How we stimp the greens.
A member sent me an email inquiring about the status of our green speeds. It reads as follows;
Thanks for the question!
Like many private or semi private golf courses around the country, green speeds are often dictated by the club's clientele, a representative body of the clientele or the demand of the market. In our case we have a representative body in the form of a greens committee. The speed of the greens is decided based on the general wants and feedback from the membership. Last year the greens department was mandated to ensure that the green speeds ranged from 8.5 to 9 during the regular part of the season. This year, after some consultation with the members it was decided that the greens speed would be increased to 9.5. As of Saturday (during the 2 man best ball) the greens were stimping around 9.25. Today we had green speeds at 9.5.
There is always much discussion around green speeds, especially after the watching events like the US Open where the greens were stimping at 13. Essentially, there is a balance between the heath of the green and the green speed. If the greens are very fast it generally means four things. They are cut very short, less then .110 of an inch. They are very dry, as moisture in the leaf can increase friction. Thirdly, the ground beneath the turf is very compact, and finally the fertility is very carefully monitored and frugally applied. All of which are things that go against growing healthy grass. As the requirement for speed increases then the tipping point for the health of the greens becomes that much more precarious. In order to achieve a healthy green, and quick green speeds the balance must be maintained. At Oakfield we base our green speeds on a number of variables, not in the least of which is the continued health of the greens throughout the summer. Here are some of the other factors involved and how they effect green speed.
Mowing frequency.
During major PGA tournament the greens might be cut twice a day, once in the morning and then just before the first group goes out. Some courses cut twice first thing in the morning for special events, but continued "double cutting" can cause mechanical damage to the turf, and will most certainly stress the turf more than one cut a day would. During peak periods, mowing during the middle of the day is difficult as access to the course conflicts with availblity of tee times.
Height of Cut.
This is the second biggest factor in control of green speeds, less leaf, less friction on the ball. However, grass requires photosynthesis to respire and grow, by reducing the length of the grass blades, we reduce the plant's ability to recover from stressful events.
Rolling.
As a short term measure for increasing green speed rolling has become very popular in the past few years. With the advent of newer and cheaper machines, rolling has become more attainable to lower budget golf courses. Rolling does increase green speed, if only for a short period of time. The major drawback is increased compaction of the root zone and which will lead to increasing the number of aeration's (core and solid tines) throughout the season.
Moisture.
Reducing the amount of water put on a green from the irrigation cycle can speed up a green, but under-watering will stress the turf to a point of failure. Conversely, more water does not equate to healthy greens, as too much will prevent root development and make the plants unable to cope with heat stress.
Growth regulators.
These are relatively new products on the market for golf course maintenance, or rather the reliability of growth regulators are relatively new. With the advent of technology, these regulators are designed to prevent top growth or vertical growth. Application depends greatly on budget (as they are very expensive) and a time frame to apply them as they have to be repeatedly applied on a regular basis.
Annual Blue Grass Seed Heads
Annual blue grass seeds prolifically during periods of stress, as a means by which the plant defends itself. During this part of early summer the seed head form thick masses which create drag on the ball as it rolls. Right now, they are very visible on the greens, as bright yellow patches often mistaken for disease or drought stress.
Fertilizer.
Too much fertilizer in one dose will create excessive growth, to little will leave the plant unhealthy and less likely to survive stress. During period of forced stress, i.e. aerification, it is necessary to increase the level of fertility to aid in the recovery from cultural practices and then reign back to increase green speed.
Budget
Perhaps the single most important factor when considering the ability to manage the balance between a healthy group of greens and world championship level golf course. Budget not only dictates the level of complexity of care but also the level of quality of products necessary to meet the complexity. This ranges from equipment, personal and cultural inputs (water, fertilizer and pesticides) and to the monies invested in purchasing and maintaining each.
Schedule of Events
As of Saturday during the 2 man best ball the greens were stimping around 9.25. In order to speed them up and reach our mandated speed we verticut during the Tuesday maintenance hour. Here's a video of that process.
Another project we are working on is the installation of the Driving Range Mats. Here are some photos of that.
A member sent me an email inquiring about the status of our green speeds. It reads as follows;
"Hey
Adam,
Great job on
the Blog... I love seeing what’s going on! Keep it coming...
Wanted to
see how fast you like to see the greens rolling, what they are rolling now and
when we will see the faster speeds? They look great and seem to have come
through the aeration process very well... Keep up the great work! "
Thanks for the question!
Like many private or semi private golf courses around the country, green speeds are often dictated by the club's clientele, a representative body of the clientele or the demand of the market. In our case we have a representative body in the form of a greens committee. The speed of the greens is decided based on the general wants and feedback from the membership. Last year the greens department was mandated to ensure that the green speeds ranged from 8.5 to 9 during the regular part of the season. This year, after some consultation with the members it was decided that the greens speed would be increased to 9.5. As of Saturday (during the 2 man best ball) the greens were stimping around 9.25. Today we had green speeds at 9.5.
