Greens Maintainence

[Doon frae Troon]

Remember it does not really matter what the greens look like it is how they putt that matters.

When Jim Arthur was in his early agronomist years he was given a pretty rough time by a prominent clubs committee.
General comment was that the greens looked dreadful and all the members were complaining.

Jim was a sly old sod and had taken the trouble to check the previous months scratch scores in medals and an Open meeting.
Scoring in club competitions was very good and the open meeting produced a new course record.
He presented this to the committee and asked them to explain how that could be possible on 'dreadful' greens.

 

[duncan mackie]

A greens chairman of a Downs course once asked my opinion of his course.
He was not too impressed when I told him to play the course backwards and swop his 100% poa annua greens with his 90% bent/fescue tees [and approaches]
The only part of the entire course to have poor turf was the greens.
Years of neglect and poor decisions.

here isn't the place to debate Poa Annua greens with you - if you have a few hours spare, and a good source of ale, I am sure we would have an enjoyable time!

I agree with your other comment re green greens, and particularily, play over looks - the unfortunate reality is that for the average handicap golfer (rather than the elite player) looks = confidence = performance. There is no doubt that poor looking greens, whether by maintenance or other reasons, favour the elite golfer who is above how they look and just gets on with it.

 

[williamalex1]

Our greens cored twiced a year September and March . The green keeper said more would be better, but finance and the effect on playing conditions limits what can be done.

 

[upsidedown]

They've been doing a few the last couple of weeks and it's planned to do them all in early Aug, course closed for 4 days.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not sure what the new greenkeeper is doing but he has got them running fast and true. They were cored early March and have been getting better an better. Now we've had some sun the grass should grow and not only the greens but the whole course will come on big time

 

[Liverbirdie]

This may be a stupid question (not a first), but does a whole green have to be hollow tined/cored etc.

Is it not possible for 90% of the green to be done with a 3-5 foot radius being left around the hole as normal. Then move the flag a few days later, tining/coring that section then, and so on...

 

[Doon frae Troon]

This may be a stupid question (not a first), but does a whole green have to be hollow tined/cored etc.

Is it not possible for 90% of the green to be done with a 3-5 foot radius being left around the hole as normal. Then move the flag a few days later, tining/coring that section then, and so on...

Modern equipment is so fast that it is best to get the job done as quickly as possible. What you are suggesting would cause delay. Remember they have to top dress straight after.
I know of some clubs who core half a green at a time. [vertically]
The job is very weather dependent and greenstaff generally have to grab the chance when they can.
If you have good surrounds the best bet is to cut a hole a couple of yards off the front of the green whilst the work is happening.

Brave decision by the club who are closing for 4 days in August.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

also bear in mind that if the club only core once or maybe twice a year, they may not own the corer machine, they will have to hire it and if there are other clubs wanting the kit, they will have to book it in advance, only have it for a short time and have to give it back sharpish

 

[duncan mackie]

Brave decision by the club who are closing for 4 days in August.

we are doing that this year as well - have it all in the club diary etc and have a reasonable gap in club events afterwards (fingers crossed)

 

[upsidedown]

we are doing that this year as well - have it all in the club diary etc and have a reasonable gap in club events afterwards (fingers crossed)

My course in NZ closed for 3 days twice a year whilst coring/tining. Checking in the diary I see the Ladies have a summer break away organised whilst it's closed. I'll go and play away on the county card .

From what I've seen so far and heard from around the County our greens are pretty good so the pain is worth it.:thup:

 

[duncan mackie]

My course in NZ closed for 3 days twice a year whilst coring/tining. Checking in the diary I see the Ladies have a summer break away organised whilst it's closed. I'll go and play away on the county card .

From what I've seen so far and heard from around the County our greens are pretty good so the pain is worth it.:thup:

we are going a little further than coring and tining - http://www.kensettsports.com/graden-sand-injection.html

we ran trials on an area of the putting green to not only understand the recovery process but to actually show members the full implications.

 

[upsidedown]

Wow that is some sort of machine there.

 

[PNWokingham]

we do them every year first week of April, following the Masters, and then first week of August - it used to be first week of October but they recover much better in Aug so less disruption. They had still not properly recovered last Saturday but were reasonable - probably in good shape by this weekend

 

[Liverbirdie]

Modern equipment is so fast that it is best to get the job done as quickly as possible. What you are suggesting would cause delay. Remember they have to top dress straight after.
I know of some clubs who core half a green at a time. [vertically]
The job is very weather dependent and greenstaff generally have to grab the chance when they can.
If you have good surrounds the best bet is to cut a hole a couple of yards off the front of the green whilst the work is happening.

Brave decision by the club who are closing for 4 days in August.

Thanks.

 

[Andy808]

Most of the time thatch is caused by over feeding and over watering greens.
Greenkeepers, under pressure from committees under pressure from members give themselves a problem they then have to cure.
[Instead of doing it correctly to start with, and probably being sacked because the greens are not green enough]

I thought thatch was caused by under watering rather than over watering.
Clubs that spray every green for an hour or so every other day to keep the grass greener have bigger problems with thatch than if they were to soak a green for 3 or 4 hours twice a week. With short, frequent waterings the water stays at the surface of the green and the grass roots stay shallow to find the water. If a green is soaked for a longer period of time less often then the water soaks deeper into the soil but stays there longer so the grass roots have to go deep to look for the water.
Last year while helping the green keepers at our club, (there are only 2 of them and I help when they need it on certain jobs) the head green keeper took a deep core sample to see how deep the roots had gone by using the longer soak less often approach. From a two foot sample the roots where almost at the bottom of the core.
They have also reduced and changed the feed they give the greens which has dramatically improved the thatching on the greens to the point they only had to hollow tine once last year and micro tine twice.
We are now waiting for the greens to get cut to their "summer" length as they are growing really well and need to be shorter.

 

[The Sclaffer]

A topical source of debate right now! At my own Club we seem to be putting on hollow tined/scarified/sanded greens for at least 40 of the 52 weeks in the year and in these days of ever increasing subscriptions, it's a continual source of annoyance.

It's almost as if the greenkeeping staff work to a planned program which is solely aimed at producing perfect greens for the duration of the Club championship week and the annual Open Tournament which is held the following week.

Regular soil samples extracted by STRI consultants seem to determine the extent of the green maintenance with scant attention paid to the needs and opinions of the actual Members ----------- it's simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

:sbox:

 

[stevelev]

How often do other clubs have their fairways scarified or hollow tined. Ours get a wide verticut and the odd solid tined aeriation but never hollow tined, not really top-dressed not scarified in the 3 years I've played there.

I thought that by hollow tining and a good scarification programme that will generate growth and a deep root system, also aid drainage and give a better root structure............ Or am I talking utter tosh????

I only say this as I have a lush lawn at home which always improves after it has been scarified. it looks a bit worse for a week but then picks up quickly and is amazing how much crap is stuck at the root of the grass over time, even though I think I collect the cutting so much is left.

I understand it is early in the season but we've had 3 greenkeepers in the time I've been there and they all dothings differently. Is there a right way or is it like skinning a cat