I found this old clay drain tile on the golf course last week, on the 15th hole. Clay drain tile like this was installed from the 1920's up till the 1960's (I'm guessing). It is still available today (I'm not sure the use or why you would choose this over plastic pipe) but obviously plastic perforated pipe is more economical. These 12" sections were butted up to each other and the joints served as a way for water to seep into the pipe. This is why it's known as seepage drainage or weeping drain tile. It was common on golf courses and farms as well as the perimeter of houses as a way to move ground water away from the foundation and basement.
While clay tile like this is common and in no way a rare find, when I see it, I always think back to those days when it was installed. I specifically wonder how it was shipped given it's heavy weight. It is also very fragile and I can only assume that for every pallet purchased, several pieces had to break during the shipping process, let along getting them out on site. When we find these on the golf course, they are often packed full of mud and roots because the large gaps left between each tile allowed too much debris to enter the pipe.
It's still an interesting find because most times they are broken when we find them. This one is completely in tact. The typical clay tile we see is terracotta, just like a orange flower pot. This particular tile is heaver and of better quality than the other we've dug up on the golf course.
