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Turf Home
There is a great difference between the turfgrass that is seeded and
grown on golf courses, and grass that grows naturally or with little to
no maintenance. Golfers today have such high course expectations that
the grass must be maintained in "near death" conditions in order
to provide the fast, low cut, green grass that never fades regardless
of season or temperature. The type of turfgrass selected affects the overall
maintenance needs, environmental impacts, playability, and status of a
golf course. Turf variety can influence how much water, pesticides, or
fertilizers are needed, as well as overall care such as cutting and aeration.
[1]
In addition, the species, variety, or mix that is chosen, and the way
the grass is maintained, affects the golfer because it influences the
speed of the game. For example, long, thick grass blades may be the most
disease resistant, but they slow down the roll speed of the ball, a situation
golfers frown upon.
Why are the course demands of golfers increasing? According to The United
States Golf Association (USGA), the
governing body of golf in the US, the primary reason for the increased
demand of superior quality courses is the promotion of golf through television.
"Golf on TV is a huge problem. The week after The Masters is always
the toughest for golf course superintendents across the country as golfers
spend hours viewing conditions that are not possible to achieve at most
golf courses in America. Then members show up at their local courses and
expect the same conditions." [2]
Superintendents in RI did not specifically pin point television as a problem,
instead they frequently mentioned pressures from members, and referred
to their job as a business that must serve its clientele. The analogy
was made to a grocer who sells produce, and does not want to supply the
customer with a wormy apple; and many RI superintendents felt pressure
to provide a spotless and blemish-free course.
This study looked at what some of the environmental impacts are from providing
a "blemish free course," and what alternative options are available.
I looked at the maintenance practices of 20 golf courses in RI, and made
recommendations regarding practices superintendents can carry out in order
to create or move towards a green
golf course. The majority of the information came directly from RI
superintendents; however, I also conducted background research and outside
interviews. In this section the following subjects are addressed:
1) RI Turf: Species, qualities, and complexities
of turfgrass found in RI.
2) Turf on the Greens: An analysis
of the turf species found on the greens, and a case study of velvet
bentgrass.
3) Height of cut Explanation and
analysis of height of cut.
4) Turf Selection: Reasons for superintendents
to select different types of turf..
Five different species of turfgrass are found in RI and they range in qualities such as drought tolerance, pest resistance, playability, and ability to handle a low height of cut. The majority of RI superintendents select the turf to be planted based on drought, disease and pest resistance, as well as resilience and durability. However, the primary grass species that is planted on the greens is the grass species that ranked second to lowest in drought, disease and pest resistance, and the lowest in terms of resilience and durability, out of the five RI grass species. Velvet bentgrass was found to provide the best tolerance to drought and be the most resilient while still providing good playability. Analysis was conducted on the height of cut of turf on the greens, and it was found that the private courses, on average cut their grass shorter and pumped more water than either the public or the semi-private courses. The primary recommendations are for golf courses to place priority on the natural demands on the grass, such as water, durability, and disease, over the demands of the golfers who request short, fast putting surfaces, and to increase the height of cut on the greens.