02 Dec Concrete Edging Trial
Members will be aware of the issue we experience on a number of holes on the course where golf balls roll across cart paths and either finish:
- just inside a garden bed (Penalty Area) but effectively resting against the edge of the concrete cart path; or
- perhaps worse still, the ball finishes on the cart path but resting on a painted red line, meaning that the ball is also deemed to be inside the Penalty Area, and hence not eligible for relief from the cart path.
In order to address these issues, the Greens Committee and I are testing the use of sloped concrete edging that is designed to:
- fend slow-moving balls away from the garden beds (obviously fast-moving or bouncing balls will always tend to make their way into the garden beds);
- ensure that it is not possible for balls to come to rest on the red painted lines. Per the pic below, the red painted line is actually on the sloped edge, making it impossible for a ball to stop there.
This edging solution is being tested in two known problem areas – behind the 2nd green, and to the right hand side of the 13th fairway. Pending the trial and member feedback, the solution may be rolled out in future to other areas on the course (Note – in the two areas where the edging has been added, we will look to remove the existing faded dashed painted red lines from the cart paths).
In addition, the edging should help to keep mulch within the garden beds as opposed to spilling out onto the paths, maintaining a cleaner look. We think it looks pretty good!
Andy Meldrum
MRGC Club Captain