Golf Course Drainage

A golf course drains well when the soil, grading, and subsurface layout all work together. Soil structure sets the pace for how quickly water moves through the profile, and even small shifts in composition can change how long moisture lingers after a storm. Courses with tighter soils or compacted areas often hold water longer, which leads to soft spots, turf decline, and limited mower access.

Surface grading plays a major role too. When slopes are off by even a small margin, water collects in pockets instead of moving toward designed outlets. Subsurface drainage ties everything together by giving that water a path out of the profile. When these three pieces line up, greens firm up faster, fairways stay healthier through the season, and bunkers and tees recover more predictably after heavy rain.

Courses usually show clear warning signs when drainage starts slipping. Soft or muddy areas that linger long after rain are the most common, especially on fairways and approaches. Greens that stay damp or never fully firm up often point to moisture trapped in the rootzone. Repeated turf thinning in the same locations each season is another clue that water is not moving through the soil the way it should.

Bunkers can signal drainage trouble too. Frequent washouts, standing water beneath the sand, or chronic contamination all suggest the base is holding more water than it can handle. If mowers leave tracks in wet spots or your crew avoids certain areas after storms, those are strong indicators the course needs better water movement below the surface.

Golf courses deal with very specific drainage challenges, and each area of the course reacts differently when water doesn’t move the way it should. Turf Rehab focuses on practical fixes that match the layout and soil conditions you’re working with.

We improve greens drainage by installing systems that pull moisture out of the rootzone without disrupting surface play. Fairway drainage is handled with layouts that move water laterally and keep large areas firm enough for regular mowing and traffic. Bunker drainage is rebuilt to limit washouts and prevent water from sitting beneath the sand, which keeps the surface cleaner and easier to maintain. For tees that stay soft or uneven, our tee restoration work corrects grading issues and resets the surface so it drains properly.

Each of these upgrades is done with long-term reliability in mind, giving your course a better chance to stay consistent during the season and recover faster after rain.

For golf course work, we start with a simple idea: listen to the property first. That means walking holes with your superintendent, looking at where carts avoid certain lines, where shoes pick up mud, and where you keep losing turf after storms. We pay close attention to how water moves off greens, how fairways sit in the landscape, and how low areas, bunkers, and tees tie into the rest of the course. Soil profiles, existing drainage, and surface grades all get checked so we know what is really causing the problems, not just where they show up.

From there, we build a drainage plan that fits how your course is played and maintained. Some projects call for tighter drainage grids on greens or fairways, while others focus on a few key low spots, bunkers that never dry, or tees that stay soft. Layouts are drawn with your maintenance practices in mind so your crew can mow, topdress, and aerify without fighting the system. The result is a practical set of improvements that help the course shed water more consistently and hold up better through the season.