Blackmoor Completes Major Drainage Improvement Project

General Manager Bob Zuercher and Superintendent Andy Traynham of Blackmoor Golf Club in Murrells Inlet, S.C., share their thoughts as the Grand Strand’s lone Gary Player signature design concludes an intensive, 5 1/2-month drainage improvement project that has dramatically improved the course’s ability to bounce back quickly from rainfall events.

Bob Zuercher:
We have completed a five and a half month drainage project here at Blackmoor Golf Club. We’re already seeing tremendous improvement in water management, if you will. The course is much drier. It returns to a playable status much more rapidly. We’re excited about that change in dynamics and what we’ll be able to do going forward.

Andy Traynham:
We’ve had situations where we get two inches of rain the night before, and especially in dry conditions, to where we can have carts ride fairways and there’s really no setbacks or restrictions, and it really just keeps the day-to-day golfer from the dissatisfaction of hearing the words “cart path only.”

Bob Zuercher:
Blackmoor will not be cart path only for weeks at a time. We know that the project is (helping Blackmoor in) returning back to a 90-degree status within 12 to 24 hours after a rainfall. It doesn’t mean we won’t ever be cart path only, it just means we now have the ability to return back to a drier status on a much more timely basis.

Andy Traynham:
Really kudos to my team for being able to do the day-to-day maintenance and allow me to focus a little more hands-on stuff with just the project and people involved and things of that nature.

Bob Zuercher:
I’d like to express a thank you and acknowledge the effort and design capabilities of Turf Drainage of America. That’s the company that actually engineered the system. I’d also like to express a thank you to Turf Drainage of Florida, which was the actual installation contractor. It was especially challenging to accomplish this project (while golfers were) in play. Although they have done work like that before, this was fairly unique for them as well. I’d like to acknowledge the effort of our staff as well, and the daily challenges of rerouting holes from day to day, sometimes on a daily basis. I think overall, all agencies did a fantastic job, and I just want to express an appreciation and a big thank you to all of those that worked with us.

Andy Traynham:
We want to change the dynamics of what people see when they come here, and I think we’re doing a great job of that. We can’t get it all done in a day. We can’t get it all done in a year, but we have a vision, and our vision is to change those dynamics, in which I think we’re doing a very good job at right now.

Bob Zuercher:
I really want to express my sincere appreciation to the people who continued to play us through the disruption, and of course, there was some disruption as we accomplished this project. People were very understanding, very cooperative. I think our staff did a great job of helping customers work through it, but again, very, very appreciative of the people that remained loyal and continued to play us through the process.