If you've played the course recently you will have noticed that the greens appear to have been sliced and diced and left with a bit of a waffle like pattern embossed across their surface. This effect is the result of verticutting - a cultivating process designed to reduce thatch and improve playing surfaces. Special reels with vertical blades are run across greens cutting into the surface to reduce thatch and promote both quicker putting surfaces and stronger grass growth. In terms of playability its a case of short term pain for long term gain.
One way to look at verticutting is as a method of pruning the greens much like a gardener might prune trees or rose bushes. The cutting process slices downwards, cutting the plants lateral subterranean shoots and stolons and lifting and reducing the thatch layer through which the individual grass shoots grow. The cut material is left on the surface of the green and is easily picked up by the regular greens mowers horizontal reels.
There are many potential benefits to vericutting a green. The turf is opened up providing greater access to sunlight and moisture. The vertical slicing allows for easier top dressing so sand and fertilizer can be easily added to a green.With lateral growth controlled grass plants redirect energy towards stronger vertical growth, generating plants that stand straighter and provide a smoother faster putting surface. Grass is a hardy and resilient plant. Properly watered and fed, a verticut green will respond with new growth, quickly healing over any scars the cutting process might impart.
Some may ask why verticut at this time of year when the days are getting shorter and growing conditions may not seem as strong as earlier in the year. The answer lies in the type of grass used on the greens and in the way the greens have played throughout the season. Optimal vericutting times for northern climate grasses come towards the beginning and end of the playing season. The process puts the plants under stress and promotes a stimulating hardening response as the plants react to cultivation. At this time of year, as vertical growth begins to slow, it is important to set the plants up for end of season processes that will help them survive the winter. Having been cut and played all through the summer, the thatch layer has built up to the point where a good verticut will have a positive impact when the greens are opened up to more sunlight and moisture.
Many course follow a more aggressive program of verticutting and top dressing. At Links we try to monitor the turf carefully in order to maintain a healthy balance of cultivation processes. Verticutting is a very aggressive cultivation process. Doing it too frequently can cause more harm than good. Through the earlier part of the summer Links uses other methods such as rolling to establish faster greenspeeds.
In two weeks time Links will be hosting its club championship. By verticutting now, the grounds crew should elicit a positive response from the greens resulting in their being in top shape for the year's grand finale event. Similarly, the Mens's Commercial League is winding to a close, with weekly league play giving way to the playoff rounds. It might not be on the scale of the Fed-ex Cup but the club championship and commercial league playoffs do generate considerable competitive spirit amongst some of our members and its best if the grounds crew can do our bit to have the course play to its full seasonal potential.
As the season starts to change, people are becoming aware that the number of opportunities to get out for a round are also winding down. Verticutting is just another sign of the season, and though the criss-cross cuts may be briefly disconcerting, they will be with us for a short time only. In the long run, the verticutting process help ensures that putts can run true for the rest of the season and that the greens are ready to deal with the winter to come!
FSJ Links - Nearly time to Swing By
Links - Your In Town Course
Thursday, August 25, 2011
If Golf Had a Soundtrack
This summer, as part of the RBC Canadian Open festivities, Richard Zokol was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Zokol, grew up in Vancouver playing out of Marine Drive Golf Club. He briefly gained some notoriety, experiencing modest success on the PGA tour as "Disco Dick", by listening to a walkman while he played. A novelty back in the 80's, the walkman has evolved into today's ubiquitous MP3 player. I'm not sure what tunes Zokol listened to back in the day, but it's fun to speculate what songs a modern day golfer might include on their i-pod on a present day playlist.
For example, given recent tour developments Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" might once have been ranked number one, but would now be unlikely to even crack the top 30 in the rankings. Eddie Rabbit's "Drivin My Life Away" or The Fifth Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" might be good choices for the first tee, while the Byrd's "Turn, Turn, Turn" or the the Spice Girls "Stop Right Now" might work on both the greens or as encouragement for errant shots from the fairways. Any golf play list would have to include numbers from the Eagles. "Take It To the Limit" or "Desperado" might be appropriate, depending upon one's handicap. By the same token all songs by Ravi Shankar would have to be prohibited.
Growing up, our tv was often tuned to ABC's coverage of the PGA. Does anyone else remember commentators like Dave Marr, Jim MacKay or Chris Schenkle? How about the theme song for the broadcasts, "Love's Theme" by Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra? Even now the tune evokes memories of Sunday afternoons watching Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, or Lee Trevino bring home another victory.
The Beach Boy's "I Get Around" sounds like an invitation to get a tee time, and Abba's "The Winner Take's It All" neatly sums up the conclusion of many a friendly wager. Given my current role as a greens keeper, I'd need to include Brian Adam's "Cuts Like a Knife" and "I Love the Rainy Nights" by Eddie Rabbit.
