Challenge
- Design a rootzone resulting in firm, fast greens with improved water holding capacity and accelerated drainage
Result
- Drainage/percolation increased
from 6 inches to 45 inches per
hour while achieving excellent
capillary/moisture retention - Oak Hill had their busiest year following the redesign
Product Used
- Profile® Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens Grade™
Known as one of the fairest but most challenging venues on the U.S. major circuit, Oak Hill Country Club’s East Course is world renowned. Dating back to 1901, the site has been renovated several times in the last century. But in recent years, Oak Hill wanted to hit reset on three of its holes and create a flow inspired by its original Donald Ross designs. But going back to the 1901 design didn’t mean using 120-year-old techniques. Instead, they contacted Profile® Products to help develop a greens mix that would drain well and provide exceptional play for its members.
Returning to Their Roots
With a new design ready to improve the flow of the course, the soil profile needed to be addressed. After significant testing and consulting with John Maeder, Profile’s Global Director of Golf, Corcoran chose to employ Profile® Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens GradeTM in the mix. PPC is an inorganic soil amendment that allows for deeper rooting, increased drainage, nutrient retention and better water management.
Jeff Corcoran
From our standpoint, the greens mix was the most vital material because it deals with how the greens perform on a day-to-day basis. We wanted to improve water-holding capacity, get the particle size distribution where we needed it to be, and have a firm, fast mix. Having Profile’s product in that mix helped us check a lot of the boxes for what we wanted to create.
Improving Drainage
Contractors renovated the course and installed the greens mix with PPC in a little under four months. The PPC blended well with the rest of the mix and proved itself in the first few months. Prior to the installation, Oak Hill had pushed up greens that were amended with topdressing that had been there for 80 years. The percolation rate was between 6 and 8 inches per hour. The greens mix combined with Profile’s PPC percolated at 45 inches per hour.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that we improved drainage and how the water moves through the soil profile,” Corcoran said.
Testing the Solution
With construction finalized, the course opened with a bang in late May 2020 — one of the busiest years for golf.
That season was the most rounds we’ve ever had by a long shot, and I thought for the first year that the greens performed really well. Once they mature to the point that they’ve settled in, it’s going to be even better. Our greens aren’t going to need to be rebuilt for another 20, 30 or 40 years.
Jeff Corcoran
Manager of Golf Courses & Grounds
Jeff Corcoran
Contractor
LaBar Golf Renovations
