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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Upgrades and alterations to Pelham’s Ballantrae Golf Club remain in full-swing as work proceeds on the course’s sand traps, bunkers and drainage infrastructure in the facility’s most recent round of renovations.

Work is now fully underway in the rehabilitation and modernization of the course’s bunkers and sand traps which have showed signs of their age in recent years. The work is not only reshaping the bunkers and traps to help with aesthetics and functionality but is also serving to revolutionize the drainage systems which had deteriorated to the point of ineffectiveness.

“We are utilizing a new product called capillary concrete to improve the drainage and create pristine playing conditions for customers,” Ballantrae General Manager Hal Brown said.

The use of capillary concrete is a relatively recent development in the golfing world, with its use only beginning roughly in 2010. The material is an engineered and polymer-based concrete that has the unique capability of being able to drain water while also allowing for it to move up and through the material. This allows for a consistent level of moisture to be maintained within the sand, soil and grass it is utilized in.

Primarily, the capillary concrete serves the purpose of preventing flooding, washouts and soil contamination on golf courses, which were all problems plaguing Ballantrae’s nearly 20-year-old course.

“This new product will also save on the labor hours needed to maintain the bunkers,” Brown said.

The work on the sand traps and bunkers, which will include the installation of the new capillary concrete, is expected to be completed in the next two months, with weather permitting.

For the safety of both workers and players, holes are being removed from play on the course as each hole’s area enters construction. Workers are also taking care to protect the grass of the course where possible by placing wooden boards on the grass when construction equipment, such as excavators, are required to drive over it.

Brown emphasized that the work has impressively not impeded the public enjoyment of the course, and that the course as a whole has remained open throughout the process, with each area only being closed off for one or two days at a time.

Other areas of Ballantrae have also seen improvement, with the clubhouse just finishing a number of upgrades and repairs.

“Renovations are in the final stages to repair water instruction and prevent future water damage in the clubhouse,” Brown said. “In addition, during this time we added a new enclosed area that we can utilize to host more events.”

That newly enclosed vestibule will also serve as a welcoming area for customers and visitors to the course and serve as one of the first areas that visitors to the course will see.

Once the current work on the sand traps and bunkers are completed, more work is already planned to move forward on repairs to the course’s cart paths, which have undergone cracking and deterioration.

“Specific sections of the cart path will be removed to allow the contractor to remove roots that caused the initial damage.  New concrete will then be installed to create a smooth surface for customers to drive across”

Those repairs are also expected to be finished within the next three months with a tentative June completion date.