Golfdom, August 2010

A lthough discussed for generations golf course firmness specifically on putting greens has became a buzzword in golf course maintenance circles Whereas achieving green speed or ball roll has consumed much of putting green maintenance the last 40 years the trend is now about green firmness I dont intend to minimize the negative impact that excessive ball roll can cause to putting green health but the recent advancements in equipment technology and the knowledge generated on maintaining high quality turf help offset this matter Golf course superintendents who possess the technology and knowledge can achieve desired green speeds on a consistent bases with much less of risk for turf loss than in past years Green firmness however is the new challenge golf courses face in achieving ideal green quality How firm a green becomes as measured by the United States Golf Associations TruFirm or a Clegg Impact Hammer is impacted by other factors than just drying out a green Yes rootzone moisture is important but can a green become too dry and lose firmness I dont know But an interesting analogy was given to me by someone working with sand bunkers If bunker sand is too dry it becomes soft and fluffy the opposite of firm Its not uncommon in this situation to add water to firm up bunkers Obviously some problems exist with that analogy like the impact root systems have on rootzone stabilization but theres more to firmness than soil moisture Theres no doubt the repetitive nature of maintenance practices like mowing and rolling contribute to surface firmness researchers are starting to look at this Unfortunately current discussion of golf course firmness at least on the extreme end is that the course has to be brown or on life support And if your course isnt then it must be green and lush from overwatering I find this rather incredulous The most common example used for ideal firmness condition is links courses which by definition and the nature of their habitats lie on sandy or droughty soils along river estuaries Under these conditions gaining firmness is critical to how the course plays In windy conditions playing along the ground is the essence of links courses thus playing a firm links course requires large greens and approachable fronts Unfortunately the vast majority of golf courses are not links courses What I find exciting challenging and maybe a headache for many is how do you bring the desired firmness to non link golf courses where part of the character of these courses is parkland in nature Finding the appropriate level of firmness across a spectrum of climatic conditions soil conditions course design and golfer expectation is the challenge It will not be as easy as shutting off the water Numerous factors to achieve the desired firmness will depend on measurements and quantification of firmness and then what those numbers mean to a golf course And then determining desired moisture level or range in conjunction with the appropriate cultural practices of mowing rolling topdressing etc to achieve the level of firmness and smoothness The technology advancements along with the superintendents knowledge will be put to the full test Whos to say you cant have firm surfaces and green turf too 18 Golfdom August 2010 Theres a New Buzzword in Town BY KARL DANNEBERGER NUMEROUS FACTORS TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED FIRMNESS WILL DEPEND ON MEASUREMENTS AND QUANTIFICATION OF FIRMNESS AND THEN WHAT THOSE NUMBERS MEAN TO A GOLF COURSE Turf M D THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE Karl Danneberger Ph D Golfdoms science editor and a turfgrass professor from The Ohio State University can be reached at danneberger 1@ osu edu