The USGA Green Section Southeast Region agronomists have been on the move in the spring of 2005. With trips to Japan and the Scotland/England, we were able to learn about turf management practices in these countries and meet many interesting people involved in all aspects of the industry. In an era where almost every new trend is either making the game more expensive to play, more difficult to play, or longer to play, we discovered two unique solutions to common problems.
No Frost in Japan?
Golf courses in Japan do have frost on the golf course on many mornings in the winter months. But this does not interfere with golf. The Narita Golf Club outside Tokyo does not have any frost delays. How is this possible? Has the course installed a multi-million dollar subterranean heating system that warms the soil? No, the answer is much simpler.
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| At the Narita Golf Club outside Tokyo, Japan, lightweight covers are used to prevent frost from forming on the putting greens. Frost delays are avoided. |
All the fairways, rough, and tee tops are non-overseeded zoysiagrass. There is no living tissue on these surfaces to injure on frosty mornings. Penncross creeping bentgrass is found on the putting greens. The maintenance staff keeps frost off the greens by using lightweight covers that are put down the afternoon before a frost and removed prior to play the next morning. The covers are light enough for two people to take them on and off. They can keep pace with the last group of the day and cover the putting green once they leave a green.
The strategy of using covers to keep frost off bentgrass putting greens can have major implications for a golf course. If the golf course is a resort or a daily fee golf course that must delay tee times due to frost, there is a potential for lost revenue. Every tee time lost to frost can never be recaptured. Another common scenario we see often is a golf course that has one or two shaded putting greens that take longer for the frost to melt. Could these one or two greens be covered and the course opened earlier? There is a good chance the answer is yes.
Covers have been used for years on bermudagrass putting greens with great success. Finding a potentially new application on bentgrass putting greens only took a trip to Japan.
No Divots in Scotland
Imagine standing on the first tee in late March at the Old Course at St. Andrews waiting for an experience of a lifetime when the starter hands you a small piece of artificial turf. "Lads, use this mat from the fairways," is his request. We were not overcome with joy, to say the least. But like addicted golfers, we did what we had to do.
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| Golfers who play St. Andrews in the winter months are required to use artificial mats from the fairway. |
The Old Course at St. Andrews has become so popular that rounds played do not slow during cool winter temperatures. The artificial turf mats are used to protect the fairway turf from extensive divot injury and scarring during a time of year when the recuperative ability of the fairway turf is little or none. Initially, we were not thrilled with the idea. But as the round progressed, we found that the mats were a fantastic surface to play from. Wedges spun better, fairway woods screamed like rockets, and it was almost impossible to hit a long iron fat. Our scores showed it, too. By the way, the use of mats has made a positive difference in the fairway turf, too.
We hope you are wondering what possible relevance the artificial mats at St. Andrews could have in the Southeast. Even though there is a period of dormancy or slow growth on bermudagrass fairways in the Southeast, excessive divots are never a topic discussed on turfgrass advisory visits. What is becoming increasingly common, though, is the complaint/criticism, "There is no grass on our fairways." The complaint is loudest and most frequent in late February through March when the bermudagrass has been beaten down by cart traffic all winter.
Most of the commonly proposed solutions have serious drawbacks. Keeping golf carts on the path all winter is not acceptable to most golfers. Overseeding is expensive, requires changes to the overall maintenance program, encourages Poa annua invasion in putting greens, and could lead to a bad transition where there is really no grass on the fairways.
Could the answer to this problem be found in a $1.75 piece of artificial turf for those golfers who desire a better lie? Our initial reaction is golfers would never accept this idea, but who would have believed that two agronomists who love to play golf not only accepted, but enjoyed using the artificial turf at St. Andrews. We used the artificial turf once and would use it again in a second. It did not diminish the enjoyment of the game.
Please do not misread this section as a call to surprise golfers with artificial turf next winter. There are issues including score reporting for handicap purposes and golfer education that would need to be worked out. However, please do add this information as a list of possible solutions to complaints about "no grass on the fairways" or as use should winterkill or some other malady damage extensive amounts of fairway turf.
Conclusion
Traveling to golf courses in other countries is fun and educational. One of the most enjoyable aspects is picking up a tip or idea that has been right in front of you for years, but for whatever reason, you have not been able to make the connection. Summer conditions are upon us and the grass is growing. Keep the ideas described in this article in mind, because it will be only a few more months before winter rolls around.
Source: Chris Hartwiger 205-444-5079 or chartwiger@usga.org and Patrick O'Brien 770-229-8125 or patobrien@usga.org
