“There is still much to be debated on this subject and the unique position Denmark is in”


Above right: Trial plots at Smorum - even dwarf ryegrass.


Right: Dollar spot at Smorum - optimum feed and water to look at.


about and considering the quality of the playing surface that is being produced. What are the attributes of a good putting surface and are we achieving them? The writer would suggest the following as a start point:


• Uniform colour, texture and vigour. • Dry, firm and of uniform pace.


• Playable for at least ‘x’ months of the year. To be determined by your situation.


Free of weed, pest and disease activity has been omitted from the above list, which would have been included in the UK where pesticides are still freely available and used.


Having set out these objectives, you


can review the management plan to make sure we are realizing those objectives. If not, fine-tuning or explanation as to why those objectives are not being achieved.


2. Mowing Heights


This is a fascinating subject in its own right and for years we have all focused on “bench setting” as our guide for heights of cut. Unfortunately, depending on turf condition and how an individual mower is set up, a 5mm bench setting on one golf course will cut differently to the same bench setting on another golf course. This can vary between hand and triple cutting, grooved and smooth front rollers and the attitude of the bottom blade. To reduce this problem, the writer would suggest investing in a Prism gauge. A simple device which is placed on the turf and provides a measurement of the “actual height of cut”,


independent of how the mower is set up. There was no doubt, on the day, that in every case the greens were longer than the perceived bench setting of 5mm or 6mm. At such close tolerances this is critical if clubs are to follow a guideline relating to heights of cut. This will also have a fundamental effect on the ‘GS’ phrase - Green Speed. We are aware that fescue will not tolerate close mowing, but an optimum height needs to be identified which suits the needs of the turf and the playing surface.


3. Verti cutting


Optimum treatments again need to be identified against the grass species being developed and the quality of the playing surface being presented. As a colleague of mine keeps saying, “never say never!!”.


4. Soil and Water Analyses


A complete soil analysis would be useful to identify the base-line nutrient status of the greens and tie this in with the fertiliser programmes being adopted. Optimum nutrient requirements are essential once again if we are to achieve our objectives. Two of the courses visited use acid injection systems to optimize water pH at 6.8. Base-line water analyses would also be useful to complete the picture. Nutrient input from fertiliser is easy to measure. The nutrient input from 160 + tonnes of top dressing, however is more difficult to quantify, but should also be looked at as part of the overall equation.


5. Grass Species Composition


There is much talk and speculation regarding the quality of the turf at individual golf clubs. But we all know the difficulty in making an informed judgment on species composition, which can be affected by the time of year and the species appearing to be more dominant at the surface. To overcome this anomaly the writer did suggest investing in or making a Point Quadrat, to analyse, statistically, species composition. You can then judge the success of your overseeding programme - at 1000Kg bent/fescue seed per annum and compare the success on individual greens, shaded and exposed and between golf clubs. It takes out the subjectivity.


6. Green Speed


We need to determine what is an achievable and acceptable green speed for the golfer. This figure will be determined by management objectives and not necessarily golfers wishes, but the Stimpmeter is a valuable tool for measuring the effect of different treatments i.e. top dressing, heights of cut, light verticut etc. but should not be used to achieve unrealistic targets. Golfers should accept that the course should be played as it is set up on the day, according to the rules of golf but,


TO BE CONTINUED ... We weren’t sure either!


A quadrat is a defined area within which you collect data. The quadrat is placed on the ground and you then identify and record the organisms inside it. Quadrats are the usual way of collecting data about which plants are growing in a habitat. Estimating percentage cover is not easy to do accurately. One solution is to make the quadrat so small that the area is a single point. Such a quadrat is known as a point quadrat. These are useful for determining the percentage cover of all the different plant species in an area of relatively short vegetation.


for academic interest we need a reference point and the readings achieved with the Stimpmeter can be used as that reference point - and no more.


and finally…


Jay Dobson and Andy Cole would like to extend their thanks once again to Ian Tomlinson and his colleagues in Denmark and would hope that the visit was of mutual benefit to both parties in taking the process forward.


There is still much to be debated on this subject and the unique position Denmark is in with only 150 golf clubs, 50% of which are adopting the fescue promotion policy, and a government forcing them into this position. In the UK we have 3000 golf clubs and associated members to convince and a government which has not yet turned the screw in terms of pesticide legislation and fertiliser use.


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