OUR EXPERTS EXPLAIN

Fore The Golfer March 1, 2018

Browse the current Fore The Golfer articles in the new Green Section Record experience.

Weeds on the golf course can be frustrating for golfers and superintendents alike. Nutsedges are a grassy weed that can create serious playability and aesthetic issues by growing faster and thicker than everything around it. While some golf course weeds can be effectively removed by hand, nutsedge often requires chemical control to avoid an infestation that can seriously impact playing conditions.

Frequent sand topdressing is an important part of maintaining topnotch putting greens. However, there can be some temporary disruption after sand is applied. Having some sand clinging to your ball in the morning dew can be a little annoying, but the benefits are more than worthwhile. Topdressing yields better playing conditions on a daily basis and less disruption in the long term.

When we play different golf courses, we may notice that some courses seem to have shorter fairway turf while others have more grass under the ball. The optimal height for fairways on a particular course depends on a variety of factors including grass type, soil conditions and golfer preferences. Read this article to learn more about the complex factors involved in your fairway lie.

It is not always easy for golf facilities to identify a clear path to economic sustainability, but it isn’t hard to find examples of unsustainable practices that will ultimately lead most golf facilities down the road to ruin. Here are a few examples from the highly dubious to-do list for making a golf course unsustainable.

Pace of play, golfer enjoyment and economic sustainability all improve when golfers play the tees that are best suited to their ability and swing speed. Many practice facilities have technology available to help you learn more about your swing speed. That information can then be used to pick the best set of tees for your round.

Putting green turf loss is as inevitable as catching the flu, though hopefully it happens less often. In the same way that we take steps to protect ourselves from illness, superintendents use practices like aeration to maintain healthy turf and reduce the risk of serious damage.

Golf carts can have a tremendous impact on playing conditions. These useful tips will help preserve playing conditions next time you choose to ride.

Have bunker conditions ever left you frustrated? Discover why bunkers are inconsistent and what you can do to master bunker play.

Like all plants, grass needs water. The turfgrasses used on golf courses have an interesting relationship with water. Here are six interesting facts about turfgrass and water that you probably didn’t know.

Despite superintendents’ best efforts to manage its effects, the weather has a tremendous and unremitting impact on playing conditions. Here are just a few of the surprising ways the weather affects your game even when you’re not at a golf course. 

Ever wondered why some patches of grass turn brown? Localized dry spots might be the culprit. Learn more about localized dry spots, their impact on the playing conditions and how superintendents manage this common condition.

Golfers are probably eager to start sinking par and birdie putts, but winter is having a long-lasting impact on putting greens this year. The Southeastern United States was particularly hard-hit. Unfortunately, this may have an impact on spring playing conditions. Here's why you may or may not notice some unexpected damage this year. Fortunately, the impacts of winter should be short-lived.

Putting green construction projects take time, but just how much time depends a wide range of factors. Although it is difficult to determine an exact opening date for new greens at the onset of construction, evaluating these factors will help you narrow down a rough timeline. Here's how the factors add up, just remember that a lot depends on Mother Nature. 

Building a putting green is kind of like building a house. If you start with a solid foundation, your chances of having a comfortable home for years to come are pretty good. The USGA Recommendations for a Method of Putting Green Construction provide a solid foundation for putting greens. Here's how they improve the odds of a better playing experience. 

Wear and tear typically warrant renovation and construction, but it is difficult to determine when golf course assets should be improved. Although useful life cycle estimates have been developed for many golf course features, it is important to remember that age isn't necessarily the only factor to consider.

Have you ever seen a sprinkler running or run over to check the yardage on the nearest irrigation head? A surprising amount of unseen infrastructure lies beneath your feet whenever you step foot on a golf course. Although out of sight may be out of mind, here is the surprising truth about what lies belowground and why it is so important to understand. 

It is no secret - bunkers can be expensive to maintain. Here's how you can help reduce maintenance costs and perhaps improve overall playing conditions. With little to no effort from golfers, superintendents and their teams can focus their efforts on the maintenance practices that are most impactful.

Understanding how and where labor hours are allocated can have significant impacts on course conditioning and the bottom line. Although it requires overhead expenditures, investing in technology to make the task of tracking labor easier will more than pay for itself in improved efficiency and productivity.

