A. John Harvey from Porous Pave shares how a cart path investment can save time and money

Graphic: Golfdom Staff

There are plenty of options available to evaluate for cart path pavements on the golf course. So, what are some of the most important factors to consider when making a final decision?

• Environmental footprint;
• Permeability;
• Stormwater management ability;
• Life cycle; and
• Overall price point.

All of those factors together are important. It makes rubberized permeable pavement for golf course cart paths a wise choice on any course in any climate.

Rubberized, permeable pavement can offer superintendents many advantages over traditional materials, from economic to aesthetic.

For years, recycling consumable products and materials for a second or third-generation has been a conscientious goal of many consumers, governments and industries. Rubber tires are one of the most consumable products in the automotive industry. According to the Federal Highway Administration and Scrap Tire Management Council, American motorists discard approximately 280 million tires yearly. That’s approximately one tire for every person in the country.

Luckily, processed crumb rubber creates an ideal material for cart paths and bunker liners. Unlike concrete and asphalt, superintendents can stage and mix these materials on-site. They also create less collateral damage to the course, thanks to the use of small equipment and common hand tools during installation.

For all seasons

Another upside comes during the winter season, as high-rubber-content pavement acts like a giant expansion joint. The pavement can eliminate heaving and cracking, especially in climates impacted by dramatic freeze/thaw cycles. This means while rubberized and permeable pavement can be more expensive on the front end, typically, it’s less expensive over its entire life cycle.

Rubberized pavement can be incredibly permeable — allowing up to 5,800 gallons per hour through. This also helps reduce crumbling or fracturing associated with freeze/thaw cycles.

Studies have demonstrated that snow and ice tend to melt more rapidly on rubberized pavements than on concrete or others. In the hot summer months, some permeable rubber pavements are cooler than other traditional paving materials.

Added benefits

With water quality and quantity regulations and concerns at a premium in today’s world, rubberized pavement can be a smart environmentally-sound solution. In concert with drainage collection systems, permeable pavements can provide captured runoff for positive reuse in rain gardens, irrigation and bioretention areas. It is also able to release stormwater through the ground profile.

Poured-in-place paving or unit pavers incorporating recycled tires into the mix can also help dissipate point-source runoff discharge by enhancing infiltration into subsoil versus sheet runoff, which can unintentionally transport soil and nutrients into waterways.

Rubberized and permeable paving materials dramatically enhance playability and golfer enjoyment by absorbing ball bounce by up to 73 percent.

Ease of installation is another selling point, as many rubberized pavements can be installed over existing concrete and asphalt cart paths.