At KN Golf Links Cam Ranh in Vietnam, Charles Graham and his team needed championship-quality greens that could withstand the region’s heavy rainy season while relying on on-site sand. Working with Profile Products, they amended locally excavated sand with Profile Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens Grade to achieve the right drainage rate, air porosity and water-holding capacity. The solution increased drainage rates by 25%, improved fertilizer efficacy and simplified water management, while avoiding the significant cost of importing sand. The resulting course has gained international attention and was recognized as the Best New Course in Asia.
Key Points
- Located by the ocean in Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam on an 800-hectare site with five kilometers of ocean frontage and some 50 meters of elevation change.
- Heavy rain season and the need to use on-site sand for greens and bunkers made water management and turf performance major challenges.
- Blending Profile Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens Grade with the on-site sand increased drainage rates by 25% and helped balance air porosity and water holding capacity so the sand could perform its best.
- The approach avoided an estimated cost of at least $125,000 to haul in another sand, gave fertilizers more efficacy, made water management much easier, and is expected to provide tremendous long-term maintenance benefits.
