What is SMRC? USGA Releases Ultimate Guide to Bunker Sands

We now have an updated document from the USGA on how to select the best bunker sand. It is a detailed article that deals with nine key sand characteristics and provides practical guidelines on how to select the best sand for various bunker conditions and styles. It also raises one very important aspect which all of us have been discussing for a long time now, the SMRC (Soil Moisture Release Curve).

The fact that moisture control plays a significant role in bunker sand conditions has been known for many years by superintendents, but now we finally have a great guide to explain how to get it right. Capillary Concrete is the only bunker liner on the market that truly allows for a course to individually adjust the moisture levels and optimize the sand conditions, and this is something that we have developed over a 10-year period. The recently introduced Capillary Wash Box is the only product on the market that allows for sand to be adjusted after installation and coupled with the patented Capillary Bunkers, this system finally gives a superintendent all the tools needed to get the sand just perfect in every bunker, regardless of outside moisture conditions!

This new USGA guide confirms the significant importance of the number of fine particles and how they relate to moisture levels in the sand at different depths. There are other aspects of bunker sands that also are important, but the amount of fine particles and how they relate to the SMRC is very well explained here by the USGA, and we recommend every golf manager to study this article. With the Capillary Wash Box, we are able to adjust the amount of fine particles in any bunker without having to remove and replace the oftentimes very expensive sand, a very sustainable solution to a difficult management problem.

We have said it for many years, and our customers have confirmed it – bunker sand moisture control is extremely important for success!

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