No golf playlist would be complete without a selection or two from Jake Trout and The Flounders. If you've never heard of them, you should look them up on Youtube. The group was the brainchild of the late Payne Stewart, and consisted of himself and touring professionals Mark Lye and Peter Jacobsen. Together they wrote and performed parodies of pop songs, turning tunes like the Blues Brothers' "I'm a Soul Man" into "I'm A Golf Fan", or Randy Newman's "I Love LA" into "I Love to Play". Their album "PGA Players Swing Their Way to the Green" is hilarious, and still available at I Tunes.
I know at least one other grounds crew member who is a virtual encyclopedia of song first lines. Some days he can be heard all over the course happily bringing snippets of songs. There seems to be no end to his ability to find a tune to match any situation. I'm sure there are many other closet deejays out there, so if my suggestions don't do it for you, feel free to come up with a list of your own. I'll be out there listening to hear which tunes make the cut for you.
For example, given recent tour developments Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" might once have been ranked number one, but would now be unlikely to even crack the top 30 in the rankings. Eddie Rabbit's "Drivin My Life Away" or The Fifth Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" might be good choices for the first tee, while the Byrd's "Turn, Turn, Turn" or the the Spice Girls "Stop Right Now" might work on both the greens or as encouragement for errant shots from the fairways. Any golf play list would have to include numbers from the Eagles. "Take It To the Limit" or "Desperado" might be appropriate, depending upon one's handicap. By the same token all songs by Ravi Shankar would have to be prohibited.
Growing up, our tv was often tuned to ABC's coverage of the PGA. Does anyone else remember commentators like Dave Marr, Jim MacKay or Chris Schenkle? How about the theme song for the broadcasts, "Love's Theme" by Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra? Even now the tune evokes memories of Sunday afternoons watching Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, or Lee Trevino bring home another victory.
The Beach Boy's "I Get Around" sounds like an invitation to get a tee time, and Abba's "The Winner Take's It All" neatly sums up the conclusion of many a friendly wager. Given my current role as a greens keeper, I'd need to include Brian Adam's "Cuts Like a Knife" and "I Love the Rainy Nights" by Eddie Rabbit.
No golf playlist would be complete without a selection or two from Jake Trout and The Flounders. If you've never heard of them, you should look them up on Youtube. The group was the brainchild of the late Payne Stewart, and consisted of himself and touring professionals Mark Lye and Peter Jacobsen. Together they wrote and performed parodies of pop songs, turning tunes like the Blues Brothers' "I'm a Soul Man" into "I'm A Golf Fan", or Randy Newman's "I Love LA" into "I Love to Play". Their album "PGA Players Swing Their Way to the Green" is hilarious, and still available at I Tunes.
I know at least one other grounds crew member who is a virtual encyclopedia of song first lines. Some days he can be heard all over the course happily bringing snippets of songs. There seems to be no end to his ability to find a tune to match any situation. I'm sure there are many other closet deejays out there, so if my suggestions don't do it for you, feel free to come up with a list of your own. I'll be out there listening to hear which tunes make the cut for you.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Golf -There Might be an app For that but.......
One of the joys of working at the golf course is that it gives time away from the bustle and hurry of the rest of daily life. Riding atop a mower no one can reach me on my cell or easily tap me on the shoulder with a question or demand on my time. I’m unplugged, as it were, and frankly, I find that level of disconnection quite energizing!
Not so for many of the golfers I see on the course. They don't seem to be able to leave their plugged in lives behind. Blackberries, i-phones, ipods and other hand held electronics keep these folk wired into their lives and their games. I know golfers who text between shots, and others who rock out to their ipods. I know most of us have encountered the golf bag that suddenly rings, buzzes or vibrates at just the wrong moment. Some people even follow and update their Facebook pages as they play.
Smart phones allow golfers to determine whether rain that interrups a game is a brief shower or an all day event. Trivia questions can be googled, sporting events can be followed in real time, and on call workers can be summoned from the course.
Hand held apps such as GPS, range finders and electronic score cards are becoming increasingly common. I know commercial league teammates who use their phones to determine the yardage of their next shot down to the foot and enter their round onto virtual scorecards hole by hole. There’s even a stimpmeter app for grounds crew members who don't want to pack around the traditional tools of the trade.
The question is no longer whether or not people have access to these devices; advances in technology have ensured that they are readily available. Better questions are should people use them or are they even allowable under the rules of golf? As to the first question, the matter is one of personal choice. Recreation used to be an opportunity to get away from it all for a few hours. Today some people actually feel more anxious if they are separated from their technology for more than a few minutes at a time.
As for the second question, the Rules of Golf are somewhat unclear. Rule 14.3/16 of the USGA deals with electronic devices. The rule states that simply carrying or wearing such a device is not a violation. It is how the device is used that determines whether or not it breaks the rules. The device may not be used in such a manner that it unfairly assists a golfer. It may not communicate information about the course or players game beyond simply measuring distances.