There is always much discussion around green speeds, especially after the watching events like the US Open where the greens were stimping at 13. Essentially, there is a balance between the heath of the green and the green speed. If the greens are very fast it generally means four things. They are cut very short, less then .110 of an inch. They are very dry, as moisture in the leaf can increase friction. Thirdly, the ground beneath the turf is very compact, and finally the fertility is very carefully monitored and frugally applied. All of which are things that go against growing healthy grass. As the requirement for speed increases then the tipping point for the health of the greens becomes that much more precarious. In order to achieve a healthy green, and quick green speeds the balance must be maintained. At Oakfield we base our green speeds on a number of variables, not in the least of which is the continued health of the greens throughout the summer. Here are some of the other factors involved and how they effect green speed.
Mowing frequency.
During major PGA tournament the greens might be cut twice a day, once in the morning and then just before the first group goes out. Some courses cut twice first thing in the morning for special events, but continued "double cutting" can cause mechanical damage to the turf, and will most certainly stress the turf more than one cut a day would. During peak periods, mowing during the middle of the day is difficult as access to the course conflicts with availblity of tee times.
Height of Cut.
This is the second biggest factor in control of green speeds, less leaf, less friction on the ball. However, grass requires photosynthesis to respire and grow, by reducing the length of the grass blades, we reduce the plant's ability to recover from stressful events.
Rolling.
As a short term measure for increasing green speed rolling has become very popular in the past few years. With the advent of newer and cheaper machines, rolling has become more attainable to lower budget golf courses. Rolling does increase green speed, if only for a short period of time. The major drawback is increased compaction of the root zone and which will lead to increasing the number of aeration's (core and solid tines) throughout the season.
Moisture.
Reducing the amount of water put on a green from the irrigation cycle can speed up a green, but under-watering will stress the turf to a point of failure. Conversely, more water does not equate to healthy greens, as too much will prevent root development and make the plants unable to cope with heat stress.
Growth regulators.
These are relatively new products on the market for golf course maintenance, or rather the reliability of growth regulators are relatively new. With the advent of technology, these regulators are designed to prevent top growth or vertical growth. Application depends greatly on budget (as they are very expensive) and a time frame to apply them as they have to be repeatedly applied on a regular basis.
Annual Blue Grass Seed Heads
Annual blue grass seeds prolifically during periods of stress, as a means by which the plant defends itself. During this part of early summer the seed head form thick masses which create drag on the ball as it rolls. Right now, they are very visible on the greens, as bright yellow patches often mistaken for disease or drought stress.
Fertilizer.
Too much fertilizer in one dose will create excessive growth, to little will leave the plant unhealthy and less likely to survive stress. During period of forced stress, i.e. aerification, it is necessary to increase the level of fertility to aid in the recovery from cultural practices and then reign back to increase green speed.
Budget
Perhaps the single most important factor when considering the ability to manage the balance between a healthy group of greens and world championship level golf course. Budget not only dictates the level of complexity of care but also the level of quality of products necessary to meet the complexity. This ranges from equipment, personal and cultural inputs (water, fertilizer and pesticides) and to the monies invested in purchasing and maintaining each.
Schedule of Events
Special events at a golf course often invoke a requirement for increased level of care. Whether it be a club championship at your local mom and pop or a PGA major at a multi-million dollar course, special effort is usually expected. Depending on the frequency of events the stress level or greens speed will vary. I am certain that at Augusta National Pines, the course conditions are not that of the Masters during the entire season. I am also certain that in preparation for the event and after it, there is a considerable amount of time dedicated to stressing the golf course almost to death and then an equal amount of time dedicated to bringing it back to life. Finding the balance between the requirements of scheduled special events and the resources is a necessity in the continued health of the greens.
Cultural Practices.
Because we stress turf beyond the natural state of it's growth patterns we find it necessary to amend the growing conditions with cultural practices. These practices, regardless of how necessary, will always affect playing conditions and ultimately, green speed. It is impossible to achieve a green speed of 10 within a week of core aeration, however, a light topdressing or removal of thatch through verticutting will increase green speed.
At Oakfield we strive to provide the best playing conditions balanced with the continued health of the course through out the playing season. We make careful decisions, considering cultural and fiscal perspectives, while keeping playability as our number one priority.
As of Saturday during the 2 man best ball the greens were stimping around 9.25. In order to speed them up and reach our mandated speed we verticut during the Tuesday maintenance hour. Here's a video of that process.
Another project we are working on is the installation of the Driving Range Mats. Here are some photos of that.
 |
| We started by digging out the foot print of the mats and gravel base. |
 |
| Then a course of 2 inch clear gravel is added to bring the area to grade. |
 |
| On top of the 2 inch clear gravel is a lift of "a" class gravel. |
 |
| And finally a layer of crusher dust to level off the platform for the mats. More will follow as we finish the project. |
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