In the early days of golf courses, bunkers were created from burrowing sheep. Greenskeepers of the era viewed them strictly has hazzards and seldom, if ever, spent time maintaining these naturally created structures. In golf's golden era, the bunker became an important strategic component of design, yet maintenance efforts remained abbreviated. Once television brought golf to the masses, the aesthetic factors and desire for visually appealing structures placed maintenance pressures on the facility. In today's environment of ever tighter budgetary controls, golf professionals continually search for improvements in bunker maintenance.
Sandtrapper is the only bunker renovation product on the market designed specifically for applications in bunker settings. It is not a re-application of an existing product or a copied design. Each Sandtrapper product is a complete “ground up” design, incorporating over 40 years of erosion control expertise.
During the development of the Sandtrapper product back in the late 1990’s, considerable analysis was performed on the mechanics of water flow in bunker settings. The result was a specific selection of synthetic fibers and binders to create precise product characteristics that combat washouts or contamination. This resulted in two introductory styles -- Sandtrapper II (our premium performer) and Sandtrapper I.
Over the years, we've made additions to the product line-up. In 2004, we added a contamination-only choice with Sandtrapper GEO. In 2007, we added Sandrapper MD as a mid-range choice to fit between, Sandtrapper II and I. In 2011, we added Sandtrapper SL, a divergent technology for those looking at soft-loft product alternative.
Looking into what makes each Sandtrapper product style unique, you have to look at the denier of the synthetic fibers and the amount of binder used to fuse the high-loft matrix.
In many ways, a product such as a bunker liner may seem ordinary or common. In fact, the diverse technologies involved in manufacturing these products can produce a wide range of performance characteristics.
The selected fibers and binders that we develop create a “matrix” that is very distinct from one style to the next. This matrix is what defines each product and delivers the washout and contamination fighting properties professionals require. For the higher performance products such as Sandtrapper II and Sandtrapper MD, larger, thicker fibers (denier) are combined with greater binders to provide strength and durability. Lighter weight and less expensive products will use softer fibers and less binders. The guiding principle behind Sandtrapper is to deliver high performance and value for the selected application.
It has long been the philosophy of Sandtrapper product developers that the integrity of the three dimensional matrix is the single most important performance characteristic. That is why we incorporate higher denier fibers and stronger, more durable binders in the product line-up. When looking at products with lightweight fibers and binders, the matrix will compress under the load of just a few inches of sand.
Without the matrix intact, sand particles cannot be constrained. Water dynamics will force sand particles into an active state during rain events, increasing the occurrences of washouts. For this purpose, consider carefully your product choices and balance the need for value and price against performance in the bunker setting.