Revetted Style Bunkers

Foxholer

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Thats an easy one; all the artificial grass used by ecobunker is 100% recycled. We use the worn out turf from old football and hockey fields. To date we have diverted nearly 10,000 tonnes of waste from landfill sites. Thats pretty ECO!
That's great! But that wasn't what I asked! What about 'end-of-life' for the product?
 

EcoBunkerRich

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That's great! But that wasn't what I asked! What about 'end-of-life' for the product?
If you mean end of life as a bunker wall , then there doesnt have to be an end. Although the warranty is 20 years, in reality the product will go on and on many more years after that. If you get bored with the look, hydroseed the face, or dig it up and rebuild it in another shape (yes that can be done). This is finding a very effective way of using and extending the life of a plastic that has already been produced. With respect to other issues: imagine the 5 yearly cycle of using natural turf- that has to be grown (pesticides, fertilizers, seed, irrigation- all with significant CO2 footprints) - then it has to be harvested & transported all over the country (more CO2) - then it has to be installed (major labour cost - my club will save over 400k in bunker labour cost after switching to ecobunker. They’ve been 100% complete for 2 years and have the time and motion studies to prove it.
 

Foxholer

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If you mean end of life as a bunker wall , then there doesnt have to be an end. Although the warranty is 20 years, in reality the product will go on and on many more years after that. If you get bored with the look, hydroseed the face, or dig it up and rebuild it in another shape (yes that can be done). This is finding a very effective way of using and extending the life of a plastic that has already been produced. With respect to other issues: imagine the 5 yearly cycle of using natural turf- that has to be grown (pesticides, fertilizers, seed, irrigation- all with significant CO2 footprints) - then it has to be harvested & transported all over the country (more CO2) - then it has to be installed (major labour cost - my club will save over 400k in bunker labour cost after switching to ecobunker. They’ve been 100% complete for 2 years and have the time and motion studies to prove it.
Indeed, I noted that there are 'environmental' issues of natural grass. Unlike you, I'm not entrepenureal/practiced in the 'sell the product' art. But my club grows its own bunker material, with very little, if any, environmental effect. And I'm happy to have them continue that way.

Still not convinced it's 'Eco' friendly, but certainly 'Recycle' friendly!
 

EcoBunkerRich

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If you mean end of life as a bunker wall , then there doesnt have to be an end. Although the warranty is 20 years, in reality the product will go on and on many more years after that. If you get bored with the look, hydroseed the face, or dig it up and rebuild it in another shape (yes that can be done). This is finding a very effective way of using and extending the life of a plastic that has already been produced. With respect to other issues: imagine the 5 yearly cycle of using natural turf- that has to be grown (pesticides, fertilizers, seed, irrigation- all with significant CO2 footprints) - then it has to be harvested & transported all over the country (more CO2) - then it has to be installed (major labour cost - my club will save over 400k in bunker labour cost after switching to ecobunker. They’ve been 100% complete for 2 years and have the time and motion studies to prove it.
Indeed, I noted that there are 'environmental' issues of natural grass. Unlike you, I'm not entrepenureal/practiced in the 'sell the product' art. But my club grows its own bunker material, with very little, if any, environmental effect. And I'm happy to have them continue that way.

Still not convinced it's 'Eco' friendly, but certainly 'Recycle' friendly!
I suppose i am flattered by your comment about my entrepreneurial and sales skills. However I am a civil engineering designer, first and foremost. Its been my job for nearly 30 years to design technical solutions for the built environment. Part of the design process is finding the best system or materials for a particular challenge by undertaking a sort of SWOT analysis of all the available options. Ive done this for golf bunker edges and from a technical, environmental and architectural and financial viewpoint, recycled artificial beats natural turf hands down. If i hadn’t reached that clear conclusion i would never even attempt to start selling the concept. I could never sell something i did not believe in - especially to the golf sector. I am a golf ‘purist’ - which might surprise you. Some clubs may have their reasons for staying with natural turf revett, and if they can afford it, good luck to them. But there are 2 areas where i cannot understand a reason for sticking with natural. Firstly the foundation which you never see. We have a product for that which can make massive savings, and secondly practice bunkers which take a hammering and usually look awful at most clubs. A little challenge for you Foxholer; would you consider getting your club a state of the art practice Ecobunker?
 

patricks148

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I suppose i am flattered by your comment about my entrepreneurial and sales skills. However I am a civil engineering designer, first and foremost. Its been my job for nearly 30 years to design technical solutions for the built environment. Part of the design process is finding the best system or materials for a particular challenge by undertaking a sort of SWOT analysis of all the available options. Ive done this for golf bunker edges and from a technical, environmental and architectural and financial viewpoint, recycled artificial beats natural turf hands down. If i hadn’t reached that clear conclusion i would never even attempt to start selling the concept. I could never sell something i did not believe in - especially to the golf sector. I am a golf ‘purist’ - which might surprise you. Some clubs may have their reasons for staying with natural turf revett, and if they can afford it, good luck to them. But there are 2 areas where i cannot understand a reason for sticking with natural. Firstly the foundation which you never see. We have a product for that which can make massive savings, and secondly practice bunkers which take a hammering and usually look awful at most clubs. A little challenge for you Foxholer; would you consider getting your club a state of the art practice Ecobunker?
So you are flattered but your own comments???
 

harpo_72

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The potential of the eco bunker method looks great the environmental credentials are more than acceptable.
The face damage stuff is interesting I would bet that the astro turf is more resilient.
I would like to see this done to my clubs bunkers as they struggle to maintain sand and are in pretty poor shape.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Over two and half years since our practice area bunkers were brought into play and my understanding is that they have required almost nil maintenance by the greens team. We are now rolling out across the course replacing every bunker and they look and play brilliantly - as much as anything due to the fact that they are consistent across the course - and that most certainly wasn't where we were before.
 
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