PRO/ANGLE BENEFITS
®
Pro/Angle® bunker sand offers significant benefits, far surpassing other golf sands in multiple ways
Meticulous production process yields unmatched performance.
Traditional sand mining involves extracting loosely compacted material from sand deposited in land, rivers, or dunes. Generally, heavy equipment such as an excavator removes the material from the ground. From there, the sand is washed and separated into different sizes through a screening process. Sands from these mining methods are typically used in concrete and asphalt production and other commercial construction applications. These particles are round, sub-rounded, or sub-angular in shape, formed naturally by water or wind over time.
Pro/Angle is dramatically different than traditional sand.
The process to mine and manufacture Pro/Angle® Bunker Sand differs substantially from the way traditional sand is made. The raw materials used to make Pro/Angle are found in mines containing a conglomerate of silica quartz sand and gravel bound together by pressure and deposited by glaciers millions of years ago. These high purity deposits are drilled, blasted, then excavated from mineral-rich Ohio quarries. Once extracted, the silica quartz is washed, processed, and crushed to create angularity. After that, it is rewashed, screened into size, and washed one final time remove fine particles that inhibit drainage and impact moisture retention.
Producing Pro/Angle takes great effort, but the result is a durable, long-lasting, premium bunker sand with unmatched performance characteristics.
Reduced maintenance labor
Unlike round sand pebbles, the angular shape of Pro/Angle resists movement by water. This dramatically reduces maintenance after rain events, virtually eliminating the need for sand push-up. Since the strength created by the angular particles enables sand to stay in place on slopes, it reduces the amount of labor required after a day of play.
High hardness / high silica content
If you are not familiar with the Mohs Hardness Scale, it is a standard scale used to rank a mineral’s hardness. A mineral’s position on the 1-10 scale is based on its ability to scratch lower-rated minerals. Talc is classified as a 1, while diamonds are rated as 10. Being derived from Quartz (SiO2), Pro/Angle is ranked 7 on the scale, having a hardness similar to steel.
At 99.3% pure quartz, there are no soft particles in Pro/Angle such as coal, shale, clay, or carbonates typically found in regular sand that can cause it to break down. Pro/Angle’s geology contributes to its long life span and excellent drainage performance. We know of several installations that are over 20 years old and still being played with their original Pro/Angle bunker sand! So, it’s not just the angularity of Pro/Angle that makes it a high performer but also its geology.
High-purity chemical composition
Pro/Angle is nearly pure silicon dioxide (also known as SiO2, silica, or quartz). It is free from contaminants like calcium carbonate (limestone) that can cause sand to break down more quickly, inhibit drainage and reduce its useful life. Pro/Angle is an extraordinarily durable sand that plays well and keeps bunkers draining efficiently year after year.
99.3
%
SIO
2
Ideal geology
The nearly 100% pure silica we mine to produce Pro/Angle was deposited during the Devonian Period 416 million to 358 million years ago. While silica is the most common constituent of sand, finding it in such a high purity is what makes Pro/Angle’s geology so unique. Having this remarkable purity level means our sands are free from contaminants such as clay, coal, and calcium carbonate, which break down and impact playability, drainage, and product lifespan.
Why other bunker sands are not the same as Pro/Angle
Other sands may resemble Pro/Angle in some measurements, such as particle size or color, but no sand is the same as Pro/Angle. There are geological characteristics that differentiate sands from one another. These physical properties are nearly impossible to control. Either you have the ideal mineral in the ground, or you don’t.
For example, a mine with calcareous sands containing calcium carbonate tend to form a crust on the sand’s surface and form a cemented, hard layer beneath the sand’s surface. Sands with coral or limestone are especially prone to this hardening. Pro/Angle Bunker Sand is free from calcium carbonate, eliminating the possibility of crusting and cemented surfaces that affect the quality of a golf course.
Geology and mineral composition should be a key factor for evaluating bunker sands because it impacts how well a sand performs in essential measures, including:
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Particle size
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Particle shape
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Uniformity coefficient
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Infiltration rate
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Penetrometer test (fried egg test)
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Angle of repose
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Acid reaction
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Color
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Durability
Pro/Angle is the industry leader in all these metrics that define a premium, high-performing bunker sand. Click here to see independently verified data and learn how we measure up.
Unique angular particle shape
Particle shape is another important factor that determines the performance of a bunker sand. “Sphericity” is the term used to describe the particle shape of sand. Sand with a high degree of sphericity is round or almost round. Since Pro/Angle has sharp and well-defined angular edges, it has low sphericity.
Pro/Angle’s sharp and well-defined 100% angular sand particles offer:
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Well-compacted sand that stays in place
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Resistance to compression from golf balls, reducing the occurrence of the dreaded “fried egg” lie
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Reduced bunker wash-outs after rain events, significantly lessening the maintenance required to make the course ready to play
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Movement resistance, providing more stable and consistent footing for golfers than round sands typically used for topdressing applications
Pro/Angle’s larger particle size and high distribution permit better drainage.
Particle size and distribution also affect how a sand handles drainage and moisture. The distribution of particle sizes is referred to as the uniformity coefficient (UC). Bunker sands composed of small sand particles with a low UC will have impacted pore spacing that causes the bunker to drain slowly. Additionally, those tightly packed particles can retain moisture, degrading the performance of the sand.
These images show grains of three different types of bunker sands at the same level of magnification. See how easy it is to spot the particle size and shape differences.
Pro/Angle
Competitor 1
Competitor 2
Pro/Angle’s particle size is larger than most bunker sands, and it has a high uniformity coefficient. Together with its unique angular shape, these attributes allow Pro/Angle to drain at an industry-leading 66.8 inches per hour. Pro/Angle will retain just enough moisture to keep the bunker firm but not wet.
Dedicated logistics expertise
Pro/Angle Bunker Sand is made in Ohio and can be shipped to any destination in Canada or the contiguous U.S. with our complete logistics services that expedite the delivery of our products. We always consider the most cost-effective shipping method based on order volume and your location. Most Pro/Angle bunker sand arrives by truck, but we also use rail and barge methods. The quality and performance of Pro/Angle make it worth the trip!
Truck
Being our most common transport method, we work with experienced trucking partners to fulfill our customers’ orders.
Rail
When distance and volume call for it, we have the ability to load and ship rail cars to cover the miles most efficiently.
Barge
For customers near ports on the U.S. inland river system, we load bulk material onto barges on the Ohio River destined for various ports.