Clubs that entertain the challenge of major championships enjoy a special competitive relationship. Pride permeates every aspect of a great club’s existence. The club, the membership, the golf test, the employees all feel a special kinship. This has been said in many ways by many golf course superintendents – past and present. The great courses are there, the challenge is there, but what makes it a great test is that every challenging feature of the course is brought into play when the major championships are held.

A very important part of that challenge is the turfgrass cover, how the turf plays – things that our best amateur and professional golfers look for – tight, firm fairway lies; firm, fast greens; close-cropped teeing grounds; and above all, a uniformity of condition that inspires confidence in predicting the way the ball will act. Simply stated, conditions must allow for the possibility of finesse throughout the prime target zone and provide a suitable penalty for all who stray from it. This is the role of agronomic preparation. This is where the golf course superintendent and consulting agronomists put their heads together to prescribe the best route to follow toward that end.

Richard S. Tufts, past President of the USGA, has said, in effect, that things need not be so uniform that the swing be automatic. A golfer must expect variations caused by terrain, by constant use, and the changing conditions of growing things. That’s all part of the challenge, “It’s the rub of the green aspect that makes golf the challenging and exciting game that it is.” Every golf course superintendent worth his salt is conscious of the responsibility of public image. Major championships receive wide coverage in the news media and television. The superintendent wants his course to show to best advantage to interested spectators from all walks of life, and yet he knows that turfgrass appearance and excellence of playing quality are not always the same. Dr. Fred V. Grau said it best: “Golf is played on turf, not color.”

Those involved in course preparation are furnished a copy of the USGA Golf Championship manual for guidance. This manual defines the guidelines and only that. It does not project the “feel” for making the field adjustments necessary for a great test of golf. This is the job of the agronomic team – the turfgrass specialists – who tailor the turf to the terrain, weather and growth conditions. Adjustments must be made! If there is any question, one great equalizer is frequency of cut. If you step up the mowing schedule during the tournament, it could balance off some of the weaknesses that otherwise would be prominent. The rule of thumb is to step up the mowing process during any championship. The second rule is to mow the turf as close as the grass permits without risking permanent injury.

Greens
Golfers have said it in many ways: “The difference between the winner and the rest of the field is putting!” From the tee and through the green their abilities are fairly equal, but the one who uses the fewest strokes on the greens usually wins! What makes an exceptional green? It must be firm and fast, the ball must roll true and take the break of the terrain only; it should be influenced by top growth of grass little or not at all. In British terms, the greens must be keen. Excellent greens require that the height of cut be 3/16 inch or less. To insure this, greens must be cut daily for several weeks prior to the completion of the competition and double-cut every morning of the tournament, including the practice rounds. Every day the greens should be cut in two directions, the second cut at a right angle to the first direction of cut. This also refers to the practice green.

Tees
The teeing area should be mowed at 1/2 inch or less for the tournament. Tees should be kept on the dry side, they should be watered sparingly, if at all during the competition. Clippings should be removed with each mowing. Tees otherwise should be managed on the same program as greens, except they may require slightly more fertilizer. However, they should never be overstimulated to the point where they become soft and more prone to injury. Since tees on par-3 holes will take abnormal divot abuse during most of the year, it is very important to keep play away from the area to be used during the championship for at least one month prior to the competition.

Fairways and Rough
Undoubtedly, the outline of fairways will be altered to place a premium on accuracy for most major championships. Where fairways are narrowed, grasses will produce a very thick stand when allowed to grow to rough height. One compensating factor, however, is that there will usually be a swatch of intermediate rough at approximately 2 inches immediately adjacent to fairways, the remainder will be 4 inches or higher, depending upon committee decision. Fairways should be mowed every day during the competition. The height of cut should be as close to 1/2 inch as the terrain and grass type permits. Fairways should be cross-cut several times during the six-month period prior to the championship date. The object is to leave no long grass in swales or depressions within the fairway area.

If fairways need strengthening in some places, they should be renovated and/or overseeded the year prior to the competition. If any area requires sod within two weeks of the competition, the sod should be cut in an 18-inch swath at a depth of 2 to 3 inches so that it will prove stable underfoot. The sod also should be laid so that the seams lie in the direction of the green. Seams should be topdressed with soil to smooth them to the point where a ball will not nestle in a rut below the turf level. If a month’s time or more is available, routine sod work could be performed, and with special care the sod should knit well in that time.

Bunkers
Sand should measure 4 to 6 inches in depth, except on facings where it should be less to prevent balls from becoming lost. If fresh sand is added to bunkers, it should be done at least a month before the competition. If the full 4 to 6 inches is brought into place at one time, it should be done four to six months in advance of the tournament. The new sand should be watered, if there’s no rainfall, for proper settling. Players should not be able to putt out of bunkers. To prevent this, a “lip” measuring 3 inches or more should be created facing the putting surface.

Post Tournament Conditions
After the competition is over, we recommend that the fairway lines be kept intact until the end of the season when it is safe to make cutting adjustments. If cut down and realigned to the original width and contour immediately after the tournament, chances are the grass will turn brown and die. It will look unsightly, and those who are not informed will believe the course has fallen apart after the tournament. In many instances, the membership prefers to keep the tournament course intact, except for the prime rough, for a few months, to compare their efforts against the tournament player’s score. The prime rough could safely be reduced an inch per cutting until it reaches a height of 3 inches, where it should be kept until favorable weather conditions permit mowing roughs closer, if desired.

These are the major points of agronomic concern in any major tournament. In addition to the foregoing, there are a number of other details that must be attended to with committees and officials. Don’t cut yourself off from one of the most rewarding times a professional turf man can experience. Seek out and work with the key tournament people. Enjoy the event and the contribution you are making to it. It should be one of the most memorable times in your professional career.

View PDF Version | View the originally published article here