Greenkeeping Questions?

[wackygolfer]

Hi Greensman

I have played at my club for nearly 30 years. It is a heathland course,800 ft above sea level, it is fairly flat but a really good test of golf. It was designed by Alistair Mackenzie We used to have really quick greens, it drained really well, in fact water would be rushing down the hill past you as you drove up to it. But I have noticed the last three or four years we get flooding on a few of the fairways and the greens seem totally different. I do not understand why it does not drain as well as it used to.
Thanks for your thoughts in advance

 

[Leftie]

Probably due to global warming Wacky.

Keep quiet about it or that nice Mr Brown may try to find yet another excuse to tax us.

 

[Smiffy]

Is there a national shortage of bunker sand?
Every course I've played on recently has had a sprinkling of sand on top of hard packed clay or something.
Look pretty when you aren't in them.
Bugger to play out of. I keep thinning everything.
Frustrated of Bexhill

 

[USER1999]

I think my course is hogging it all smiffy. We have cornered the worlds supply, and put it all into two bunkers.

 

[Faldo_Fan]

Hi
Having been a Head Greenkeeper for many years, as well as a keen golfer, I have passion for golf and golf courses.

Most golfers wont realise the complexity of greenkeeping and inevitably common misconceptions can arrive, usually in the Club House bar… assumption is a greenkeepers enemy. Lets face it, we greenkeepers do some unpopular operations at times, aeration, cutting down trees and the like!

So to help those misunderstandings and frustrations you can ask me any of those greenkeeping questions you may have. I will do my best to response with fact.

I wait in anticipation.

Thanks

Excellent idea!!!!!

1. Why can green staff not notice that side hill lie or sprinkler head when they position tee markers?

2. Why do the green staff top dress the greens 4 days before the club championship and with a weather forcast saying there won't be a drop of rain for the next 2 weeks, meaning everyone has to play the new style 'beach greens'??

3. Why do the green staff postion pins a) on a corner of the green thats no more than 4 paces from the front and 4 from the side (with a severe slope) b) right on the ridge of a two tier green that not even Tiger could get it in the hole without at least 4 putts c) in the centre of the scabbiest patch of grass on the whole green.

4. Why do green staff vanish after 10am? (only at my club i assume).

5. Why do green staff wait until 8am to cut the practice putting green when there are about 20 guys trying to get a couple of putts in before there round, surely even the dumbest of persons can work out that's the first green that needs cutting upon arrival?

6. Why would green staff leave an observation tower with a broken step for 5 months wrapped in lovely red and white hazard tape before finally taking the whole tower away, never to be seen again?.....it's one wooden tread needing replacing for christ sake!!!!

7. Why when you decide that you need to fill in some greenside bunkers because you find them too time consuming and labour intensive to maintain there upkeep would you then just take out the sand and turf the inside, so that when you drive the mower through it the blades can't cut all of the grass inside it leaving patches of uncut grass, and now it has to be cut by hand!!!! Would it not have been better to properly fill the bunker to the same contour as the surrounding ground???

Is that enough Q's to be going on with?????

 

[USER1999]

A tad uncalled for? Not all green keepers are the same, and most act with the collusion of the greens comittee over maintainance (of course and fixtures).
Certainly our hole positions for comps are decided by the greens comittee, not the green keeper.

 

[grumpyjock]

Had a bad day?
Greenkeepers work the same hours as everyone else.
If players repaired the tee area when they take a divot or scuff one into the grass 6" in front maybe the tee areas would be as good as the greens.
As to bunkers being filled in its not just the keepers ideas its also the course management.
Have seen players not lifting their feet when walking on the green "scuff marks are us brigade" lift your buddy feet.
rant over

 

[greensman]

Hi Greensman

I have played at my club for nearly 30 years. It is a heathland course,800 ft above sea level, it is fairly flat but a really good test of golf. It was designed by Alistair Mackenzie We used to have really quick greens, it drained really well, in fact water would be rushing down the hill past you as you drove up to it. But I have noticed the last three or four years we get flooding on a few of the fairways and the greens seem totally different. I do not understand why it does not drain as well as it used to.
Thanks for your thoughts in advance

This is another difficult one to answer, as most problems are site specific. It could just be a simple case of drainage capping. This is when the surface becomes slightly compacted at the water is unable to enter the drains. Or your course could have a little more thatch than usual and the water is holding in that that thatchy material. Both examples are very common and to be honest is expected giving the last two wet summers. The remedy is simple: a bit more aeration, this will open up the soil profile, allow more air in and allow the water to drain freely.

