Thanks mainly to the efforts of golf course maintenance company Pro Turf, Red Rock Country Club has made giant strides in its goal of returning its private golf course to the level of prestige it held years ago.

The latest step in the revitalization project was the completion of bunker renovation on 12 of the holes on the Arnold Palmer-designed Mountain Course. The work was completed utilizing Linebacker Bunker Liner®, and the results have been pleasing to members and management alike.
“We are very happy with all the bunker renovation,” said Red Rock General Manager Thom Blinkinsop. “It was a great time to make improvements.”

Pro Turf’s in-house construction crews refurbished over 27,000 square feet of bunkers.
“The bunkers they had out there were in horrible shape,” said Jeremie Smith, Technical Advisor for Linebacker Bunker Liner®. “They had rocks in them, and old liner was poking through the sand. The club has been trying to elevate itself, and the next step was to invest in re-doing greenside bunkers.”

The first action was excavating the bunkers – cleaning out the old liners and replacing them with Linebacker Bunker Liner®.

“There are many types of liners, and they all have their pros and cons,” said Red Rock Golf Course Superintendent George Folopoulos. “Linebacker fits in the middle of the price range, and that helps courses stay within their budgets. It does not let water seep through. It just hits the liner and flows to the drains.”

The biggest selling point for Linebacker Bunker Liner® is its simplicity. Linebacker is easy to install and very easy to work with and maintain. When adjustments are needed around the bunkers, this product allows the superintendent to do it in house, which is a great cost-saver. Even when just a small section needs repairs, Linebacker Patch Kit makes it easy for the superintendent.

Besides replacing the liner and sand, Folopoulos and his team renovated many of the bunkers.

“We re-shaped most of the bunkers we worked on,” he said. “Some of the faces had too severe of an incline so we softened them. Now you can easily get in and out of the bunkers. Some faces had lost their shape over the years and just didn’t look right. We improved the drainage in all of them and the playability as well.”

Despite having to work around member play, Pro Turf completed the project in six weeks – on time and under budget.

“They let the membership know that we would be doing the bunker work while they were playing,” said Folopoulos. “The members had been asking for the bunker renovation so they were understanding. We were pretty efficient in working around them.”

Pro Turf’s renovation work at Red Rock Country Club is not completed, but everyone seems pleased with the progress, especially GM Blinkinsop.

“The progress has been awesome and we are on the right track for the golf course to be the best it can be,” said Blinkinsop. “We will be making improvements on the rest of the bunkers and other areas in the next year. It’s nice working with the team members of Key Golf and do projects like the bunkers in-house.”

ABOUT Pro Turf

Pro Turf is an experienced and professional outsource golf course maintenance company servicing the Southwestern region of the United States. Pro Turf is a Nevada corporation that specializes in the care and maintenance of golf course facilities and has been involved in the industry for over 25 years. Pro Turf offers superior golf course maintenance, golf course construction, golf course renovation and agronomy programs.

Pro Turf also provides course owners with other services, such as: National buying power with leading vendors; policy and procedure manuals; training and educational seminars for staff; and the ability for owners to know their fixed costs when it comes to course maintenance.
For more information about Pro Turf call 702-315-5121.

ABOUT RED ROCK GOLF

There are three courses under the management of Thom Blinkinsop, all in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas. Red Rock Country Club is a private course that features a mountain-style 18-hole championship golf course with a challenging layout and stunning views. www.redrockcountryclub.com.

Arroyo GC at Red Rock is a challenging Arnold Palmer design that ribbons seamlessly through the rugged terrain and is nestled between the spectacular landscapes of Red Rock Canyon, with incredible views of the Vegas Strip, especially from Arroyo’s hole #7. www.thearroyogolfclub.com.

Siena, designed by Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt, is a very playable layout that provides a peaceful setting surrounded by the towering Spring Mountains. Approximately 90 deep, sprawling bunkers provide the course’s main line of defense. www.sienagolfclub.com.