I could only keep my ball out of those perfect sand traps…
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