How do golf courses keep grass green? The answer lies in a combination of regular maintenance and the use of specialized turfgrass. Most golf courses have a staff of groundskeepers who mow, fertilize, and water the grass on a daily basis. In addition, they use a variety of tools and techniques to control weeds and pests.
However, even with all this effort, many golf courses would not be able to maintain their pristine conditions without the use of turfgrass that is specially bred for high-maintenance environments. These grasses are typically more expensive than ordinary grasses, but they are able to withstand heavy traffic and harsh conditions. As a result, they play an essential role in keeping golf courses green.
How Golf Courses Keep Their Fairways Green
Who consistently has the most beautiful lawn in town? Of course, your local golf course. There are miles and miles of immaculately manicured fairways here, as a result of the fact that good turf leads to improved play and increased customer retention. As a result, golf courses were among the first to upgrade their commercial irrigation systems and implement new techniques to maintain the greenness of their miles of grass. Today, I’ll share some tips based on their accomplishments that will help you achieve better results at home or at the office.
It Must Be Cultivated
On golf courses, aerators are used to create small holes in the fairways. These holes make it possible for water, air, and nutrients to reach the grassy areas of the course. This not only enables the grass to access the topsoil, but it also stimulates the growth of deeper roots in the grass. As the temperature rises, shallow roots have a greater propensity to become dormant, which results in the grass turning brown. The grass’s robustness, lushness, and green color are all attributable to the depth of its roots.
Fertilize Your Plants Consistently
A sufficient amount of nutrients are provided to the turf on a golf course through routine fertilization. The typical composition of fertilizers is a balance of potassium and nitrogen, which enables grass to better withstand high temperatures and a high volume of foot traffic. Weeds are almost always kept at bay by the denseness of the turf, which prevents sunlight and water from reaching the soil where weeds are growing.
Expand Water Coverage
Golf course superintendents utilize a variety of strategies to ensure that their courses receive sufficient water coverage. Sprinkler heads and nozzles are selected to provide the most efficient distribution of water throughout the period, and the distance between sprinkler heads is adjusted so that streams are overlapped. In order to prevent evaporation and the loss of moisture caused by the sun, watering cycles are timed to occur at dusk and dawn.
Evaluate And Respond
Irrigation control systems that are sensor-based and highly advanced are typically utilized on modern golf courses. These sensors collect data on the wind, precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and ambient temperature. That data is then used to optimize the water levels on the course’s playable areas by adjusting the watering cycles.
Start With The Difficult Stuff
Lawns and other types of vegetation in Florida are susceptible to damage whenever the state experiences conditions that are similar to those of a drought. As a direct consequence of this, a growing number of golf courses are adopting more resilient turfs and indigenous plant life.
The United States Golf Association is increasing the number of university grants it provides in order to hasten the development of grasses that are resistant to drought, salt water, and pests. For instance, researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a salt-resistant grass that can be watered with seawater without the need for filtration and does not require special treatment.
Utilize Multiple Water Sources
Some golf courses irrigate their greens with water that comes from on-site water hazards and storm water ponds. Other courses use water from reclaimed water facilities, brackish water that has been desalinized, or even ocean water that has been desalinized. Golf courses in Tampa can water as much as they want while still helping to conserve potable water because they can use reclaimed water, which does not have restrictions on how much it can be used.
Greens Cultivated Hydroponically
There are a number in golf greens that cultivate their grass with hydroponic systems. During the building process, a bulldozer will dig a hole for the green that is somewhere between 12 and 16 inches deep. Before adding sand, gravel, and drainage pipes, the hole in more complex systems is first lined with plastic.
This step comes before the gravel and drainage pipe steps. Because the stand is sterilized, the environment that supports growth is ideal, and the drainage conditions are ideal as well. Runoff is encouraged and flooding is avoided thanks to the shape of the green surface.
Maintaining Your Irrigation System
When your income is directly tied to the health of the environment, you cannot afford to take any risks. You make it a point to ensure that the maintenance plan for your cutting-edge system is also cutting-edge so that it can continue to function correctly.
Are you ready to implement these strategies on your own lawn? You will find that having the appropriate irrigation system is of great assistance in working toward your objectives.
Final Thoughts
No matter how you choose to keep your grass green, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best way to ensure a healthy lawn is to work with a professional who can assess your property and recommend the best course of action. And, of course, don’t forget to schedule regular maintenance to keep your system in tip-top shape!
