have had to come up with another
solution. “Six ponds, all of which are
connected, detain all the water that
falls on paved areas,” the architect
says. “At each end of the site, there is
a pond at the lowest level. Each has a
transfer pump that shifts water back
to the main irrigation lake, allowing us
to control water levels in each pond.
The main irrigation pond is very large
and very deep at 33 feet. We have put
the irrigation pump station intake
right at the bottom of the deep pond
to maximize the availability of water if
there is a dry year.”
Located just outside of Washington
D.C.,
Laurel Hill Golf Club
was
designed by another ASGCA Past
President, Bill Love and his partner
Brian Kington. Laurel Hill is a
championship golf course developed
by the Fairfax County Park Authority
on property formerly occupied by
Lorton Prison, a facility of the DC
Department of Corrections. Love
said, “We were given ample land
by the Park Authority to design the
golf course for best management
practices. It was a great opportunity
to provide resource conservation
while preserving the environmentally
sensitive areas that existed throughout
the site.”
With resource conservation
directing all components of the
design, the cumulative result is an
efficiently managed course inherent
with the site’s character that offers an
engaging test of golf for all players.
Highly maintained areas of turf grass
are utilized as necessary for proper
play and minimized elsewhere. Large
areas of low maintenance rough area
and non-maintained conservation
areas are incorporated throughout the
holes. Turf grass selection was based
on disease and drought resistance, as
well as quality playing conditions.
Irrigation system controls allow
water to be applied sparingly when and
where necessary. Rainwater draining
from a good portion of the site is
collected into the irrigation pond.
To supplement rainwater, effluent
is pumped from a nearby sewerage
treatment plant. The management of
the course is based on the premise
that playing surfaces can be of high
quality while drier than usual, and
that it is acceptable for turf grass, like
native grass, to go slightly off color.
This premise was clearly evident in July
2013 when mild drought conditions
and consecutive days of temperatures
over 100 degrees did not prevent
Laurel Hill from presenting exceptional
playing conditions while hosting the
United States Amateur Public Links
Championship.
•
11
A 5.3 acre lake at Rock Wind Community Links in New Mexico will store 13.5 million
gallons of effluent and provide alternative uses to attract a wider community
At Laurel Hill,
the management
of the course is
based on the
premise that
playing surfaces
can be of high
quality while
drier than usual