A more serious issue could be drain collapse or blockage; this may need some excavation work. But I am sure the problem will be solved. Sorry I can’t be more exact.

 

[greensman]

Is there a national shortage of bunker sand?
Every course I've played on recently has had a sprinkling of sand on top of hard packed clay or something.
Look pretty when you aren't in them.
Bugger to play out of. I keep thinning everything.
Frustrated of Bexhill

No shortage, but WOW has the price gone up, seriously we work to a budget and when the prices increase so dramatically we have to make cutbacks.

The weather is not helping us either, last summer we suffered with sand washout. The rain was so heavy we lost a lot of sand, it set like concrete and it took us ages to get them back to a reasonable standard… then hey presto, another heavy downpour.

Your right, its not a good year for bunkers!

 

[DCB]

Hey there Faldo_Fan chill out

I take it that the normal routes of communication at your club have failed ? Have you not had an acceptable response to your carefully worded and constructed letter of concern that you have sent to the club captain and the greens convenor.

Perhaps this is the time of year to gather support from your fellow members, who must obviously be playing under the same conditions, and formnalise this at your AGM in the early part of next year. As a member you must have the right to put forward a motion at the AGM, you just need to get enough like minded people to support you and you can table a motion. If it's that bad, then this shouldn't be a problem.

So unless Greensman works at your club, give him a break, he's been more than helpful on here this week.

 

[Leftie]

Wow faldo_fan. You must have had a really bad round this morning or a very bad morning at work.

Most of your complaints aren't necessarily the fault of the greenkeeping staff, more a management and liaison problem perhaps. If you really have so many issues with the course, why bother to play there or alternatively why not get on the greens committee.

BTW, I would rather the practice green was the last to be cut each day as I would prefer the fairways and main greens to be as perfect as possible first.

 

[greensman]

Thanks and well done everyone. Some great questions.

If you want this post repeating at anytime let me know

Thanks

 

[Faldo_Fan]

Everyone seems to be under the impression that this was some kind of personal attack aimed at Greensman????
Why would i do that?......don't even know the guy or which course he maintains. We were asked if we had any questions.....and i did!

To Murph - i didn't suggest that all green keepers were the same, i've played enough other courses to know this isn't the case.

To Grumpy - maybe i should have been a little more specific, the biggest problem with our tee boxes are the uneveness caused by areas settling or sinking over the years, they are all large enough to close part of them and carry out some leveling works in my opinion.
When i mentioned scabby areas of the greens i meant bare patchy parts where for some reason grass is not really growing properly not spike mark issues which we don't seem to suffer with. Sorry for any confusion there.

DCB and Leftie - i'm fine thank you, Greensman opened up an excellent debate and i was just sharing our clubs gripes with the forum that's all.
Yes the usual channels have been used many times in the past but to no avail, as i hinted on another thread, there seems to be an element of "the boys club" within various committees and the greenkeeper is a 20 year man and drinking pals with all of them. We have a new Captain now as of last weekend, maybe he will be the breath of fresh air needed?

I hope i haven't offended anyone, as i said before these are things that have happened at my club, there are many other excellent reasons to be where i am now, i just feel it would be such a shame to let standards slip especially when it is so competitive between clubs to retain existing memebers and also to attract new ones.

Regards.

 

[Sneds]

Faldo, for what it's worth, I just thought you set out a bunch of questions that you wanted asking as per the thread title...Not sure why it's interpreted as an attack! x