Test before you construct

We have been fortunate to travel to various areas around the country to visit golf courses and witness the enormous amount of construction taking place. It’s amazing and a strong testament to the golf course industry currently. Also, we have had the unfortunate opportunity to see firsthand the disasters that can occur with improper material selection, poor material testing and testing protocols.

Golf course construction and renovation projects live or die by decisions that are often invisible once the grass grows in. Drainage layers, rootzones, bunker sands, gravel, liners and cap materials rarely get credit when things go right but they take the blame when performance fails. For superintendents tasked with protecting long-term playability and maintenance efficiency, material selection and testing are not optional boxes to check. They are risk-management tools.

One of the more common mistakes in construction projects is choosing materials based primarily on availability or cost. “What’s close?” or “What’s cheap?” are understandable questions, but they shouldn’t come first. The real question is whether a material performs as intended within the system it’s being placed into.

For example, not all sands drain the same, resist compaction the same, or behave consistently under traffic. A bunker sand that looks great in the stockpile might crust, compact or wash out once installed. A rootzone sand that technically meets particle size guidelines might still struggle if it lacks proper shape, stability or compatibility with organic amendments.

Superintendents should push for materials that are selected based on function within the profile, not just a spec sheet or supplier reputation. That means understanding how sands, gravels and amendments interact — and insisting that design intent matches real-world behavior.

Testing is the bridge between theory and reality. Lab results don’t guarantee success, but skipping testing almost guarantees problems.

Key materials — rootzone mixes, bunker sands, drainage gravels and liner interfaces — should be tested before construction, not after installation. Particle size distribution, infiltration rate, porosity, bulk density and angularity all influence performance. Testing confirms whether a material actually meets the design goals, rather than simply resembling them.

It’s also important to recognize that material sources can vary over time. A sand pit that produced consistent material five years ago might deliver something very different today. Periodic re-testing protects against gradual drift that can otherwise go unnoticed until issues surface on the course.

Testing alone isn’t enough — how materials are tested matters just as much as the results. Inconsistent sampling, improper blending, or non-standard lab methods can produce misleading data.

Clear testing protocols should define:

• Where samples are taken (stockpile location matters)
• How samples are blended and prepared
• Which standards are used (ASTM, USGA or project-specific)
• Who reviews and interprets results

Superintendents should advocate for apples-to-apples comparisons. If two sands are being evaluated, they must be tested under the same conditions, using the same methods, by the same lab whenever possible. Otherwise, decisions are being made on noise rather than signal.

Unlike mowing heights or fertility programs, construction materials can’t be easily adjusted once installed. A poorly chosen gravel layer can choke drainage for decades. An incompatible bunker sand can double labor inputs year after year. A flawed rootzone mix can limit agronomic potential no matter how good the maintenance program is.

Material testing and protocol discipline might feel slow during a fast-moving project, but they are far cheaper than remediation. Superintendents who are involved early — asking questions, reviewing test data and understanding material behavior — become advocates for the course’s future, not obstacles to construction schedules.

Today’s superintendent is not just a turf manager but a steward of infrastructure. By insisting on thoughtful material selection, proper testing and consistent testing protocols, superintendents protect playability, control long-term costs and reduce surprises.

Good construction decisions disappear into the ground. Bad ones resurface every day.

Dave Delsandro and Jeff Corcoran are former superintendents and co-founders of Agronomic Advisors, a consulting firm that assists and advises industry professionals on every aspect of golf course management. Contact them at dave@agro-advisors.com and jeff@agro-advisors.com.