When you play a beautifully maintained course, such as San Juan Oaks, or shake your head at impeccable conditions while watching a tournament on television, have you ever caught yourself wondering, “How does this course look so nice?” Well, our hats go off to the Golf Course Superintendents and their staff whose charge it is to provide such conditions.
It is one thing to grow grass, but it is quite another to provide a surface on which the game of golf is played. In the United States, golf consumers, or at least a large percentage of them, expect such carpet-type conditions. Lush, green tee boxes and fairways. Smooth, glass-like putting surfaces, well-maintained sand traps and weed-free conditions throughout the course.
None of these features come as easy or inexpensive as some people might think. You do not simply water the course, mow the grass and spread a little fertilizer every so often to attain such conditions. There are a multitude of tasks that go into maintaining a golf course to its highest potential. This column is not long enough to discuss them in great detail, but the following are a few to consider.
Soil conditions are at a premium for proper plant growth. The organic and nutrient make-up must be constantly monitored for optimal balance. This allows for correct draining, root growth and plant establishment conditions that are needed. Fertilizers, herbicides, soil conditioners, sand and gypsum to name a few are involved in this process. Aeration is a process by which a core plug is pulled from the ground to assist with root growth, controlling compacting and helping with drainage issues. It is a time consuming, but necessary practice.
Proper irrigation of turf grass is not an easy venture. You can just as easily water turf grass too much as you can water it too little. There are sophisticated systems designed to assist the Superintendent with this, but make no mistake – constant monitoring of irrigation is employed. Proper drainage is designed into the course during construction so as to not allow water to ‘puddle.’ Additional drainage is very often added to troublesome areas. The result is a healthy, yet firm playing surface throughout the course.
Mowing practices play an integral role in the condition of the course. Once again, sophisticated and expensive equipment is employed in this, as is a properly-trained operator. The next time you are watching a tournament on television or playing a manicured course pay attention to the ‘striping’ of the grass. You see this on other playing fields, such as baseball diamonds. Striping is not something that just happens on its own. It occurs from consistent, well thought out practices by Superintendents and operators. Proper maintenance of the equipment is essential as well. Mowing reels must be kept sharp and properly adjusted to ensure this.
Manpower is a vital component in the equation of golf course maintenance. A highly-trained, well-managed and properly-equipped staff makes a tremendous difference. If one thing were true in most walks of life, it would be what I would call the consistency factor. I refer to it as ‘training the turf.’ Grass will become accustomed to mowing heights, watering practices and the like if they are done consistently.
I would guess that most people would not come close to guessing the dollar amount it takes to maintain a golf course. We pride ourselves here at San Juan Oaks on course conditions, as I am sure many courses do. The next time you are out enjoying a round here or at any other course and you say to yourself, “man, it is nice out here,” tip your hat to the men and women who make it possible.
