With a heritage stretching back to the 14th century, Dyrham Park Country Club seeks to provide nothing short of excellence for its members, boasting a course designed by C.K. Cotton ranked No.12 in Hertfordshire by Top 100 Golf Courses. Given this desire to offer top quality golf, the continued issues with standing water on a number of the course’s greens have proven increasingly intolerable to members and greens staff alike.
Seeking advice from his peers, Dyrham Park Head Greenkeeper Don Wilson reached out to colleagues at other clubs, and heard consistent praise for Turfdry’s unique drainage system using Hydraway Sportsdrain as a cost effective solution for waterlogging.
An alternative to conventional plastic pipe, Hydraway Sportsdrain delivers maximum drainage efficiency with minimum disruption to existing turf; it intakes water 3-times quicker, is installed in trenches only 50mm wide, and is even effective at zero-gradient – thanks to its unique construction that offers unparalleled clog-resistance, whilst maintaining optimum filtration.

In addition to the anecdotal evidence from other greenkeepers – who had experienced the Turfdry Drainage System first-hand, at one of the 60+ courses Turfdry have helped nationwide during 20 years of successful operations – further evidence to Hydraway’s effectiveness was offered by an independent telephone survey undertaken by STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute) in 2003, which reported 100% of clients contacted found the system to be effective.
Design of the drainage system was facilitated by a state-of-the-art GPS survey of the land, undertaken by Turfdry at the club’s request. This information can be used to study surface hydrology, providing an understanding of how water moves across the course, and how the contours of the land will dictate the optimal design of the drainage system – amongst other uses.

Combined with additional levels information gathered on-site, this ensures the optimal effectiveness of solutions offered by Turfdry. Furthermore, survey information can provide a fundamental wealth of information that allows for holistic planning of wider alterations to the course over a number of years – something that is becoming increasingly popular with clubs seeking to raise playing standards in the face of increasingly unpredictable and adverse weather conditions.
Works took place in the autumn, with one of Turfdry’s two fully-equipped teams – working in close liaison with the club staff to ensure smooth and amicable operations – installing the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain on seven greens.

The club have expressed great pleasure with the both the success of the installation and the subsequent results, and immediately contracted Turfdry to return to the club to drain the remaining greens. If you have persistent issues with waterlogging on your course – be it on greens or fairways – be sure to get in touch with Turfdry today!