Devin Rice at Fox Chapel GC

A Pennsylvania Raynor Gem Relies on Bunker Solution

Devin Rice jumped into his first super’s job at Fox Chapel GC and immediately started prepping for a USGA championship last summer. He had plenty to worry about, but his bunkers were not an issue thanks to Bunker Solution. By Pat Jones

Devin Rice was well-prepared for his first big superintendent’s job at Fox Chapel GC thanks to seven years at Oakmont CC working with Dave Delsandro and the amazing team there. The 2017 Ohio State grad had absorbed much during his time at one of America’s greatest facilities.

“The thing I took away from Oakmont was knowing where to find the answers and learning how to problem solve,” says Rice. “They train people so well there that when adversity comes your way you know how to handle it.”

Rice had just 8 months to get his feet under him at the 1925 Raynor classic prior to the club hosting the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. “It was a full-on sprint to get the course championship-ready, but I enjoyed every aspect of it.”

He had some drainage projects to do and some work on the range tee, but otherwise his focus was on fine-tuning the putting surfaces and tweaking conditions to meet high standards.

His biggest takeaway? “It rained 5.5 inches of rain through the championship week. All the preparation leading up really paid off during the week. We were able to adjust on the fly. And thankfully the bunkers were not an issue.”

What did he know about the Bunker Solution liners he’d inherited? “We were working with the Fazio group who’d redone the course and installed Bunker Solution in 2020, and I quickly learned why they chose it.”

Bunker Solution being installed in Fox Chapel’s unique flat-bottomed Seth Raynor bunkers in 2020.

He says Fox Chapel’s unique, flat-bottomed Raynor bunkers are a penal part of the course and their positioning and design makes them critical to the course’s difficulty and beauty. “I’ve really never seen anything like them,” says Rice. “The shape of the bunkers really intensifies the difficulty and sharpens the challenge.”

What was his impression of Bunker Solution? “It was a different style and a different technology, but my overall impression was how resilient they are throughout the year. They preserved the integrity of our bunkers and kept them intact. When we get big rain events there’s very little sand movement, very little silt contamination and the bunkers drain like a sieve.”

Rice feels like the Bunker Solution technology provides a comprehensive, long-lasting solution. “They were installed five years ago, and I don’t see any issues coming up in the next five years with them. I don’t see any degradation or the liners popping up or issues like that. I can already tell the longevity is a big advantage for us.”

How did they hold up to that 5.5” of rain during championship week? “There was very little sand movement and the labor and time going into to restoring them was minimal. It was mainly just turning them over and giving them a good, clean finishing rake.”

He notes that when heavy rain caused play was suspended for 3-4 hours during championship week, his 30-person team was able to get bunkers back where they belonged in just an hour.

Rice says they also don’t have to worry as much about contamination issues. “With the Bunker Solution liner not having any gravel or contaminates underneath the sand, there are fewer potential fail points that could lead to problem.”

How about taking care of them for normal play? “Our ongoing program focuses on maintaining the course visuals and appeal plus ensuring the functionality and playability on a daily basis for the membership and our guests. That includes incorporating regular sand leveling, raking and inspections. And early in the year we’ll do a comprehensive comb through the course to add, move and level sand.”

And the water moves through quickly. “The drainage system is great. It reduces standing water and helps keep the sand in place.

Rice’s final thoughts about how Bunker Solution works for his course? “Overall, I think Bunker Solution was a great choice for the club, and it really allows us to maintain our bunkers in a way that supports the club’s high standards of quality and aesthetics. It really fits perfectly with our approach to course management.”

And it’s technology that lasts. “The sustainability and the long-term value that Bunker Solution provides here at Fox Chapel are so good. Overall, we’re really pleased with the performance.”