At the Patriot Hills Golf Course in Stony Point, NY, steep slopes, clay-loam soils and on-course water features created a high risk of erosion, sediment transport and potential NPDES issues during construction. Flexterra® FGM® Flexible Growth Medium® was selected as a more cost-effective alternative to sod, erosion control blankets, loose straw and hydromulch. Applied with seed and fertilizer at an average rate of 3,800 pounds per acre over about 20 acres, Flexterra provided immediate erosion control, high water-holding capacity and a secure growth medium. The treated areas showed little runoff or washing and produced a good, uniform turf stand within five to six days, even during intense rainstorms.
Key Points
- Addresses erosion on about 20 acres of sloped fairways, roughs and areas around greens, tees and bunkers with clay-loam soils and adjacent ponds and wetlands.
- Chosen over loose straw, hydromulch, sod and erosion control blankets; material and installation costs are about half those of sod.
- Flexterra FGM uses crimped man-made and wood fibers that create a strong mechanical bond, retain up to 15 times their weight in water and form an interlocking matrix for erosion control and germination.
- Field results at Patriot Hills showed little runoff, no washing where Flexterra was applied and seed germination in about five to six days, even during storms delivering one inch or more of rain in two hours.
