On a golf course, insects are often seen as the enemy. Deep down, we know they DO have benefits—they pollinate the flowers and underground insects can cause natural aeration. But otherwise, they are a nuisance and can cause major damage to your turfgrass.
Which turf do you prefer for athletic fields: artificial or natural grass? Though some feel artificial is the winner due to its low maintenance and cost savings, natural grass fields have many winning qualities. Installation costs are low (if at all) and many consider it the safer surface of the two for athletes—which, in the end, should be the number one priority for athletic facility managers (not only to make sure no one gets hurt, but the facility is liable if there’s an injury).
Winter is just around the corner, so as course traffic begins to slow for many clubs in the North, that doesn’t mean the course maintenance does. If you think about it, during the prime golfing season, a super’s focus is on general course maintenance and making sure daily play is the best it can be. But during the months when it’s too cold for golfing, this is the time to catch up, get organized and start planning for the next year. Here are some suggestions to help you be prepared come spring. Can you check all of these off your list?
Though most golfers focus on getting to the green, most of their time is spent in the fairways. After all, fairways account for, on average, 29% of the overall property, while greens are only 3.2%. Therefore, it would make sense that creating fabulous fairways would be a focal point for golf course supers, ensuring the grass has uniformity, with smoothness and good density. How does one achieve that? Here are the four key ingredients.
It's been a hell of a year, and it's only June. It's likely to be rough for awhile. Courses across the US were shut down as early as March, and only in the last month have slow streams of players been allowed back on, and with stringent restrictions. No golfers means no revenue and boards are tightening the purse strings for supers. The problem is, if you want a viable course when players are back in full swing, you can't just stop maintaining it for a couple months. But, we've been here before. We learned some valuable lessons in 2009 and these are five important takeaways on what you can, and what you can't, sacrifice in a time like this.
Successful golf course grounds all start with healthy soil. Course managers need to care for it, maintain it, and most definitely, test it. If the nutrients are off in the soil, it can have a waterfall effect, messing with everything on the course. By having it tested, you can cut problems off before they begin by looking at it in depth and making sure it’s balanced. Therefore, it’s important to dig down and understand soil testing.
A lot of people can get turned off by the term consultant. Sounds like a middle man, an extra step that adds cost to a project that can be avoided with a little research and legwork. But, I assure you, when it comes to creating a vibrant, lush golf course, bringing in an expert that uses testing and data to back up recommendations can be an absolutely invaluable move. So just what do I do?
You hear me talk A LOT about potash applications and the importance of potassium levels for plant health and recovery. I don’t talk much about the actual golf and equipment traffic, but it is important for that too. This research focuses on silicon and how those products are sold to aid in wear and recovery. Take a look and see what you think.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 30+ years playing or working on golf courses, it’s that I’m never done learning. It’s impossible to know it all, and it’s an industry where change is constant. But, there are a few things I’ve witnessed throughout my time about superintendents and what makes the best ones. Here are a couple of mistakes I’ve seen made that could be the difference between amateur and pro status.
Sulfur is one of those elements that seems simple enough, but I often have conversations about it. Some clients worry about too much, some clients want more. There are a couple of "lanes" people choose on sulfur and once they are in the lane it is hard to get out! I hope this summary on sulfur will help clarify some misconceptions.
With many places that I work, the soils are high pH and often calcareous. I have seen sulfur on soils tests that are so high, you would think it was a sample from a bag of elemental sulfur. Take a look and as I see you in the upcoming weeks, we will have something to chat about.