designs. The front nine is tree-lined parkland and the back nine has a changing elevation through a series of hills and ridges. Between the lowest point and the highest spot on the back there is a 350ft change in elevation. “Three holes are cut into the ridge on the back nine and are reputed to be the hardest holes in Montana, though that could be just members talking,” says Sean.
Billings is in a flood plain of the
Yellowstone River. Snow and rainfall provides around 14 inches of moisture a year. However, the area is classed as semi-desert with very low humidity. Temperatures range from minus 8O December to 112O
C in F in the summer,
although the night-time temperatures at that time of year still plummet to around 0O
C. “We are so far north that we have people golfing during the summer from 5.00am in the morning until 10.00pm at night.” Irrigation here is a must, as areas not
watered quickly turn to dirt instead of grass. “It was another of my priorities to get enough water to the course to solve these issues” says Sean.
A 2.5 mile long pipeline pumps water
from the Yellowstone River and this is then stored in irrigation lakes. But, that in itself is another issue. More than one million gallons of water can be applied in a night and, with the amount of salt in the water, this means that, by the next day, the grass starts to wilt from too much salt. This creates a lot of thatch
and bare areas. With an alkaline soil, the main grasses were bent grass on the greens and Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass on the fairways and rough. “I have switched to new salt and drought tolerant ryegrasses, and we are also experimenting with slender creeping fescues like those used on some courses in Scotland. Luckily, we do not have disease problems but we have purchased a sulphur burner to adjust the pH of the water and lower the pH of the soil.” With only one million people in the whole state of Montana, living mainly on ranches and farms, Billings is the largest city with a population of 100,000. Whilst the people population may be low, the animal population is classified as high. This includes bobcats, coyotes and eagles, but the biggest nuisance is the mule deer. They use the golf course as a safe zone away from hunters but, in the process, do terrible damage to the greens. Top quality course presentation is vital to retain and attract members. Briarwood have the best equipment available, including John Deere fairway units and Toro equipment for rough, greens and tees.
Sean has also inherited a 1960’s Atterton & Ellis grinder, something Stephen Bernhard would surely have
discussed replacing at Harrogate! Sean joined BIGGA in April 2007 and is studying to become a Master Greenkeeper. When not involved in golf Sean’s passion is for old British cars. He is currently restoring a Triumph TR7 and, whilst living in Atlanta, was a member of the Georgia Triumph Club which boasts more than 90 members.
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