Drug-resistant superbugs pose serious threats to human health, but did you know that diseases affecting turfgrass also can develop resistance to the products designed to keep them at bay? Just like your doctor, savvy superintendents are using calculated tactics to prevent resistance and improve the health of playing surfaces.

During summer, superintendents carefully tread along a fine line that separates turf health and the conditions expected by golfers. However, they must sometimes adapt to challenging conditions by implementing some practices that may be unpopular among golfers – here’s why they do what they do.

Everyone is familiar with earthworms, but did you know there are some worms so small they can live inside turfgrass roots? Despite their microscopic size, these worms are almost always present in golf course soils. Some can even cause turfgrass damage. Learn more about how nematodes might affect your next round.

Did you know there are many ways to correctly repair a divot? Just as with ball marks, becoming familiar with the correct way to repair divots has a positive impact on course conditioning and every round of golf. Remember these tips whether your next divot can be replaced or bursts into numerous pieces. 

Sand Topdressing is one of the most misunderstood practices among golfers. However, any concerns with short-term disruptions to playability caused by applying sand to the putting greens will be quickly dismissed once you realize all of the benefits of topdressing.

Golf course superintendents spray different types of products—each meticulously selected to accomplish a specific task—to maintain and protect high-quality playing surfaces. However, did you know that the functionality of each product relies on one of the smallest parts of a sprayer?  

If you want to improve the longevity, efficiency and prosperity of a golf course you must start with a comprehensive and continually evolving master plan. But what exactly is a master plan? Find out what to include in this document and why it’s imperative for every golf course to have a long-range master plan.

Managing organic matter in putting greens creates smoother, firmer surfaces and helps golfers make more putts.

Technology is advancing faster than ever before, changing the way we live our daily lives – including our golf experience. From the way we play the game to the way golf courses are managed, discover the ways technology has changed, and will continue to change, the game of golf. 

Frustrated because soggy playing conditions are causing cart restrictions and leaving your ball covered in mud? Tolerating temporary disruptions so drainage can be installed may ease your woes, provided you consider these three things.

Winterkill is an easy problem to define but difficult to fully understand. Whether you are in the north, south or any point inbetween, here are three things all golfers should know about turfgrass winterkill. 

Do you dislike hitting golf balls from artificial turf? While many golfers prefer practicing on real grass, artificial turf mats are becoming increasingly popular at practice facilities; here's why.

Water features can easily add strokes to your round of golf, but they provide much more than just a challenge. Discover that water features are specially managed ecosystems that provide significant ecological benefits. 

The cost of a round of golf is strongly correlated with the cost required to produce desirable playing surfaces. While fertilizers make up a small percentage of the golf course maintenance budget, using them judiciously helps control costs while providing desirable playing conditions.

As a golfer, it is second nature to grab a bottle of water to stay hydrated during a round of golf on a hot day, but have you ever wondered how much water the turfgrass you are playing on needs to stay healthy and hydrated?

Forward tees are becoming increasingly popular, providing golfers with quick, fun rounds and potentially lower scores. What facts should every golfer know about playing from the forward tees?  

For golfers who cannot get enough of the game, a backyard putting green is the ultimate upgrade to a home landscape.

Have you heard the word “sustainable” so often that you sometimes want to be unsustainable just to buck the trend? We can help. Simply implement the steps below and in no time your course will find it necessary to make golf more expensive and less profitable. 

From golf's earliest days in the United States, golfers have had a love affair with trees. However, early golf course architects learned their trade on links courses in Europe and did not believe trees belonged on golf courses. Our experts explain how golfers' desires were met, and the agronomic impact made by trees on the golf course.

When a course is faced with the possibility of rebuilding greens, there are many questions asked by golfers. Our experts answer a few questions that arise on almost every project.

When it comes to weeds - it's personal. Our experts explain why one person's most hated weed is another person's favorite wildflower.

Our experts explain that just like your golf game, putting green performance depends on many factors.

Our experts explain why maintaining consistent bunkers is an impossible and financially unsustainable task. After all, bunkers are classified as hazards in the Rules of Golf. 

Our experts explain three very good reasons why golfers should know about superintendents' efforts to manage turfgrass disease problems.

Our experts explain why plant growth regulators area valuable management tool for superintendents. 

Our experts explain why some greens look like patchwork quilts.

Our experts explain when the need to replace a golf course irrigation system exists.