The dynamic duo become the fantastic four as Henry Bechelet and Richard Windows are joined by Dr
Christian Spring and Jay Dobson to outline the STRI’s new programme ... brace yourselves!
Firmness First!
Brace yourselves ... because we have got some work to do!
To get our greens properly into shape we all have to knuckle down. The game of golf depends on it. Our greens need to be firmer to be true to the game and to provide better year-round performance. Put debates about cutting heights and sustainability aside for a moment because this is more important. The game of golf is in danger of being “dumbed down” with soft putting surfaces. This is what we found.
During our 2009 agronomy visits, we conducted a pilot study for what has now become The STRI Programme. The aim of this study was to pioneer a new style of agronomy that removes the element of subjectivity or personal opinion from the assessment of the greens. During these pilot study visits, we measured both the performance and condition of the greens. This included the playing qualities (speed, smoothness and
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firmness) as well as the key agronomic factors that influence them (soil organic matter and moisture content). We found that this new approach
provided a more complete assessment of each green, and it also gave a measure of the level of consistency being achieved. The measurements not only gave us a better understanding of the situation, they also allowed us to work towards specific targets to bring about improvement. Participating clients welcomed this new approach because it really clarified the situation and helped them plan the way ahead. The pilot study was successful and we launched The STRI Programme as a new service in January 2010.
At the end of 2009, we then took the time to analyse the data we had collected throughout the year. We did this to help shed light on the wider situation and help us understand how successful we were being. The results were very
interesting, especially when it came to the firmness figures. You’ll see from the results that it appears we might be going soft in our old age! At a time when we should be challenging the modern golfer to strike the ball correctly on approach to the green, it seems that we might be flattering them with softer “target-style” greens that will accept any shot, no matter how well (or not) it is struck. Surely, the highest aim of our modern greenkeeping must be to reward good clean ball striking rather than flattering average play. From our results it appears that we might be taking our eye off the ball by concentrating too much on the roll of the ball. Upon reflection, we think that it is time for us all to get a grip on the game again and test all aspects of play. Golf greens should be firm to test ball striking and, so, surface firmness is where we will start our final stand.
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