(Travels with Terry) Ramp it up

Globetrotting consulting agronomist Terry Buchen visits many golf courses annually with his digital camera in-hand. He will share helpful ideas relating to maintenance equipment from the golf course superintendents he visits – as well as a few ideas of his own – with timely photos and captions that explore the changing world of golf course management.

Riding bunker rakes need to get in and out of the sand without damaging the bunker's lip.

It’s always an interesting challenge for a riding bunker rake to get into and out of a bunker without damaging the top lip of the bunker during the process. It’s difficult to enter and exit some bunkers because of steep faces, capes and mays. Getting in and out of these puts strain on a riding bunker rake’s engine and hydraulic system.

The bunker designs and routine maintenance practices shown in photos two and four show a 2-inch lip all the way around each greenside and fairway bunker for added aesthetic appeal in addition to providing a challenge for golfers and bunker rake operators.

Portable ramps aid in getting in and out of the bunkers.

This portable ramp uses three individual 10-inch-by-16-inch ramp sections that are 3/16-inch-thick, diamond plate aluminum for each wheel. The center ramp section for each wheel is pitched about 20-degrees and has a 1.5-inch square piece of aluminum tubing welded in place for added structural strength, providing a better angle of approach by each wheel when entering and exiting each bunker. There are two sets of 1-inch-long, heavy-duty chain links attached on either side of the top and bottom portions of the center ramp to keep the ramps on either side spaced properly for each of the three wheels when driving on them.

The heavy-duty hinges are welded in place and each ramp section folds back onto each other so the ramps can be easily transported in a storage basket located behind the operator’s seat (photo one).

The ramps can be folded and stored in a basket behind the operator's seat.

The ramps were made locally by a metal fabricating specialist. It took extra time to build the first set of ramps to get them just right, adding to the cost of time and materials. The ramps cost $400.

Ted Fist, golf course superintendent at the Wynstone Golf Club in North Barrington, Ill., came up with this novel idea after first making a prototype out of wood. The prototype was researched and tested by his maintenance staff before the aluminum finished product was conceived and built. GCN

Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is president of Golf Agronomy International. He’s a 35-year member of the GCSAA and can be reached at terrybuchen@earthlink.net.