Maintenance Standards
Although we are normally closed one day a week, we basically schedule something to be done to the greens everyday.
Generally when we mow greens we are using a Toro Flex 21-inch reel mower. We feel that this particular mower gives
us the best opportunity to achieve lower heights of cut and uniformity without jeopardizing any turf quality. Our height of
cut is dictated by the weather. As periods of stress begin to set in, we will raise the height slightly to avoid turf loss.
These greens mowers also provide us with the opportunity to change the front roller. The front roller on a mower is part
of what you adjust to achieve your desired height of cut. The two options are a solid roller and a grooved roller. A
grooved roller is more aggressive and when set at the same height as a solid roller, actually mows more grass. We will
use grooved rollers until we are upon periods of heat stress.
GREEN SPEEDS
Our goal for greens speeds is very simple...consistency. We agree with the USGA's recommendation that greens
speeds should fall within a range of 9.5 to 10.5 feet on the stimpmeter. This will require us to monitor our greens closely
and make adjustments to our management and cultural practices as needed.
We can achieve our target speeds through a variety of methods. Double cutting, rolling, grooming, and certain chemical
applications all can affect the greens speed. Where the artistry comes in, is trying to determine the timing, the
frequency, and what combination of techniques we should use to help us achieve our goal. There is no step by step
instruction manual for this, as weather will also dictate our input. Weather can play such a factor that sometimes even
after we have done more, our speeds may actually be slower. The opposite is also true, where with very little input
greens speeds will be faster than anticipated.
CULTURAL PRACTICES
In order to maintain high levels of playability on our greens throughout the year, we must do more to them than simply
mowing them everyday. Our cultural practices include hollow tine aerification, solid tine aerification, dry-ject aerification,
grooming, verticutting, brushing, and topdressing. We solid tine and topdress at the end of each month during the golf
season. We use narrow tines and topdress this way so that we relieve compaction and create healthy air exchange for
the roots. We also, with no real defined schedule, will groom, verticut, and brush our greens. We will brush and groom
when we our trying to promote plant reproduction and density, or trying to increase greens speeds.
Generally when we mow greens we are using a Toro Flex 21-inch reel mower. We feel that this particular mower gives
us the best opportunity to achieve lower heights of cut and uniformity without jeopardizing any turf quality. Our height of
cut is dictated by the weather. As periods of stress begin to set in, we will raise the height slightly to avoid turf loss.
These greens mowers also provide us with the opportunity to change the front roller. The front roller on a mower is part
of what you adjust to achieve your desired height of cut. The two options are a solid roller and a grooved roller. A
grooved roller is more aggressive and when set at the same height as a solid roller, actually mows more grass. We will
use grooved rollers until we are upon periods of heat stress.
GREEN SPEEDS
Our goal for greens speeds is very simple...consistency. We agree with the USGA's recommendation that greens
speeds should fall within a range of 9.5 to 10.5 feet on the stimpmeter. This will require us to monitor our greens closely
and make adjustments to our management and cultural practices as needed.
We can achieve our target speeds through a variety of methods. Double cutting, rolling, grooming, and certain chemical
applications all can affect the greens speed. Where the artistry comes in, is trying to determine the timing, the
frequency, and what combination of techniques we should use to help us achieve our goal. There is no step by step
instruction manual for this, as weather will also dictate our input. Weather can play such a factor that sometimes even
after we have done more, our speeds may actually be slower. The opposite is also true, where with very little input
greens speeds will be faster than anticipated.
CULTURAL PRACTICES
In order to maintain high levels of playability on our greens throughout the year, we must do more to them than simply
mowing them everyday. Our cultural practices include hollow tine aerification, solid tine aerification, dry-ject aerification,
grooming, verticutting, brushing, and topdressing. We solid tine and topdress at the end of each month during the golf
season. We use narrow tines and topdress this way so that we relieve compaction and create healthy air exchange for
the roots. We also, with no real defined schedule, will groom, verticut, and brush our greens. We will brush and groom
when we our trying to promote plant reproduction and density, or trying to increase greens speeds.
