As clubs consider updating their facilities and renovating elements of their clubs, and especially their golf courses, it’s important to understand the lifecycle of key golf course components. Knowing when items need to be updated and how long new renovations can be expected to last helps clubs stay ahead of capital planning budgets.
Component life spans can vary, depending upon the location of the golf course, the quality of materials used in construction, the original instillation of course elements, and consistency of maintenance practices. Golf leaders should work with their golf course architects, superintendents and others to assess the longevity of their particular course’s components, but the below chart provides a rough estimation of the lifespan of certain course elements.
How Long Should Parts of the Golf Course Last?
| Item | Estimated Lifespan |
| Greens* | 15 – 30 years |
| Bunker Sand | 5 – 7 years |
| Irrigation System Irrigation Control System PVC Pipe (under pressure) Pump Station |
10 – 30 years 10 – 15 years 10 – 30 years 15 – 20 years |
| Cart Paths – Asphalt (assumes ongoing maintenance after instillation) | 5 – 10 years (or longer) |
| Cart Paths – Concrete | 15 – 30 years |
| Practice Range Tees | 5 – 10 years |
| Tees | 15 – 20 years |
| Corrugated Metal Pipes | 15 – 30 years |
| Bunker Drainage Pipes | 5 – 10 years |
| Mulch | 1 – 3 years |
| Grass | Varies as new varieties enter the marketplace, based on disease and climate tolerance |
*Greens – several factors can weight the decision to replace greens: accumulation of layers on the surface of the original construction, the desire to convert to new grasses and response to changes in the game from an architectural standpoint (like the interaction between green speed and hole location).
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Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Golf Course Architects.