Technical


extensive list of aeration equipment, a local contractor is employed to verti-drain the greens once a year. To complement this, the greens are aerated throughout the year using sarrel rollers and a solid tiner to keep water penetrating through the surface. The greens at Church Stretton have


performed consistently well since 2012, with minimal nutrient inputs and no fungicide applied. It is estimated that the greens are currently holding less than 5% poa and, although overseeding was carried out in 2011, only localised areas have been seeded since. Instead, the fescue and bent have become the dominant force, pushing the meadow grass out. The proof that the programme on the


greens has worked is not just the improvement in agronomic conditions, but comments by members and visitors a like. Summing Up Ultimately, a golf green needs to be fit for purpose and, what suits one golf club, doesn’t necessarily suit another. It is primarily down to the turf professional at each club to assess the type of course he or she is working on, and whether their greens are fit for the client they are wishing to cater for.


Although many in the industry seek the


‘sustainable’ ideal of fescue and bent, it is little good if the end product is not something that the membership or visitors desire.


Nor may it be prudent to produce


Although many in the industry seek the ‘sustainable’ ideal of fescue and bent, it is little good if the end product is not something that the membership or visitors desire


”


receptive poa green on a traditional heathland or links where the running game is lorded.


Each club will have differing expectations,


budgets and infrastructure, so what may be sustainable for one may not be sustainable for another. At Shrewsbury Golf Club, they have the


ability to maintain meadow grass greens to a very high standard that, ultimately, has had a positive affect on membership and green fee income. Yes, it’s true that more money is spent on the upkeep of these meadow grass greens, with the annual budget being circa £11,500 but, with a healthy membership,


there is currently little concern. What would not be sustainable is to lift the greens mowers to 4mm on the search of finer leafed grasses. Church Stretton Golf Club has taken an


approach that suits their course. With a smaller greenkeeping team, limited irrigation and smaller budget, they have got greens that are easier to manage, with minimal inputs. The club’s annual spend on the greens is less than half that of Shrewsbury’s at £5,000, with £3,700 of this being on dressing, leaving only £1,300 on fertilisers, wetting agents etc. There is no doubt that fescue and bent


greens suit Church Stretton’s, as the rest of the course is dominated by these grass species. The thought that greens needed to be fescue and bent became even more apparent when these grasses started to dominate the greens, even with little or no seeding taking place. As stated at the start of this article; “when


it comes to producing good quality putting surfaces, there is no set formula”, however, putting surfaces must be sustainable and tailored to client needs. A golfer might not know his poa from his


fescue, but he does know a good green from a bad one.


Chris Roberts Agronomy www.cragronomy.co.uk chris@cragronomy.co.uk


PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015 I 115


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140