GREENS
TEES
Our current schedule for tees has us mowing them three days a week. This will normally be every Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday. Again we are using a Toro walk mower, but this mower is 26 inches wide and is set at 3/8ths(.375) of an inch.
Turf density, appearance, and a firm playing surface are important characteristics that we strive to achieve. We will
incorporate many of the same cultural practices that we use on greens to help us achieve our goals for tee playability.
Due to the nature and function of tees, we are able to be more aggressive in how we maintain them. Larger tines and
more topdressing is used during the aerification process. We also will verticut deeper and use higher rates of chemicals
as in comparison to what we do on our greens.
DIVOTS
Taking divots on tees is inevitable. On a weekly basis we try to not only provide you with divot mix on the carts but also
in designated divot buckets on our par 3 tees. We will also hand fill any tee divots that were not either replaced or
previously filled by golfers. Our divot mix is made up of bentgrass seed and sand.
and Friday. Again we are using a Toro walk mower, but this mower is 26 inches wide and is set at 3/8ths(.375) of an inch.
Turf density, appearance, and a firm playing surface are important characteristics that we strive to achieve. We will
incorporate many of the same cultural practices that we use on greens to help us achieve our goals for tee playability.
Due to the nature and function of tees, we are able to be more aggressive in how we maintain them. Larger tines and
more topdressing is used during the aerification process. We also will verticut deeper and use higher rates of chemicals
as in comparison to what we do on our greens.
DIVOTS
Taking divots on tees is inevitable. On a weekly basis we try to not only provide you with divot mix on the carts but also
in designated divot buckets on our par 3 tees. We will also hand fill any tee divots that were not either replaced or
previously filled by golfers. Our divot mix is made up of bentgrass seed and sand.
FAIRWAYS
Here at The Springhaven Club we have roughly twenty five acres of fairway and intermediate cut turf. Our normal
mowing schedule has us cutting the fairways and intermediates Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We use two large
mowers with five reels each and one triplex mower all set at .420 inches. We topdress two or three times a year to help
improve density, drainage, and playability.
Culturally we maintain these in the same manner as our tees. We aerify with large diameter tines and topdress following
that. We do have some new sections of fairways(4,5, and 18) that we aerify and topdress a few extra times a year.
Due to the higher heights we cut our fairways and intermediates at, we have less heat and disease stress. As a result
we are not forced to do as much intensive hand watering like you would see us doing on greens. We also can stretch
out our chemical applications for a few extra weeks.
mowing schedule has us cutting the fairways and intermediates Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We use two large
mowers with five reels each and one triplex mower all set at .420 inches. We topdress two or three times a year to help
improve density, drainage, and playability.
Culturally we maintain these in the same manner as our tees. We aerify with large diameter tines and topdress following
that. We do have some new sections of fairways(4,5, and 18) that we aerify and topdress a few extra times a year.
Due to the higher heights we cut our fairways and intermediates at, we have less heat and disease stress. As a result
we are not forced to do as much intensive hand watering like you would see us doing on greens. We also can stretch
out our chemical applications for a few extra weeks.
BUNKERS
Bunkers, although a hazard, seemed to be one of the most discussed areas on our golf course. During the early months
of 2008 it was decided that our sand would be maintained with a 3/4 inch fluffy layer on top of anywhere from a four to
six inch layer of firm sand. To accomplish this, we have a machine that we incorporate, especially after a rainfall, with our
normal hand raking. This bunker dedicated machine (the sandpro) has both rakes and spikes on it which is how we
achieve the fluffy aspect of our bunkers. We hand rake with leaf rakes to not only achieve the look that we want, but
also as a way to keep the sand fluffy between uses of the machine.
of 2008 it was decided that our sand would be maintained with a 3/4 inch fluffy layer on top of anywhere from a four to
six inch layer of firm sand. To accomplish this, we have a machine that we incorporate, especially after a rainfall, with our
normal hand raking. This bunker dedicated machine (the sandpro) has both rakes and spikes on it which is how we
achieve the fluffy aspect of our bunkers. We hand rake with leaf rakes to not only achieve the look that we want, but
also as a way to keep the sand fluffy between uses of the machine.