A hand held GPS that tells a player that they are 96 yards out is ok, but if that same device also tells the player the wind speed and direction, the temperature and the humidity, then it is guilty of TMI – too much information, and the rules have been breached. Similarly, a player who wears an i-pod to shut out noise is ok, so long as what they are listening to cannot be used to help set swing tempo or to gain any information that might help the player’s game. Listening to an audio version of Tiger Woods’ “Golf My Way” or even the ticking of a metronome would be violations.
In case you think these rules are getting a little over the top, you should know that both the USGA and the R&A in Scotland have empowered local clubs to set their own competition policies for use of cell phones during play. Many local rules committees have banned the devices outright, with players reported to be in breach of the rules being dq’d from competition. Recently at an american state high school championship, the winning team found themselves DQ’d when it was revealed that a team member had used his ipod over the last two holes of the 54 hole tournament in order to steady his nerves. When the decision was appealed it was revealed that while the USGA would have allowed the device, the course competition committee did not. The appeal was denied!
The PGA of America has recently allowed spectators at tour events to carry cell phones but it continues to ban the use of the devices as cameras. During my recent volunteer work at the RBC Canadian Open, I saw the cell phone policy in action. Despite daily cell phone etiquette reminders announced and posted all around the course, I saw many spectators ignoring the policy. With many cell phone carriers signed on to the PGA as major sponsors, I don’t see the new cell phone policy going away any time soon, but as for the camera policy, good luck enforcing that!
As far as grounds crew are concerned, the only devices we need to be plugged into are our mowers. Some of us may carry our cell phones on the job, but they are there for us to be able to call out than for any one to be able to reach us. Once a tractor is fired up and bouncing down a fairway or running across a green, it is virtually impossible for the operator to hear or feel it anyway. Some of us have considered listening to i-pods while working, but in most cases the practice is counter productive or even dangerous. Many pieces of equipment require the wearing of hearing protection and ear buds, small though they might be, can decrease the effectiveness of protective headphones.
Even with head sets in place it is still important for operators to stay in tune with their machines. Listening to an i-pod can impair an operator's ability to hear a change in the way a mower is running or cause them to miss a sound that may indicate something is amiss. Not hearing that noise can be the difference between a little mistake and a big or costly one. Operating a mower is already a distracting process. Wearing a head set blaring loud music might make it downright dangerous.
So for now I'll stay happily unplugged, unwired and unapped. I like my time at the course focused and distraction free. That way I'm free to watch everybody else, and to keep on making the cut to make sure the greens are the best they can be!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Of Maintenance, Cutters and Aquamen
Growing up my brother and I often heard our father tell us "Don't break anything!". Dad is a great guy and a super father, but handy with tools he is not! Like most children my brother and I were well meaning but inquisitive. Things sometimes got broken and when they did, they either stayed broken or Dad paid someone else to fix them. My brother and I paid for it as well, and not always with just our allowance.
You can imagine my father's surprise when all these years later, I started working at Links. Based on his knowledge of my experience with tools and machinery, I'm pretty sure he thought I would either lose a limb operating the mowers, or quickly put the course into receivership due to all the repair bills I might cause.
Happily this has not been the case. Well into my sixth year at the course, I still have all my working parts, and though I can't claim to have never broken anything, I have been taught and actually can fix many of the things that can or have broken on my watch. I've come to understand that the function of maintenance work is not just to keep things from breaking, but also to restore things that do break back to working order. This may seem like a blinding flash of the obvious to some people, but having grown up under the "don't break anything" edict has left its mark.
My ability to contribute to course operations comes from working with good teachers, from taking classes from accredited training facilities and from experience. Len, Mike and Russ are all good teachers. Each has their own unique style. I appreciate their patience and their willingness to let me have a go at new and different tasks. Wanting to build up my knowledge base, I've also taken golf course operations courses through Selkirk College, and have been impressed with how current our course operations truly are. Over time I've been able to use many of the skills I've been taught but am still pleasantly surprised when things work just the way they are supposed to. Competence is an expectation for the grounds crew, for as Len reminds us from time to time - we have all now been at our assigned tasks long enough to know what we are doing and what to look for when things are going off the rails.
Its still a little unnerving though when the boss goes away and the crew are trusted to keep things working until he gets back. On the one hand its flattering that Len has enough confidence in us to go away. On the other its a little intimidating to know that if things do go south we're mostly on our own to set them right. Last week presented a series of such challenges to the crew. With Len out of town we had to deal with a series of maintenance issues ranging from regular cutting routines through to dealing with broken irrigation heads. I'd like to think we did alright. One day we had virtually every available cutter out on the course. With Doug on the Massey, me doing greens and fairways, Russ on the 1445, Kevin and Josh weed-whacking and Gord doing tees, aprons and collars, we were out in force. We think the results look pretty good, even if we do say so ourselves!
