Plugged drain lines = fairway wet spots

Every fall when it starts raining many wet spots around the course re-appear after not being seen during the dry summer months. All of the drain lines on the course either directly discharge into one of the two creeks at Glendale, or connect to another line that empties into a creek. Over time the creek beds change, gravel gets moved from one area to another during big storms and some of our drain lines get buried. Wet areas appear that were not wet before and we have to go digging to find them.

 This wet area is on the left side of #16 fairway about 150 yards from the green. You  can see that there is a low spot from the center of the mud hole extending all the way to the creek. I took a quick look in the stream and could not find the end of the drain line. It's obviously buried and will have to be dug up and cleaned out.

 

This is another wet spot twenty yards away from the other spot shown above. Another buried drain line that will need to be located. The photo below is on the right side of #17 fairway looking down to the area above. It looks like the same drain line continuing all the way to the stream.

  It looks like this area may be caused by tree roots that have gotten into the drain line and plugged it up. It will have to be dug up and repaired also. There are spots all over the course like these where we will be working in the next month. It's a never ending process.........................

Steve Kealy

Golf Course Superintendent