Applying sand topdressing at regular intervals is a best management practice for producing healthy, well-performing putting greens. Having good quality sand makes the application process simpler and less disruptive to golfers. Therefore, many golf courses only purchase select sands that go through numerous screenings and washing processes. Some of these sands will even undergo a final kiln drying step.

The number of steps involved in preparing the sand along with the distance it must be transported impact the final cost. It is not unusual for a golf course to spend between $50 to $80 per ton for a topdressing sand. Bunker sands could be even more expensive. The premium angular sands that are being used in bunkers nowadays are around $100 to $120 per ton, or more.

When you consider a typical 18-hole golf course may purchase 150 to 200 tons of topdressing sand each year just for their putting greens and occasionally a similar amount of bunker sand, the total expenditure on these grains is not insignificant. Losing just 20% of the material due to poor storage can result in thousands of dollars of waste.

There are simple steps that can be taken to reduce such waste. At minimum, any sand that is purchased should be stored on a concrete slab. You don’t want it mixing with the underlying ground and becoming contaminated with rocks, silt and clay. Avoid asphalt pads as the material can easily break under the down pressure of a scooping bucket. You don’t want any chips of asphalt ending up on your greens and damaging a mower reel.

Ideally, you will want to have separate storage bins for each of your most used bulk materials. Many golf courses will have a distinct spot for topdressing sand, bunker sand, gravel and mulch. Reinforce the sides of the bins so that you can push against them to pack material and to assist with loading. Adjust the height of the walls so that you can fit a standard truckload of material.