SandSave founder Bob Tunno and partner Rick Amendolea joined Golf Course Industry's Superintendent Radio Network along with Rick Pagett, SandSave's director of market development, and superintendent Tom Fisher. The conversation covers bunker maintenance, the economics of bunkers, and how active drainage changes what happens after a heavy rain.

Listen below, or on the Golf Course Industry website.

Prefer another player? Listen on Apple Podcasts or open the episode on Spotify.

“We know the bunkers are a problem, but we’re waiting on a renovation.”

Sometimes that’s true. Often, it’s a placeholder for doing nothing, for years.

Bunkers are the #1 thing golfers say needs work on their course, ahead of tees and fairways¹.

Doing nothing is a decision and has a cost. Lost rounds/members and wasted dollars to replace sand that is cosmetic and fixes nothing. One course tracked its reactive bunker cleanup at $35,000 a year and climbing, on pace to pass $400,000 over a decade². A full renovation fixes it, but it can cost anywhere from $550,000 to several million³, which is exactly why it keeps getting put off. That kind of money is a down payment on a new golf course but it is difficult to impossible to overcome the cost impact on the future of your course.

You don’t have to choose between doing nothing and doing everything. SandSave plus a simple bunker maintenance routine tackles the same root problem, at a fraction of the cost, with no capital approval needed.

As shown in SandSave drain-time data, faster evacuation of standing water reduces the time contaminants remain suspended in bunker sand. 

SandSave can flush and evacuate water-borne fines and contaminants, supporting better sand performance and faster recovery after flooding. 

SandSave doesn’t just remove water — it helps remove what the water carries with it 

SandSave helps: • Rapidly evacuate standing water • Pull water downward through the sand profile • Carry suspended fines and debris toward the drain outlet • Reduce the time water remains in contact with sand 

Using SandSave to Support Sand Flushing 

Superintendents may use SandSave as part of a practical sand-maintenance approach by: 

• Allowing natural rainfall or controlled rinsing to mobilize contaminants 
• Letting SandSave actively evacuate water and suspended fines 
• Returning bunkers to play faster with less manual intervention 

The Bottom Line: 

If bunker sand problems are driven by water that won’t leave, SandSave can help improve drainage, support sand flushing, and restore playability — without rebuilding bunkers. 

SandSave® is a patented drainage solution. Performance varies based on site conditions, sand type, and drainage infrastructure. U.S. Patent No. 11,866,925