because of a low height of cut. Anaerobic soil and consequent high thatch levels will kill greens, but low height of cut should not. A lot of these stories go back to the sixties and seventies, when the greens were over fed and over watered. Back then, the machinery available didn’t have the capabilities of what is on offer now - the verti-drain (deep spiker) wasn’t even invented until the eighties!
The modern ride-on mowers will allow a 2mm height of cut through finer, smoother cutting and tighter turning capabilities (Toro has just produced a 14 blade pedestrian mower that can cut down to 1.5mm). The ride-on mower that we have at Ealing will make a 360 degree turn without leaving a mark on the turf. Try very tight turns on an old mower and you will find the mower units bouncing around the turf as it cuts, leaving scalped grass in the process. Bottom blades have also become thinner and more durable. We have yet to change over a bottom blade on our greens units for this season. Tools such as the accu-gauge now allow greenkeepers to set the height of cut to within a fraction of a millimetre. Gone are the days when a coin was used to set the roller to bedknife gap. Fertiliser technology has also
progressed. Until recently, the research that went into fertiliser was predominantly for the agriculture market. A granular feed of NPK at around 35g/m2
was the norm for greens
feeding. This left many soils unbalanced and toxic. Modern feeding calls for very low application rates with a mixture of soil and leaf feeding. Organic feeding is also encouraged, with the emphasis on seaweed for the micro-nutrients and organisms. Just
because you see spraying happening once a fortnight, don’t assume the greenkeeper is ‘throwing on the feed’. He could be putting on small qualities of nitrogen ranging from 3-6 units per hectare.
But, what about the grass plant? Won’t it die if it is cut at 2mm?
No, it won’t! There is no scientific evidence that suggests cutting at this height will mean certain death for the grass plant. The only legitimate factor that held back the short cut (2mm) in the past was the limited machinery capabilities. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that cutting at this height can be beneficial to the greens in terms of disease control, due to the drier plant that results. Thatch (organic matter) production is reduced with the short cut as there is less leaf mass to break down, which naturally aids the plant’s survival rate.
The natural process for the grass plant is for it to grow without being cut at all. Cutting this plant at 5, 6 or 7mm is not a natural process. So, what’s the difference in cutting it down to 2mm? Shorter roots and less photosynthesis is the answer. But, is this reduction enough to harm or kill the plant? I think not. I have found that the density and condition of roots cut at this height, in the top 100mm of the soil profile, remain healthy and robust. I have been successfully maintaining greens cut at 2mm for seven seasons. From experience, I am convinced that cutting at this height has no additional detrimental effect on the grass plant than a cut at 4 or 5mm.
Won’t cutting at 2mm put additional demands on my course budget?
The course budget at Ealing was
increased by 3% in both 2007 and 2008, but no increase was necessary for 2009. During this period, the price of seed and fertiliser has increased by between 20% and 30%. Fuel and other materials, such as sand, have also risen in price. In real terms (actual spending power) my course budget has remained broadly in line with inflation, so my experience confirms that it is possible to maintain a “short cut strategy” without putting additional strain on the greenkeeper’s budget.
Any good course needs a solid greens maintenance plan, whatever the height of cut. Lots of aeration, frequent topdressing and a balanced fertility and water programme are all needed to produce the optimal green. The real difference is that greens cut at 2mm will produce a faster ball roll than greens cut at 3, 4 or 5mm. The short cut also produces a smoother roll on meadow grass.
“You cannot have fast greens on a clay based, meadow land parkland environment without introducing bents and fescues.” Course agronomist
I do not agree with this statement, which I have heard many times. It doesn’t mean that you have to dig up greens and lay down U.S. specification greens either. Meadow grass, when maintained correctly, will produce very fine greens, comparable to those of modern creeping bent. Parkland courses have, historically, produced slower paced greens than links or heathland courses and this has been put down to poor soil structure and grass species. The links courses, with their sandy
The average golfer is often oblivious to the type of grass he putts on
ring Heights
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