Its dealing with the unexpected that makes the job interesting. Last week that meant dealing with irrigation issues with sprinkler heads exploding by the 8th green and in the middle of the 9th fairway. Russ was up to the challenge of the broken head in front of 8 and together we were able to deal with the new fountain that sprung out of the broken line on 9.
The leak on 9 came at a particularly bad time; just minutes before a junior tournament. It also happened while I was mowing the fairway. One of the tractor wheels passed over a cracked or broken protective cover causing the line to fail. The resulting gusher had echoes of my father's "Don't break anything" ringing in my ears. Rather than just panic, I reacted quickly. The water was shut off, Russ was recruited to take charge of the matter, and in less than a couple of hours, we had the break completely repaired. Its not the first time Russ has had to take the plunge into a watery fix this year. Between these tasks and keeping the course adequately watered he's certainly earned his reputation as the crew's aquaman!
Len is back now, and no doubt we'll discover a few things that could have been done better or differently. Its nice to be entrusted with the care of the course but being told what and how to do things well has its upside too! I've got a new rule to live by now. Its still better not to break anything, but when things do go sideways its even better if you know how to fix them!
By way of an update I did take readings with the speedmeter through the week. It would seem that the base speed of the greens is about 7.5 or medium. Rolling Thursday afternoons adds at least 2 feet to the speed, making greens roll at close to 10 or fast! The Greens iron continues to be a little temperamental, but it certainly achieves the task of amping up green speed for commercial league. The roller also comes with a spike roller to assist in aerating greens. I'm looking forward to perhaps putting it to the test in the coming weeks. Until next time, may all your shots stay on the short stuff and your putts drop in the cups!
You can imagine my father's surprise when all these years later, I started working at Links. Based on his knowledge of my experience with tools and machinery, I'm pretty sure he thought I would either lose a limb operating the mowers, or quickly put the course into receivership due to all the repair bills I might cause.
Happily this has not been the case. Well into my sixth year at the course, I still have all my working parts, and though I can't claim to have never broken anything, I have been taught and actually can fix many of the things that can or have broken on my watch. I've come to understand that the function of maintenance work is not just to keep things from breaking, but also to restore things that do break back to working order. This may seem like a blinding flash of the obvious to some people, but having grown up under the "don't break anything" edict has left its mark.
My ability to contribute to course operations comes from working with good teachers, from taking classes from accredited training facilities and from experience. Len, Mike and Russ are all good teachers. Each has their own unique style. I appreciate their patience and their willingness to let me have a go at new and different tasks. Wanting to build up my knowledge base, I've also taken golf course operations courses through Selkirk College, and have been impressed with how current our course operations truly are. Over time I've been able to use many of the skills I've been taught but am still pleasantly surprised when things work just the way they are supposed to. Competence is an expectation for the grounds crew, for as Len reminds us from time to time - we have all now been at our assigned tasks long enough to know what we are doing and what to look for when things are going off the rails.
Its still a little unnerving though when the boss goes away and the crew are trusted to keep things working until he gets back. On the one hand its flattering that Len has enough confidence in us to go away. On the other its a little intimidating to know that if things do go south we're mostly on our own to set them right. Last week presented a series of such challenges to the crew. With Len out of town we had to deal with a series of maintenance issues ranging from regular cutting routines through to dealing with broken irrigation heads. I'd like to think we did alright. One day we had virtually every available cutter out on the course. With Doug on the Massey, me doing greens and fairways, Russ on the 1445, Kevin and Josh weed-whacking and Gord doing tees, aprons and collars, we were out in force. We think the results look pretty good, even if we do say so ourselves!
Its dealing with the unexpected that makes the job interesting. Last week that meant dealing with irrigation issues with sprinkler heads exploding by the 8th green and in the middle of the 9th fairway. Russ was up to the challenge of the broken head in front of 8 and together we were able to deal with the new fountain that sprung out of the broken line on 9.
The leak on 9 came at a particularly bad time; just minutes before a junior tournament. It also happened while I was mowing the fairway. One of the tractor wheels passed over a cracked or broken protective cover causing the line to fail. The resulting gusher had echoes of my father's "Don't break anything" ringing in my ears. Rather than just panic, I reacted quickly. The water was shut off, Russ was recruited to take charge of the matter, and in less than a couple of hours, we had the break completely repaired. Its not the first time Russ has had to take the plunge into a watery fix this year. Between these tasks and keeping the course adequately watered he's certainly earned his reputation as the crew's aquaman!
Len is back now, and no doubt we'll discover a few things that could have been done better or differently. Its nice to be entrusted with the care of the course but being told what and how to do things well has its upside too! I've got a new rule to live by now. Its still better not to break anything, but when things do go sideways its even better if you know how to fix them!
