No feature on a golf course consumes labour the way bunkers do. Raking, edging, pumping out after rain, replacing contaminated sand and rebuilding washed-out faces can take a large share of a crew week. The construction method decides most of that. Here are the main methods, how they perform in Indian conditions, and why SGDC India builds with the Capillary system.
1. Unlined bunkers
Sand placed directly on the subgrade with a drain line in the floor. The cheapest to build and the most expensive to own. Rain washes the faces into the floor, soil and clay migrate up into the sand, and within a few seasons the sand is contaminated and the drain is clogged. In a monsoon climate these bunkers fail quickly.
2. Fabric and geotextile liners
A woven or non-woven fabric between subgrade and sand. It slows contamination and protects the drainage layer but does little against washouts on faces, tears under rakes and edging tools, and eventually lets fines through. Lifespan is often shorter than the sand it was meant to protect.
3. Sprayed and polymer-bound liners
A bound aggregate layer sprayed or poured over the subgrade. Better separation and durability than fabric, with drainage through the aggregate. Performance depends heavily on the contractor, the binder and the thickness achieved on the faces.
4. Capillary bunkers
A two inch homogenous layer of patented Capillary Material placed over a drainage layer, mixed on site from a volumetric truck so every batch is the same. The material drains at 100 inches per hour, withstands over 1000 PSI, and, unlike every other liner, moves moisture back up into the sand. That is what keeps faces in place in a storm. Capillary Edge locks the designed shape of the bunker, and the Capillary Wash Box lets the crew wash contaminated sand in place instead of replacing it. The system carries a 15-year performance guarantee.
What matters in India
- Monsoon intensity. Indian courses can receive 100 mm in a night. Drainage rate and face stability are not optional.
- Sand supply. Quality bunker sand is expensive and often far away. A system that lets you wash sand rather than replace it changes the economics.
- Labour. Bunker labour is where most Indian courses can save the most hours. Superintendents report cutting bunker hours by two thirds after a Capillary renovation.
- Edges. Native-style, revetted and low edges are all possible with Capillary Edge, so the architect keeps the look and the crew stops rebuilding edges.
Renovating existing bunkers
Most SGDC bunker projects are renovations, not new builds. The existing bunker is reshaped, a drainage layer and pipe laid, Capillary Material placed and primed, edges fitted and new or washed sand installed. A course can be renovated in phases without closing.
Talk to us
SGDC India is the listed Capillary Flow partner for India and builds bunkers with the same crews that have delivered more than 40 course projects. See the Capillary Bunkers page for the full system, or contact us with your bunker count and we will come back with a phased plan.
