Spotlight on … EcoBunker

What are ecobunker best known for and what do you do that we might not know about?
I’m sure most people in the golfing industry associate EcoBunker Ltd with the construction of long lasting, low maintenance synthetic bunker edges using recycled artificial grass. Less well known, but gradually gaining recognition is the use of our revetted system in a modified form as a useful option for lake and pond edging, particularly on golf courses. Those who attended the recent EIGCA event at Gatwick will now know more about that. Least well known is perhaps our proven ability to successfully deliver relatively large golf course construction works. Until the summer of 2018 EcoBunker Ltd was comfortable with construction projects ranging from 1 to 10 bunkers, although back in 2016 we had a taste of a larger project, acting as the management contractor on a 53 bunker renovation of Secession GC, South Carolina. Then Landscapes Unlimited presented us with the opportunity to be the main bunker sub-contractor on the new Dumbarnie Links. It was a bold decision to commit a 6 man team for 16 weeks, to build 70 large revetted bunkers, but I knew we had a strong core team featuring civil engineers, a Master Greenkeeper and a highly accomplished bunker shaper in Llewellyn Matthews. This project was a huge success for all concerned and following this success we have already committed to new large projects including The Valley GC, near Munich, and Longniddry in East Lothian.

What are you working on just now?
Principally, innovation. My background is as a civil engineering designer, and I spent over 25 years solving a wide range of technical problems. It is a habit: There’s always something that can be done better and we as a company are always researching more efficient and economic ideas. In the past I’ve regretted not being protective enough over my IP (Intellectual Property). I have learned the hard way and thus cannot provide much detail on most of our forthcoming developments; however over the next few weeks much of my attention will be focussed on one in particular: the likely granting of our patent pending EcoBunker Advanced system. This uniquely links stabilised soil backfill with a visible revetted fascia to provide superior strength and stability, compared with my original invention.

What are the biggest changes you have seen or been affected by in the last 10 years?
In late 2008 / 2009 the economic shockwaves were running through all industries, including particularly my sector, Construction. Although I was lucky to retain employment throughout, the 15 man team I had led soon got cut to just 4, all working a 4 day week. There was great uncertainty, and many friends and colleagues looked at additional part time work or new ventures that could provide a little extra security. I was no exception, and I turned to my hobby, golf course design for inspiration. Before I came up with the idea to use layers of synthetic grass on golf courses, I had been doing research into products that would help to reduce bunker erosion. 10 years ago there weren’t that many: Fabric bunker liners such as Terram or Sandtrapper, plus an emerging new system called Sportcrete and not many more. I didn’t know it at the time, but mainly through a bit of luck and good timing, I found myself at the start of a big change. Without doubt, in my opinion, over the past 10 years, the focus on bunkers, their cost to build and maintain, and the proliferation of new products that have emerged have had the biggest effect on the golf construction industry. It has, and continues to be an exciting and fast moving market within which to operate.

Based on your experiences what advice would you give Golf Course Architects?
I always harboured ideas of becoming a golf course architect and was on the verge of applying for the BIGCA diploma course in the mid 1990s. I think I possess some relevant skills. However, since working in this sector for nearly 10 years now, I have appreciated just how difficult this profession is. I have learned a lot from many of the world’s leading practitioners. Given the respect I have gained, I feel reluctant to give any advice, but if pushed I think it would be this: Try and develop and maintain your own style, don’t be afraid to take a few calculated risks with design features and construction methods and don’t get too far removed from what appeals to the everyday golfer, upon whom we all, ultimately rely on. I am more inclined to offer advice to golf club management bodies, and that would be, when it comes to design advice, the cheapest is almost never the best value. Always engage a professional designer and thoroughly check their credentials and suitability for your project before a commitment.

What interesting environmental initiatives have you been involved with or seen installed on a golf course?
I have been a Greens Chairman, and in a second spell years later I served very actively on a Greens Committee. An initiative that I persuaded my golf club to take was to enter the Golf Environment Awards run by the STRI. I led an initiative to restore woodlands (much of much had been lost to acts of vandalism in previous years), implement land drainage and designed a new pond. The club made the final and eventually won the 2010 Award for Water Management Project of Year in recognition of the innovative, economical and effective land drainage solution that I had surveyed, designed and supervised. A huge amount of work was involved and the outcome was highly rewarding. With respect to the bunker edging work, almost all our materials are recycled and at a rough estimate, since I invented the idea 10 years ago, this concept has resulted on over 10,000 tonnes of material being diverted from landfill and put to beneficial second use. A delegate at the recent EIGCA Gatwick event, who has used our product proudly said that when building synthetic edges, he was giving our material a ‘Final Resting Place’. I liked that!

For more information go to www.ecobunker.co.uk