At Royal Golf Club’s new Queen’s course in Hanoi, the team needed greens that could withstand rocky terrain, heavy rainy-season rainfall, and limited suitable sands while maintaining balanced air and water porosity. By replacing the traditional gravel layer with a 25 cm blend of Profile® Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens Grade™ and locally available sand, they engineered a simple, functional, and robust root zone. The mix improved drainage, aeration, and water and nutrient-holding capacity, delivering cost savings in construction and ongoing maintenance. Success on the Queen’s course led to continued use of PPC Greens Grade on the King’s course to enhance drainage and reduce compaction.
Key Points
- Rainy-season conditions of 12–22 cm (5–9 in) of rain per month and limited suitable sands required a greens mix that balanced air and water porosity.
- The team replaced the gravel layer with a 25 cm (9.8 in) blend of Profile® Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens Grade™ and locally available sand to create a consistent, long-term root zone.
- PPC Greens Grade helped stabilize air porosity at 25.7% and water porosity at 19.2%, with infiltration at 156.1 cm/hr (61 in/hr), while reducing pressure that makes turf susceptible to insect or disease damage.
- The solution saved money on greens construction and ongoing inputs, and success on the Queen’s course drove regular PPC Greens Grade maintenance applications on the King’s course.
