Golf course superintendents face endless challenges and work incredibly hard to deliver playing conditions that help us enjoy the game we love. Today, and every day,
#ThankASuper
#ThankAGreenkeeper
๐
Plant trees right next to greens, tees, and fairways.
Donโt worry about how big trees will be in the future.
If you think a hole is too easy, plant trees to fix it.
For these and other great tips on how to ruin a golf course with trees ๐
Most golf courses choose to mow fairways in stripes or a 50/50 pattern based on aesthetics, but what if data showed that one method was more efficient than the other? We recently studied mowing time in the two patterns and found some interesting results โก๏ธ
Today we give thanks for all the golfers that fix their ball marks and divots, rake bunkers, obey traffic signs, and wait for the maintenance staff to reach a safe area before hitting
#Thanksgiving2022
#happythanksgiving
Blue Mound, co-host of this yearโs
#USMidAmateur
, has some of the finest Seth Raynor greens and template holes. Bruce Hepner has restored this Golden Age gem and superintendent Alex Beson-Crone and his team have it dialed in. Double Plateau, Biarritz, Redan, Punchbowl:
Golf is booming, but in all the excitement have we taken some steps backward in basic golfer etiquette? All the unrepaired ball marks, unraked footprints, and unfilled divots out there would suggest so. Let's turn things around! ๐
A mild winter day can be a great chance to play golf, but there is a risk of serious course damage if the surface thaws and soil is frozen below. Footsteps or cart traffic can cause soil to slide, damaging grass roots. Learn more about the risk of root shear:
PSA: Please don't hit a shot towards maintenance personnel during a round of golf. Instead, make sure they are aware of your presence and be patient while they move out of the way. This ensures that they can safely prepare the course for us to enjoy.
The Cradle
@PinehurstResort
is serving as the practice range for
@usopengolf
, so autonomous ball pickers are being used to collect balls off the greens to minimize wear and tear on these important surfaces.
Shifting winter temperatures bring the risk of serious course damage if the surface thaws and soil is frozen below. Footsteps or cart traffic can cause soil to slide, damaging grass roots. Watch this short video to learn more ๐
Congratulations to our good friend John Jeffreys, superintendent of Pinehurst No2, on earning the E.J. Marshall Platter for outstanding partnership preparing the course for the
@usopengolf
@PinehurstResort
. A well-deserved honor for John, his staff, and all the volunteers!
Golf courses will be busy again this year, so you're likely to encounter maintenance staff during your round. It can feel like mowers are following you around the course, but they're doing their best to avoid interfering with play.๐
If your favorite golf course hasn't aerated putting greens yet, they probably will soon. No golfer likes to see greens full of holes and covered with sand, but the many benefits of aeration are worth the short-term disruption.
More Course Care Videos:
Thereโs a lot more to a great putting surface than just green speed. With our new GS3 smart ball, superintendents can now objectively measure the smoothness and trueness of their putting greens and gain insight into how maintenance practices impact ball roll
Unfortunately, turf damage from carts driving through drought-stressed areas has been a common observation this year. As you drive through the course, avoid areas that look worn out or stressed. In some cases, cart restrictions may be needed to prevent damage.
Select the cheapest trees you can find.
Donโt worry about how big trees will be in the future.
If you think a hole is too easy, plant trees to fix it.
For these and other great tips on how to ruin a golf course with trees ๐
#GSRrewind
Being a golf course superintendent is never an easy job, but this year has been especially challenging in many areas with tough weather, staffing shortages, and busy golf courses. Be sure to
#ThankASuper
#ThankAGreenkeeper
for all their hard work!
Do you tend to park your cart next to a tee or a green with two wheels on the grass and the other two on the path? It seems harmless, but this video explains why that habit can lead to poor turf conditions and higher maintenance costs.
The women who participated as course maintenance volunteers during the 2021 U.S. Womenโs Open at the
@TheOlympicClub
helped highlight the growing impact women are having on course care and the turf industry.
Congratulations to Chris Wilson, director of golf courses and grounds at LACC, on earning the E.J. Marshall Platter for his outstanding partnership in agronomy and course preparation before & during the
#USOpen
.
A well-deserved honor for Chris, his staff & all the volunteers!
Today we give thanks for all the hard-working maintenance teams that make our game possible. Through packed tee sheets, labor shortages, high prices and many more challenges, you delivered another great year for golf - and that's something we can all be thankful for
#Thanksgiving
Staffing shortages are a widespread issue in golf course maintenance and things can get even tougher in the fall as many courses lose seasonal workers. Here are some ways that staffing challenges are changing golf course maintenance.
