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Title: Profiling USGA putting greens using GPR - an as-built surveying method

Author
item FREELAND, ROBERT - University Of Tennessee
item Allred, Barry
item SOROCHAN, JOHN - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/23/2013
Publication Date: 9/1/2014
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/59963
Citation: Freeland, R.S., Allred, B.J., Sorochan, J.C. 2014. Profiling USGA putting greens using GPR - an as-built surveying method. Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics. 19(3):167-174.

Interpretive Summary: Golf course greens that are constructed to U.S. Golf Association (USGA) standards must adhere to strict installation specifications in order to maintain proper subsurface drainage. Insufficient drainage affects turfgrass health and can compromise playability of the putting surface. Because the infrastructure is buried, it can be difficult to ascertain if these drainage pipes were properly installed. A new tool was developed using real-time kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies integrated with ground penetrating radar (GPR) to non-intrusively identify drainage pipe slope and spacing within a golf course green. This new tool also determines the depth and thickness of the sand and gravel layers beneath the green. Maps generated by this system highlight conformity (or lack thereof) to the design specifications. These findings suggest that this tool supplies a relatively inexpensive method to determine adherence to USGA standards after golf course green construction. This information is useful to golf course managers and installers.

Technical Abstract: Golf course greens that are constructed to U.S. Golf Association (USGA) standards must adhere to strict installation specifications in order to maintain proper subsurface drainage. Because the infrastructure is buried, it can be difficult to ascertain if these drainage pipes were properly installed. Insufficient drainage affects turfgrass health and can compromise playability of the putting surface. Repairs to the golf course green subsurface drainage system are expensive and laborious. This study introduces a nonintrusive survey protocol that combines real-time kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies and ground penetrating radar (GPR). A case study was used to examine a golf course green designed using the USGA specifications. The conducted RTK-GPS and GPR survey protocol created “as-built” subsurface maps. The protocol non-intrusively identified the drainage pipe slope and spacing. It also determined the depth and thickness of the sand and gravel layers beneath the green. The green adhered to the drainage pipe spacing criteria, but failed to meet specifications as to drainage pipe slope and sand layer depth. Maps by the RTK-GPS and GPR survey protocol highlighted conformity (or lack thereof) to the design specifications. These findings suggest that this protocol supplies a relatively inexpensive method to determine adherence to USGA greens standards.