Marvel Engineers has provided ongoing civil engineering and drainage support to Redcliffe Golf Club. Initially, investigating immediate drainage impacts affecting Hole 10 and subsequently supporting the detailed design and delivery of improvements across other areas of the course, including Hole 2, the short game practice area and the Tranche 4 works across multiple holes.
The goal has been to develop practical, staged solutions that improve drainage, course accessibility and resilience while complementing the Club’s broader Master Plan.
Key objectives have included:
- reducing the time areas of the course are closed and improving playability following storm events
- improving the resilience of tees, greens, cart paths and other key course infrastructure to flooding, overland flows and tidal influences
- integrating drainage and earthworks solutions with the natural topography and existing drainage systems
- minimising redundant works and ensuring improvements remain compatible with the long-term the golf course Master Plan.
Starting out
Marvel’s initial investigations focused on understanding the site’s existing drainage behaviour and identifying practical interventions that could be implemented with minimal disruption to the operation of the golf course.
Investigations included:
- desktop review of available site information and historical data
- detailed site inspections and review of areas subject to frequent flooding and tidal inundation
- mapping site opportunities and constraints
- development and assessment of drainage and earthworks options
- preparation of indicative design cost estimates.
The site presented several constraints, including adjoining residential properties, environmentally sensitive areas and limitations within the existing downstream drainage network. These constraints reinforced the need for solutions that worked with the site’s natural drainage characteristics rather than relying solely on conventional piped infrastructure.
The detail
For the initial Hole 10 investigations, Marvel developed a three-dimensional representation of the course terrain to understand natural gradients and overland flow paths. This identified opportunities to enhance existing drainage corridors and use the course’s natural topography to manage stormwater while minimising construction complexity.
Marvel’s involvement subsequently expanded to Hole 2 and the short game practice area, working closely with Crafter & Mogford to support implementation of the Club’s Course Master Plan. The design incorporated catchment and stormwater calculations, formalisation of an overland flow path to manage stormwater from an existing surcharge pit, earthworks shaping through the fairway and green surrounds, and expansion of an existing water body.
For the adjacent short game practice area, Marvel assessed surface and underground drainage solutions, including the design of a swale along the eastern boundary and investigation of a piped drainage connection to the expanded water body. Survey and geotechnical investigations were also incorporated to support development of the earthworks and drainage design, ultimately utilising overland flow paths similar to the Hole 10 solution in lieu of the piped drainage option.
Marvel’s role has continued through the Tranche 4 works involving drainage swales and upgraded cart paths, undertaken around the interfaces between the tee areas for Holes 10 and 15 and the greens of Holes 9 and 14. Crafter & Mogford golf course architects, were responsible for all green and bunker designs, while Marvel extended the same integrated approach to drainage, earthworks and course infrastructure. The scope included improvements to the drainage flow path between the 9th and 14th green complexes, earthworks and bunding around the 10th and 15th tees, raised tee areas, and integration of proposed drainage paths with existing swales and the Hole 10 water body.
The Tranche 4 design also incorporates new and raised concrete cart paths, cart turnaround and standing areas, tie-ins to existing course infrastructure, and grading to direct surface water away from greens, bunkers and cart path low points. Marvel have prepared the associated civil construction documentation and are supporting the Operational Works approval process, including engineering assessment of flood and overland-flow impacts.
The solution
Rather than treating individual drainage issues in isolation, Marvel has developed solutions that consider how water moves through the broader golf course and how drainage, earthworks, cart paths and golf course features interact.
The approach combines nature-based drainage principles with targeted civil infrastructure, using existing flow paths and landform wherever practical while introducing engineered swales, earthworks, bunding, piped drainage and raised infrastructure where required.
For Hole 2, this means formalising overland drainage routes and integrating them with an expanded water body, while providing dedicated drainage solutions for the short game practice area.
For the Tranche 4 works, the focus shifts toward improving the flood resilience of critical course infrastructure. Raising selected tees and cart path sections, redirecting overland flows around key playing areas and connecting existing and proposed drainage corridors to reduce the impact of flooding and future washout while recognising the environmental and downstream drainage constraints of the site.
By coordinating closely with the golf course architects and developing solutions that can be incorporated progressively into the Club’s Master Plan, Marvel has helped create a practical framework for improving drainage and resilience across the course without losing sight of golf course playability and constructability.
The same principles apply more broadly to Marvel Engineers’ civil and transport infrastructure projects: understanding natural flow paths, working with existing site conditions and using targeted infrastructure can reduce unnecessary construction while delivering more resilient, practical outcomes.
Reach out to us for your civil design needs.
Read more about our work at Redcliffe Golf Club.
Read more about drainage in our article Understanding road drainage.