London, England: With its challenging layout and record of holding Open qualifying 11 times, Orsett Golf Club has an enviable reputation.

But with a 10-year cycle of bunker renewal due to re-start, the 126-year-old Essex gem faced a decision that would pit tradition against necessity.

Perry Lowe, Course Manager at Orsett, said: “The course is very dry and free draining which has many benefits, but it also makes us prone to bunker erosion and sand contamination.

“As we arrived at the start of our 10-year cycle, I wanted to find a sustainable, cost-effective solution that would reduce the maintenance burden and improve the quality of bunkering. After much research, and consideration of the synthetic option, we chose a full EcoBunker solution.”

In addition to issues with bunker wall erosion, the bunkers often sustained damage from bees, foxes and rabbits. This would cause contamination from below the bunker as well as the bunker walls. 

Lowe said: “We visited several courses that had installed EcoBunker. They all looked so sharp and the feedback was unanimously positive. We visited one course that was half completed with EcoBunker and you couldn’t tell the difference from the natural revett.

“The club agreed a five-bunker trial on the signature 12th hole. We opted for a fully enclosed solution incorporating synthetic face and edging, EcoTec bunker liner and dripline irrigation around the bunker edge.

“The combination has been superb. The bunker walls look so sharp, and EcoTec is simply a superior liner to anything we’ve ever tried. It holds sand on the bunker faces, it drains superbly without washing sand away, and while it’s clearly very tough, it’s very forgiving if a golfer does make contact through the sand.

“Every presenting problem that we faced has been resolved. The new bunkers are sharp and defined and all of the maintenance issues we had are consigned to the past. We’re delighted with the results and are looking forward to getting started on Phase 2.”

Having learned alongside EcoBunker on the 12th, the greenkeeping team at Orsett are preparing to take on the next 10 bunkers themselves this autumn.

*EcoBunker is a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.