Precipitation and Drainage

On May 25th 2011, MCC received 3.55 inches of rain over a 24 hour period.  The average in our area for the month of May is 3.0 inches of precipitation.  Not only did we receive that average in a day, our total rainfall for the month of May is 8.55 inches.  In April, MCC was coated with 6 inches of rain, twice the average for Northville, Mi (3.1").  Displayed are some photo's taken directly after/during the rainfall event on May 25th, 2011.  To date we stand 4th wettest spring on record with 3 weeks to go.



Drainage is one of the most useful tools a superintendent has in his arsenal.  Useful in respects to the ability to remove casual water (standing) from low lying and in-play area's.  Drainage is not limited to drain tiles and reservoirs either.  The soil itself is probably the most important aspect in surface drainage.  During the early years of the golf industry, courses were built to hold water in.  This attitude has shifted over the century and now sandy soils are more desirable to build on.  Here at MCC, the native soil is a loamy clay, which holds water longer than sandy soils.  However, we do have topography (changes in elevation specifically) working in our favor.  With our hilly terrain we can concentrate our casual water to specific areas, with the use of drain tiles, surveying and careful planning.  Here are some photo's taken hours after the heaviest of the rains on May 25th.