Tripp Davis has completed bunker renovation work at FarmLinks at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Alabama.

“We were asked to design and oversee a bunker renovation to replace the old structure and make the bunkers as strategic and as visually interesting as possible,” said Davis.

All bunkers on the course, which was originally designed by Dr Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry in 2002, have been filled with Tour Angle White sand and faces have been sodded with Zorro Zoysia. Golf Sculptors International handled construction work alongside shapers Luis Chavez and Eric Mendieta. Davis and his senior design associate Kyle Downs also changed fairway mowing lines to provide visual definition from the tee.

“The impact of the bunker renovation is huge for our golfers and our team,” said Robert Mitchell, golf course superintendent at Pursell Farms. “It’s already proven itself to be a labour-saving model. The 80 to 100 man-hours we used to spend repairing bunker washouts after a rainstorm is reduced to about 30 with the improved liner and drainage. The new Zoysia grass faces also improve costs as we’re not edging or pulling runners as often. Tripp and his team softened the slopes on most of the bunkers, which reduced the fried egg lie, and golfers can now walk in and out more easily. Add this to the bunkers being playable faster after rain, and the guest experience is greatly improved. Everyone won.”

Davis said: “Working with everyone at Escalante Golf, David Pursell, Robert Mitchell, and builder Bobby Holmes, Kyle Downs and I had a great team, and we could not be prouder of the results to give this great course another element to make it fun to play and simply to look at.”

David Pursell, CEO and co-founder of FarmLinks at Pursell Farms, said: “As an avid golfer and artist, I’ve always appreciated the work of golf course architects. As a golf course owner, I’ve been able to see a project go from planning, to routing, to growing in, then to final product. I enjoyed Tripp and Kyle’s thought process and artistry in making sure the new bunkers were visibly appealing, very playable, and easier to maintain.

“Each and every bunker was its own masterpiece. They both made many trips to the farm to oversee construction, sometimes making improvements mid-stride. Overall, I was extremely pleased with Tripp and Kyle’s hands-on approach. It has really upgraded the golf experience at FarmLinks, and I could not recommend them more!”