Whether it's a hot summer day at your favorite course or the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, there are times when syringing putting greens during play is necessary. There are several factors that influence when putting greens need to be syringed because no two golf courses are exactly alike, and there can be some misunderstandings about when and why this practice is used. So, let’s take a look at the basics.
What is syringing?
Syringing is applying a very low volume of water across the putting surface to wet the leaf blades of the grass. This practice is not intended to replenish soil moisture. The purpose of syringing is to cool the turf and prevent or delay wilting. The impact on turf health is short-lived, so syringing is often repeated during the same day. Syringing is not a replacement for normal irrigation – it is a tool that temporarily maintains turf health and delays moisture stress.
What factors influence the need to syringe?
Decisions to syringe are based on the temperature of the putting green surface, sunlight intensity, wind speed, soil moisture, humidity and the stress level of the grass. When the weather is warm, sunny, clear or partly cloudy, with low humidity and moderate winds, the grass is more vulnerable to moisture stress. If the greens start the day with relatively low levels of moisture in the soil and the grass is already under stress from intensive maintenance, cooling the turf to reduce environmental stress can become necessary.
Why is it sometimes necessary to syringe during play?
While no superintendent wants to be watering or syringing through play, doing so is necessary and common. Nearly all golf courses reserve the right to syringe when weather and turf health dictate the practice is needed. Some golf courses are more predisposed than others to require syringing because of their design, location and conditioning goals. The 126th U.S. Open is being played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on the eastern end of Long Island. The land there was formed by glacial outwash, which means the soil has a very high sand content. The golf course also has undulating topography and it is fully exposed to winds that range from modest to downright abrasive. Because of how quickly the greens can dry out in this environment, when there are high winds, warm temperatures and bright sunlight, syringing during the day is imperative for turf health and to maintain playability. This is why the agronomic team at Shinnecock Hills will be syringing putting greens during competition.
Does syringing affect ball reaction?
Before and after play each day at the U.S. Open, the maintenance team uses portable moisture meters to check how much water is in the rootzone of the putting greens. Based on those measurements, water is added as needed to ensure there is enough to balance desired firmness with what the grass needs to make it through the day. Syringing putting greens during play does not add enough water to change soil moisture, and it is performed during the day when water quickly evaporates, so there is no meaningful change to green speed or firmness. Syringing helps retain soil moisture to maintain conditions at the desired level.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Darin Bevard, senior director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott L. Dowling, regional director, East Region – edowling@usga.org
Brian Gietka, agronomist – bgietka@usga.org