Regular topdressing is a key part of maintaining high-quality putting greens. While the sand may temporarily impact playability, the benefits are well worth some short-term disruption.
PSA: Please don't hit a shot towards maintenance personnel during a round of golf.
Instead, make sure they are aware of your presence and be patient while they move out of the way. This ensures that they can safely prepare the course for us to enjoy:
Being a golf course superintendent can sometimes feel like a thankless job, but golfers and the entire golf industry are grateful for their efforts. Without superintendents and their teams, the game as we know it wouldn't exist. So let's all be sure to
#ThankASuper
today!
Golf course maintenance departments everywhere are struggling to hire and retain staff. We should take a moment to appreciate the people who are showing up to take care of our golf courses and say thanks for all they do.
More Course Care ๐ฅ:
While it can feel like mowers are following you around the course, the reality is that the maintenance staff are doing their best to avoid interfering with play. Here's why we should be glad they are out there.๐
Most courses choose to mow fairways in stripes or a โ50-50โ pattern based on aesthetics, but what if data showed that one method was more efficient than the other? We recently studied mowing time in the two patterns & found interesting results๐
#GSRrewind
Like anything, irrigation systems have a lifespan and eventually need to be replaced. A new system is expensive and doesn't have much "wow factor" for golfers, but the investment will improve course conditions, water use, and operational efficiency for years to come ๐
A mild winter day can be a great chance to play golf, but there is a risk of serious course damage if the surface thaws and soil is frozen below. Footsteps or cart traffic can cause soil to slide, damaging grass roots. Learn more about the risk of root shear.
#GSRrewind
Congratulations to Bubba Wright, Pebble Beach Golf Links' superintendent, on earning the E.J. Marshall Platter for his outstanding partnership in preparing the course for the
@uswomensopen
. A well-deserved honor for Bubba, his staff, and all the volunteers!
Happy
#LaborDay
and a big thank you to all the golf course maintenance teams who work hard on holidays, weekends, and throughout the year to make sure we have great conditions to enjoy!
The women who participated as course maintenance volunteers during the 2021 U.S. Womenโs Open at the
@TheOlympicClub
helped highlight the growing impact women are having on course care and the turf industry.
Fight the urge to pull off the path when parking your golf cart near tees and greens. Itโs a natural impulse, but it damages the grass and creates bad lies. Click to learn more ๐
PSA: Please do not hit towards maintenance personnel during a round of golf. Instead, make sure they are aware of your presence and be patient while they move out of the way. This ensures that they can safely prepare the course for us to enjoy.
The course conditions we enjoy today depend on highly specialized (and very expensive) equipment. Learn more about the amazing machines that make modern maintenance possible ๐
Bunker sand consistency is often a hot-button issue at golf courses. Things can get even worse during summer as sun, rain, irrigation, and heavy play make sand more variable than ever. Here's a few things golfers should know about why bunkers will never be totally consistent.
A mild winter day can be a great chance to play golf, but there is a risk of serious course damage if the surface thaws and soil is frozen below. Footsteps or cart traffic can cause soil to slide, damaging grass roots. Learn more about the risk of root shear:
One of the most valuable resources for a golf course maintenance team is time. Creating a break in play for maintenance each week will lead to higher efficiency, better playing conditions, and happier golfers.
Unrepaired ball marks affect surface smoothness and putting green health for several weeks. Check out this video for a refresher on the best way to repair ball marks.
Every piece of golf course maintenance equipment has a lifespan, but itโs not always easy to explain when the time has come for replacement. Hereโs a way to put equipment life into terms most people can understand ๐
Spring seems to be arriving early in many areas, but lots of courses are wet from melting snow or recent rains and they won't dry quickly at this time of year. Everyone needs to be patient with early season conditions to avoid causing lasting damage.
Between busy tee sheets and labor shortages, keeping up with course maintenance is tougher than ever. Closing a course to play for a day, or even part of a day, makes it much easier for the maintenance team to perform critical tasks.
Congratulations to Josh Saunders, Lancaster CC director of grounds, on earning the E.J. Marshall Platter for his outstanding partnership in preparing the course for the
@uswomensopen
. A well-deserved honor for Josh, his staff, and all the volunteers!
Most golf course superintendents are accustomed to doing their work without much fanfare, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to show our appreciation for all they do. Here's 3 ways to
#ThankASuper
#ThankAGreenkeeper
It's maintenance Monday! Venting is a golfer-friendly aeration practice that is one of the best ways to alleviate turf stress from heat and traffic. Once the green is rolled these holes are barely noticeable.