By way of an update I did take readings with the speedmeter through the week. It would seem that the base speed of the greens is about 7.5 or medium. Rolling Thursday afternoons adds at least 2 feet to the speed, making greens roll at close to 10 or fast! The Greens iron continues to be a little temperamental, but it certainly achieves the task of amping up green speed for commercial league. The roller also comes with a spike roller to assist in aerating greens. I'm looking forward to perhaps putting it to the test in the coming weeks. Until next time, may all your shots stay on the short stuff and your putts drop in the cups!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Stimping Along at Links
In a previous blog I discussed how the weekly use of a greens roller enhances green speed and playability. The rolling of the greens has garnered lots of comments from members and staff - most of them positive - but it would be nice to have more than anecdotal evidence that the greens are better for being rolled regularly. One of the ways to gather hard evidence is through the use of a stimpmeter.
A stimpmeter is an ingeniously simple device that is used to measure green speed. Invented in 1935 by avid golfer and spectator Ed Stimpson. A pretty fair golfer himself, Stimpson once won the Massachussetts State Amateur Championship. It was as a spectator at the 1935 US Open at Oakmont, that Stimpson got the inspiration for the device that now bears his name. After watching professional golfer Gene Sarazen hit a putt past the hole and right off the green, Stimpson wondered if he could develop a device that would prove the greens were unfairly fast. He developed an angled track, three feet long, that applied a known force to a ball released along its path. Incredibly simple, the device involved placing a ball into a notch, inclining the ramp to the predetermined release angle of 20 degrees, and measuring the distance the ball rolled. If a ball rolled 8 feet the greens score would be 8. If it rolled 11 feet then the score would be 11. The higher the score, the faster the green.
Stimpson's original device was made of wood. In 1976 the device got a make over from the USGA's Frank Thomas. Thomas reworked the ramp in aluminum, painted it green and used it to measure green speed at the 1976 US Open in Atlanta. In 1978, the USGA made Stimpmeters available to course superintendents so that they could use them to determine green speed and consistency. Since then there has been considerable controversy over the use of stimpmeters. Designed to measure green speed, the true purpose of a stimpmeter is to determine whether all the greens on a course are rolling consistently. Where debate begins is when the instrument's readings are used as an impetus to increase green speed. Proponents of faster greens hold to the theory that faster is better. The counter argument suggests that consistency between holes regardless of quickness is the true way to test players' skills. Making greens too fast stresses both players and the course. Provided greens meet a minimum standard of rollability, speed should not be a big concern.
Since 1978 green speed standards have been set by the USGA. Under regular play conditions, greens with a stimpmeter rating of less than 5.5 feet of roll are considered slow, up to 7.5 feet are medium and more than 9.5 considered fast. Under tournament conditions these standards are increased by 2 feet. Tournament conditions include rolling, double cutting and lower than normal mowing heights. Such conditions cannot be sustained more than a few days as they place considerable stress on greens.
To measure the greens at Links, I went to the internet and got instructions on how to build an old fashioned wooden stimpmeter. With some help from my commercial league team mate Randy Haugan, we built an instrument to all the same specifications as Ed Stimson's original device. Following the instructions as laid out by the USGA Greens division, I've been measuring the greens at Links. The first thing I discovered was that there are VERY FEW level areas on Links greens. Using a level to try and find the flat surface required for an accurate reading, I quickly determined that our greens have many tricky slopes and undulations. Eventually suitable spots were found on the putting green, number 2 and number 7 greens.
The good news is that our greens do meet the standard of consistency. All three test areas rolled to virtually the same standard. Initial measurements taken on Sunday morning immediately after cutting indicated a green speed of 8.5 or a medium speed rating. Subsequent measurements taken Sunday evening after a day's play and growth yielded a rating of 7.4 , a difference of 1.1 feet. Still good considering the recent dry spell and the fact that greens were rolled last Thursday. Over the next few days I'll continue to take daily readings to determine the impact of weather and our current mowing and rolling regime. My homemade speed reader may lack the precision of a true Stimpmeter, but it will definitely provide a sense of how the greens are playing! Be sure to check back next weekend to track how green speed may have changed! Until then may all your putts run true no matter how fast they roll!
A stimpmeter is an ingeniously simple device that is used to measure green speed. Invented in 1935 by avid golfer and spectator Ed Stimpson. A pretty fair golfer himself, Stimpson once won the Massachussetts State Amateur Championship. It was as a spectator at the 1935 US Open at Oakmont, that Stimpson got the inspiration for the device that now bears his name. After watching professional golfer Gene Sarazen hit a putt past the hole and right off the green, Stimpson wondered if he could develop a device that would prove the greens were unfairly fast. He developed an angled track, three feet long, that applied a known force to a ball released along its path. Incredibly simple, the device involved placing a ball into a notch, inclining the ramp to the predetermined release angle of 20 degrees, and measuring the distance the ball rolled. If a ball rolled 8 feet the greens score would be 8. If it rolled 11 feet then the score would be 11. The higher the score, the faster the green.
