October 6, 2008

SELLERSBURG, IN — The growth in the popularity of golf, combined with the large sums of money invested in a golf course has led to the development of turf management which is a term used to refer to the skills of maintaining a golf course. Tom McCauley, former greenskeeper for Fuzzy Zoeller's Covered Bridge Golf Club was asked to hold a educational conference to discuss greenskeeping and answer some related questions.

"Location, location, Location," McCauley said as he opened the press conference. "It starts with the selected land. Depending on the location of the golf course, you could be in a no win situation. Land selection is critical and very underrated."

McCauley paused for a moment and continued. "The superintendent profession involves more than people realize. I will speak to general areas of common questioning surrounding the greens.

The green, as opposed to the rough, is the principle area of concern," said McCauley as he continued to address a group of reporters. "Many golf courses are now built in environments which would be hostile to natural grass cover and essentially the grass grows in a hydroponic or sterile environment with very fast drainage. This means that it has to be fed and watered regularly."

The key characteristics of a good green are speed and consistency. Faster greens are preferred and for tournament play the greens should be as fast as possible.

"Greens should have a mowing height of ideally 5 to 7 millimeters," said McCauley. "Some courses drop below 5 millimaters and the grass does not have enough leaf area to survive. The maintenance crew rolls the green to compact the grass and sand to provide the truest roll."

There are few golf courses in America that compact greens regularly. The Grande Golf Club and Tanglewood Park are two of those courses. "We aerate the greens to loosen soil that has been compacted by golfers walking over it, open up growing room for the roots, and increase oxygen to the roots. We topdress with sand to provide a consistent roll," added McCauley. "We scarify when appropriate, which removes moss and stops the collection of moisture on the green."

Trent Cooper, who is wearing another 'salmon' shirt, interrupted and asked, "How long does it take for greens to recover?" McCauley replied, "That is a nice shirt you have on today. [reporters laugh] To answer your question, it usually takes a couple weeks for the holes to fill in and grow over. Most golf course aeration is scheduled months in advance, but aeration just before a good rain will expedite the recovery process."

John Sabat, Jr. asked, "What is involved with hole cutting?" McCauley replied, "The job is not for anyone. It starts with getting out of bed before breakfast is served at Denny's. It's beneficial to have a working knowledge of the game of golf, but not a love for golf. Too many golfers who love the game recommend placing pins in challenging areas. That spells c-o-m-p-l-a-i-n-t-s to golf course clubhouse."

Sabat replied with disbelief, "Really?" McCauley said, "Yes. The most common complaints are from Ken, who bitches about his lone double bogey of the day, and from Dan, who bitches about the pace of play on the green."

Mike Davis jumped into the conversation and asked, "What is the hole diameter and why? McCauley answered, "That's one of my most frequently asked questions. It is 4.25 inches. Some drunk guys nearly 200 years ago over the ocean at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club invented the first known hole-cutter. It was 4.25 inches and everyone just hopped on the bandwagon." Davis replied, "Are you serious?" McCauley answered, "Yes. That ancient hole-cutter is still in existence and is on display at Royal Musselburgh. Get on a plane or boat and go see it."

Sabat asked, "Back to the hole locations. Where can't you cut a hole?" McCauley replied, "You can put the hole anywhere by rule. It’s important to position the hole on the putting green to facilitate good pace of play. Green speed, hole design, putting surface contours, weather conditions, play volume, and the median skill level of players must be factored into hole placement decisions. It’s also important to avoid cutting a new hole close to a recovering hole plug. The frequency of hole changing should be such that a crisp, clean edge is provided. A rule of thumb is to position the hole in the center of a 3-foot diameter area that is on the same plane."

Jason Watson yelled, "I’ve played a lot of golf courses and have never seen a hole placement near the fringe. Slick says you must be able to lay the 7-foot flagstick between the hole and fringe. Are you sure?" McCauley replied, "Slick is an idiot. You are a bigger idiot for listening to him. There are no documented rules regarding hole locations. There is no such thing as an "illegal" hole location provided it is on the green. A greenskeeper will be fired if he or she cuts a hole near the fringe, but it is not illegal."

Senior member Bob Morris asked for an explanation on the grass. McCauley thought for a moment and replied, "Bent grass is the choice for putting greens in any climate in which it can be grown. Bentgrass is characterized by very thin blades which grow densely and can be very closely mown, resulting in a felt-like smoothness to the putting surface. Bentgrasses are tolerant of cold, but not too fond of heat. Many courses in hotter climates use a different type of grass, although some spend a lot of time and money keeping bentgrass alive.

I have working on some new grass in my backyard that I am hoping will take off someday. It is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff."