Ecobunker AquaEdge
The first maintenance free water edging.
Anyone responsible for maintaining water features on golf courses, or in parks or gardens, will often experience difficulty maintaining a ‘soft’ interface between water and landscaping. There are some instances where it is desirable to maintain a natural water margin. They can be important ecological habitats, and unmanaged these shallow areas support emergent vegetation, which in turn provides cover for threatened species such as amphibians and water voles.
However, when these areas impinge close to areas of play on golf courses, problems arise. Banks can erode and adjacent high footfall areas can become slippery and dangerous for golfers and maintenance staff. Furthermore, access is difficult for maintenance, and as a result these areas often become muddy and unsightly. There’s also the rules issue. It can often be difficult to determine what is in or out of a hazard. Contentious golfing rulings often result in dozens of red and yellow stakes, which in our opinion are very unattractive.
Key Advantages
Richard, you’ll be pleased to know that our EcoBunkers at Secession have now survived Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Irma (yesterday)! Many filled with sea water. Skim the silt, add an inch of sand, a little raking and we will be back in business!
It was fascinating to see your new EcoBunker construction comprising revetment of the faces using artificial turf to thwart erosion caused primarily by sheep. You are pioneers in the field. I congratulate you on your initiative as well as the skill of Andrew and his team in implementing the extensive work. They have not only achieved your aim but have improved the appearance of the course dramatically in consequence. From a playing point of view, the bunkers are fair – if to be avoided. They are a lesson to the many courses in the world.
You have an excellent product. I encourage others to take a good look at what it can do for them.
I do feel you have a great product. I’ve been talking with my superintendent about something like this for years now.
EcoBunker is a truly innovative idea. It represents huge cost and labour savings and has solved the particular problems we face on our course which is populated by sheep. This method of construction stands head and shoulders above other bunkers we have built. It not only looks fantastic but performs equally well. We are now in the process of re-constructing all 84 of our bunkers under licence.
It’s my pleasure to recommend Llewellyn Matthews and EcoBunker Ltd. After experiencing Llewellyn’s talent at Trump National, Jupiter and Secession GC, I am confident he will produce the highest quality results in a professional manner. His attention to detail whilst working in harmony with everyone on the project is commendable. I look forward to including Llewellyn and EcoBunker Ltd on future projects.
Richard’s invention is a truly innovative solution that will enable traditional revetted bunkers to be built in areas where previously this has not been an option due to climatic factors.
We’ve had a really positive reaction from both members and visitors. Most of them don’t even realise that the bunkers faces are synthetic….they just get on with their game and enjoy it. I’ve been a member here now for 29 years, and bunkers have always been a problem. But now, with the synthetic faces they are absolutely superb, and it’s all to the benefit pf the golfers who play Southerndown GC.
It was a very big year for Southerndown GC. We hosted the Top Amateur event, The Duncan Putter, hosted Final Qualifying for the Seniors Open at Royal Porthcawl and then welcomed the best golfers in the British Isles for the Home Internationals. Most of the players didn’t realise that the bunker faces were synthetic, and those that did thought they were very good.
St Leon Rot demands high standards, and we were challenged with designing and building a range of resilient bunker styles on the new short game academy. EcoBunker justified their rising reputation in Germany by providing top quality turf, fully professional site support and responsive technical back up.
Contact us about EcoBunker distribution in your territory
As many engaged in golf course maintenance will know, the margin where water meets grass is also a problem. Our response is AquaEdge – a ‘buffer’ which is also a retaining wall comprised of horizontal layers of sand filled synthetic grass.
The engineering factors and constraints of water margins are complex. Things to consider include foundation design, hydraulic loading, flow velocity, erosion potential, imposed loads, construction and environmental hazards, and health and safety issues.
AquaEdge in the news
AquaEdge is a civil engineering process which includes an initial investigation, design and specification work, planning, the supply of the various components and installation.