Stimpson's original device was made of wood. In 1976 the device got a make over from the USGA's Frank Thomas. Thomas reworked the ramp in aluminum, painted it green and used it to measure green speed at the 1976 US Open in Atlanta. In 1978, the USGA made Stimpmeters available to course superintendents so that they could use them to determine green speed and consistency. Since then there has been considerable controversy over the use of stimpmeters. Designed to measure green speed, the true purpose of a stimpmeter is to determine whether all the greens on a course are rolling consistently. Where debate begins is when the instrument's readings are used as an impetus to increase green speed. Proponents of faster greens hold to the theory that faster is better. The counter argument suggests that consistency between holes regardless of quickness is the true way to test players' skills. Making greens too fast stresses both players and the course. Provided greens meet a minimum standard of rollability, speed should not be a big concern.
Since 1978 green speed standards have been set by the USGA. Under regular play conditions, greens with a stimpmeter rating of less than 5.5 feet of roll are considered slow, up to 7.5 feet are medium and more than 9.5 considered fast. Under tournament conditions these standards are increased by 2 feet. Tournament conditions include rolling, double cutting and lower than normal mowing heights. Such conditions cannot be sustained more than a few days as they place considerable stress on greens.
To measure the greens at Links, I went to the internet and got instructions on how to build an old fashioned wooden stimpmeter. With some help from my commercial league team mate Randy Haugan, we built an instrument to all the same specifications as Ed Stimson's original device. Following the instructions as laid out by the USGA Greens division, I've been measuring the greens at Links. The first thing I discovered was that there are VERY FEW level areas on Links greens. Using a level to try and find the flat surface required for an accurate reading, I quickly determined that our greens have many tricky slopes and undulations. Eventually suitable spots were found on the putting green, number 2 and number 7 greens.
The good news is that our greens do meet the standard of consistency. All three test areas rolled to virtually the same standard. Initial measurements taken on Sunday morning immediately after cutting indicated a green speed of 8.5 or a medium speed rating. Subsequent measurements taken Sunday evening after a day's play and growth yielded a rating of 7.4 , a difference of 1.1 feet. Still good considering the recent dry spell and the fact that greens were rolled last Thursday. Over the next few days I'll continue to take daily readings to determine the impact of weather and our current mowing and rolling regime. My homemade speed reader may lack the precision of a true Stimpmeter, but it will definitely provide a sense of how the greens are playing! Be sure to check back next weekend to track how green speed may have changed! Until then may all your putts run true no matter how fast they roll!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Keep Those Putts A-rolling!
If you have been at the course Thursdays before the Men's Commercial League you've likely seen staff operating a piece of equipment that scuttles sideways across greens like a drunken crab. The machine is our Greens Iron 3900 - a mechanical roller designed to smooth putting surfaces and increase the speed of the greens. Rolling greens is a practice with a long history. Implemented at Links this year, weekly rolling of the greens seems to be having a positive effect on greens and has drawn praise, or at least comments, from many members.
Rolling greens as part of a maintenance program dates back well over a hundred years. It was common in the 1920's to roll greens after they had been cut, to smooth out imperfections in the putting surface. Improvements to mowing equipment, and the fear that persistent rolling would compact soils and inhibit grass growth on the greens, caused courses to move away from rolling as a maintenance process, though it never went away as an aid in establishing new turf or putting greens. In the late 1980's a desire to further increase putting speeds saw a resurgence in rolling as a cultural practice and manufacturers soon developed a variety of mechanized rollers to replace the traditional water filled drums that had been dragged behind carts or pushed with brute force by course workers.
Our Greens Iron 3900 is one of the more modern mechanized rollers. The operator sits over top of two sets of heavy drums. The large drum stays fixed in position, while a smaller drum is connected to the steering and allows the operator to determine the direction they hope to roll. A Honda motor drives a chain drive system and pedals at the operators feet can be pushed to make the iron go left or right. The machine does take some getting used to. Steering is counter intuitive and braking is done by easing off on the operating pedals. The slightest miscalculation in pushing or pulling the Y shaped banana bike handle bars can set the operator weaving crazily off course. Done properly, the rolling procedure looks smooth, like waves lapping back and forth across a green lake. Sadly, I'm not quite up to that standard yet. It takes all the concentration I have to steer a passably straight line. Throw in some time constraints and the occasional golfer or two and you have a recipe for sore shoulders and high anxiety!
However, the results seem to speak for themselves. When we get it right, the roller does jack up the rate of ball roll significantly. More than one member has mentioned how they've been cranking putts well past the hole until they get the sense of how the putting surface has been improved. The roller has sufficient weight to smooth out most spike and ball marks, but its not a substitute for good member maintenance practices. Having you fix those pesky ball marks - your own and one or two others - always helps keep the greens at their best.