Summer is a great season for golf, but hot and humid weather can be hard on grass. Here's what to expect on the golf course during tough stretches of summer weather.
Golfer expectations are one of the most powerful forces shaping our game. Unfortunately, golfers don't always think about how reasonable their expectations are, or about the long-term impact they could have. Here are 5โฃ reasons to rethink our expectations:
Nothing lasts forever, including golf course maintenance equipment. Hereโs a simple way to explain the lifespan of maintenance equipment that will help golfers and decision-makers understand when itโs time to invest in replacement ๐
During heat waves, golfers can help superintendents protect the putting greens by being patient with maintenance practices that help turf survive heat stress๐
โTreat your golf course like a business, not like a toy.โ
โDonโt let the loudest voices or the lowest handicaps take over the conversation.โ
These and other great tips for delivering a successful golf course renovation from
@BradleySKlein
๐
Inwood C.C. hasnโt put rakes back in their bunkers since COVID-19 started. They've had lively debates on the topic, but also seen clear benefits in pace of play & maintenance efficiency. Inwood's story provides interesting food for thought๐
#GSRrewind
The world's largest online library of turfgrass information is now open access! Visit
@michiganstateu
Turfgrass Information File (TGIF) for thousands of articles, research reports, and more about turf science and course maintenance.
Trees create a lot of agronomic challenges, but when they're in the right location they can be beautiful to look at. Let's see some photos of great fall colors on your golf course.
Equipment managers are often the unsung heroes of a golf course maintenance department. Thanks for all they do to help deliver the quality playing conditions we get to enjoy!
While hourly wages for golf course maintenance workers have gone up in recent years, there is still a significant pay gap compared to other industries that are competing for the same workers.
"The Wage Issue in Golf Course Maintenance" ๐
Golfers may say they want faster greens, but they donโt always know about all the potential downsides of that request. Be careful what you wish for when it comes to green speed โก๏ธ
The course conditions seen during televised golf can leave golfers with some pretty grand ideas for their home courses. It's important to remember that the conditions we see on TV require more than meets the eye, and more than most budgets have to give ๐
We are saddened by the passing of Dr. Joe Vargas. His career in turf research and education
@michiganstateu
spanned more than half a century and was marked by numerous significant contributions to golf course management and turf science. He will be missed.
Some courses are trying to get by with less aeration to avoid disrupting their busy golf schedule, but the downsides of deferred maintenance always catch up in the end.
It's
#maintenanceMonday
! Lots of venting and topdressing being performed today on putting greens across the country. Having dedicated time for maintenance allows beneficial practices like topdressing to be performed with maximum efficiency.
Aeration generally receives aโน๏ธfrom golfers, but the long-term benefits to playing conditions far outweigh the short-lived disruption, leading to more birdies!๐
A big thank you to the maintenance team at Sleepy Hollow for all their hard work during the
#USMidAm
. They overcame a lot to deliver a great championship on a truly special course.
As the days get shorter, it gets harder for maintenance teams to avoid play and work efficiently. Closing a course to play for a day, or even part of a day, makes it much easier for the maintenance team to perform critical tasks.
Frost delays are never popular, but they help prevent lasting damage. Our new educational poster explains why frost delays are important and why patience is needed on those frosty mornings. Order one for your golf course today โก๏ธ
Green speed can be a very hot topic at golf courses and itโs easy for people to fall into the trap of thinking faster is always better. Knowing some basic facts about green speed helps keep things in perspective.
A lot happens on a golf course before we arrive at the first tee. The maintenance staff often begins work before sunrise to ensure that the course is ready for play. Here is a glimpse into all that happens on a golf course each day.
It's going to be extremely hot in many areas this week and superintendents will be using defensive maintenance practices to protect turf health. There may be some short-term playability impacts, but remember that "slow grass is better than no grass."
Many golfers wonder why greens need to be hand watered during the day and what the impact on playing conditions will be. Weโve got answers โ and please be patient with the staff performing this important work!
Above-average heat and humidity are in the forecast this week, so don't be surprised if you notice that greens are a bit slower. This weather forces superintendents to play defense to keep the turf alive.
The course conditions we enjoy today depend on highly specialized (and very expensive) equipment. Things have come a long way since the days when sheep and rabbits handled the mowing.
Every piece of golf course maintenance equipment has a lifespan, but itโs not always easy to explain when the time has come for replacement. Hereโs a way to put equipment life into terms most people can understand
#GSRrewind
๐
Aeration is never popular among golfers and it is a lot of work for superintendents, especially this year. Learn more about this essential practice and why the disruption is worthwhile.