With the advent of some summer weather the crew has finally had to turn on the sprinkler system to keep the greens and tees hydrated and growing. If you are amongst our early morning golfers you have seen the evidence of the sprinklers' early morning watering in the form of the heavy dew like layer of moisture that carpets greens and tees before the mowers get to them. Finding the right level of moisture has been a real challenge this year. The small areas of damage on the edges of two, three and four greens certainly bear witness to this. Having gone from soupy wet to bone dry in quick order has caused the grass to drown, die and struggle to come back, and these areas will continue to require persistent attention for some time.
Rolling further compacts and stresses these areas. The more established grass on the rest of the the surface is impacted by rolling, but is better able to cope with the stress. Consequently, rolling is restricted to one day a week, with most of the benefits being played out in the 48 - 72 hours that follow. The greens that are lightning fast Thursday night are still quick well into the weekend but by Monday the surface has begun to rebound and slow down once again.
Obtaining the Greens Iron last February was a bit of a gamble. So far that gamble appears to be paying off. While staff get used to the quirky way it steers, the Greens Iron gives golfers the smooth surfaces they desire and the quicker greens that make Commercial League more interesting. Time, practice and experience will allow both members and staff to get on a positive roll right through to the end of the year!
Rolling greens as part of a maintenance program dates back well over a hundred years. It was common in the 1920's to roll greens after they had been cut, to smooth out imperfections in the putting surface. Improvements to mowing equipment, and the fear that persistent rolling would compact soils and inhibit grass growth on the greens, caused courses to move away from rolling as a maintenance process, though it never went away as an aid in establishing new turf or putting greens. In the late 1980's a desire to further increase putting speeds saw a resurgence in rolling as a cultural practice and manufacturers soon developed a variety of mechanized rollers to replace the traditional water filled drums that had been dragged behind carts or pushed with brute force by course workers.
Our Greens Iron 3900 is one of the more modern mechanized rollers. The operator sits over top of two sets of heavy drums. The large drum stays fixed in position, while a smaller drum is connected to the steering and allows the operator to determine the direction they hope to roll. A Honda motor drives a chain drive system and pedals at the operators feet can be pushed to make the iron go left or right. The machine does take some getting used to. Steering is counter intuitive and braking is done by easing off on the operating pedals. The slightest miscalculation in pushing or pulling the Y shaped banana bike handle bars can set the operator weaving crazily off course. Done properly, the rolling procedure looks smooth, like waves lapping back and forth across a green lake. Sadly, I'm not quite up to that standard yet. It takes all the concentration I have to steer a passably straight line. Throw in some time constraints and the occasional golfer or two and you have a recipe for sore shoulders and high anxiety!
However, the results seem to speak for themselves. When we get it right, the roller does jack up the rate of ball roll significantly. More than one member has mentioned how they've been cranking putts well past the hole until they get the sense of how the putting surface has been improved. The roller has sufficient weight to smooth out most spike and ball marks, but its not a substitute for good member maintenance practices. Having you fix those pesky ball marks - your own and one or two others - always helps keep the greens at their best.
With the advent of some summer weather the crew has finally had to turn on the sprinkler system to keep the greens and tees hydrated and growing. If you are amongst our early morning golfers you have seen the evidence of the sprinklers' early morning watering in the form of the heavy dew like layer of moisture that carpets greens and tees before the mowers get to them. Finding the right level of moisture has been a real challenge this year. The small areas of damage on the edges of two, three and four greens certainly bear witness to this. Having gone from soupy wet to bone dry in quick order has caused the grass to drown, die and struggle to come back, and these areas will continue to require persistent attention for some time.
Rolling further compacts and stresses these areas. The more established grass on the rest of the the surface is impacted by rolling, but is better able to cope with the stress. Consequently, rolling is restricted to one day a week, with most of the benefits being played out in the 48 - 72 hours that follow. The greens that are lightning fast Thursday night are still quick well into the weekend but by Monday the surface has begun to rebound and slow down once again.
Obtaining the Greens Iron last February was a bit of a gamble. So far that gamble appears to be paying off. While staff get used to the quirky way it steers, the Greens Iron gives golfers the smooth surfaces they desire and the quicker greens that make Commercial League more interesting. Time, practice and experience will allow both members and staff to get on a positive roll right through to the end of the year!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
August and "Glory's Last Shot"
With the arrival of August golfers can expect seasonal changes to start setting in at the course. While most people regard August as the dog days of summer, northern golfers know August as summer's last shot, as autumn often sets in early in the Peace Country. Its ironically fitting that the last major championship of the professional golf season, the PGA Championship, known colloquially as "Glory's Last Shot" takes place in August as well.
For those of us used to golfing late into the evening August serves as a reminder that the season is rapidly drawing to a close. The sun is rising a little later each day and going down a little sooner. On August 1st the sun rose at 5:05 AM and set at 9:11 PM. By the end of the month sunrise will be at 6:04 AM and sunset at 8 PM - a loss of daylight of over two hours! Perhaps not very noticeable to many people but pretty significant to grounds crew who start work around 6 AM. With the later sunrise also comes lower temperatures and the threat of frost. A lack of heat and light definitely puts a crimp in the amount of time available to the grounds crew before the arrival of most golfers. Fortunately August has come out of the gate with brilliant sunshine and above average temperatures!
Declining daylight and temperatures will have a great impact on the grass and plants. The most identifiable sign that fall is on its way will be the turning of the tree leaves from green to their fall colors. In dry years this change can happen earlier due to the trees being under stress from lack of water. With this year's above average rainfall the leaves may stay green longer but there are no guarantees. A two week drying trend might just stress the trees into turning early. Just like the weather, the trees operate on their schedules, more often than not leaving forecasters scratching their heads and wondering why their predictions turned out so wrong. The grass at the course changes too. The rapid summer growth eases off as the plants prepare for winter dormancy. Cutting schedules and mower heights need to be adjusted accordingly.
But let's not rush summer out the door too quickly! August is traditionally drier than July and boasts an average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius - still quite comfortable playing conditions by any standard. For the first time in a long time there is no rain in the long range forecast and we've actually had to activate the sprinkler system. So while the season might be winding down, there is still plenty of time left for players to get out and post some great scores.
The same is not necessarily true for the PGA tour. The last major of the year - the PGA Championship will be played August 11 - 14 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia. It's fitting and perhaps ironic that this year the last major is being played just down the road from Augusta where the season's first major - the Masters is played. This situation is rare however, for like the US Open, the PGA Championship moves about the country, being played at a different course each year.
Aside from being the final major, the PGA Championship is mostly distinguished from the other major tournaments by its depth of field. Coming late in the season, this event attracts a deep and talented roster of competitors all looking for one last shot at lasting glory. Certainly this year's event has garnered considerable attention with the announcement that Tiger Woods intends to participate after injury kept him out of July's British Open. If an American does not capture this year's title it will mark the first time since 1994 that all four major championships have been held by international players.
August doesn't mark the end of the golfing season. At Links the Club Championship is scheduled for the Labour Day weekend and on the pro circuit the Tour Championship takes place September 22 -25th, so there is still lots of golf to come. However if you prefer to play in the summer sun, then August truly is glory's last shot! Better get out to the course soon and make the most of it!
For those of us used to golfing late into the evening August serves as a reminder that the season is rapidly drawing to a close. The sun is rising a little later each day and going down a little sooner. On August 1st the sun rose at 5:05 AM and set at 9:11 PM. By the end of the month sunrise will be at 6:04 AM and sunset at 8 PM - a loss of daylight of over two hours! Perhaps not very noticeable to many people but pretty significant to grounds crew who start work around 6 AM. With the later sunrise also comes lower temperatures and the threat of frost. A lack of heat and light definitely puts a crimp in the amount of time available to the grounds crew before the arrival of most golfers. Fortunately August has come out of the gate with brilliant sunshine and above average temperatures!
Declining daylight and temperatures will have a great impact on the grass and plants. The most identifiable sign that fall is on its way will be the turning of the tree leaves from green to their fall colors. In dry years this change can happen earlier due to the trees being under stress from lack of water. With this year's above average rainfall the leaves may stay green longer but there are no guarantees. A two week drying trend might just stress the trees into turning early. Just like the weather, the trees operate on their schedules, more often than not leaving forecasters scratching their heads and wondering why their predictions turned out so wrong. The grass at the course changes too. The rapid summer growth eases off as the plants prepare for winter dormancy. Cutting schedules and mower heights need to be adjusted accordingly.
But let's not rush summer out the door too quickly! August is traditionally drier than July and boasts an average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius - still quite comfortable playing conditions by any standard. For the first time in a long time there is no rain in the long range forecast and we've actually had to activate the sprinkler system. So while the season might be winding down, there is still plenty of time left for players to get out and post some great scores.
The same is not necessarily true for the PGA tour. The last major of the year - the PGA Championship will be played August 11 - 14 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia. It's fitting and perhaps ironic that this year the last major is being played just down the road from Augusta where the season's first major - the Masters is played. This situation is rare however, for like the US Open, the PGA Championship moves about the country, being played at a different course each year.
Aside from being the final major, the PGA Championship is mostly distinguished from the other major tournaments by its depth of field. Coming late in the season, this event attracts a deep and talented roster of competitors all looking for one last shot at lasting glory. Certainly this year's event has garnered considerable attention with the announcement that Tiger Woods intends to participate after injury kept him out of July's British Open. If an American does not capture this year's title it will mark the first time since 1994 that all four major championships have been held by international players.
August doesn't mark the end of the golfing season. At Links the Club Championship is scheduled for the Labour Day weekend and on the pro circuit the Tour Championship takes place September 22 -25th, so there is still lots of golf to come. However if you prefer to play in the summer sun, then August truly is glory's last shot! Better get out to the course soon and make the most of it!
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