If you appreciate the conditions of your golf course, don't forget to thank the groundskeepers. When a typical golfer steps up to his ball, chances are he's thinking about the configuration of the fairway ahead of him, or how far he is from the green, or where the pin has been placed that day.
At the Medal of Honor Golf Course at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, for example, groundhogs burrowing near the 18th hole have been a problem. Despite their access to weaponry, the Marines did not resort to explosives -- as the Bill Murray character Carl Spackler did when faced with gophers in the film Caddyshack.
When a typical golfer steps up to his ball, chances are he's thinking about the configuration of the fairway ahead of him, or how far he is from the green, or where the pin has been placed that day. He may never even consider the people who maintain the green and fairway, or who move the hole to different locations on the green.
Guilfoil believes that they will also be good guardians of his fairways and greens. 2. Javalinas as tipsters. Greenkeepers hate grubs. Not only do grubs eat grass roots and crowns, leaving desiccated patches in their wake, they also attract predators, such as crows, which tear up turf in their search for the bugs.
With all due respect to Carl Spackler, dynamite is no way to deal with gophers. But as the superintendent of Desert Canyon Golf Club, in Arizona, Matt Guilfoil wasn’t big on using traps or poison pellets, either. So he’s now trying a different tack.
A variety of machines are required to maintain a golf course’s grass. Groundskeepers must know how to operate different types of mowers and trimmers, and learn the proper procedures for trimming around areas such as bunkers, cart paths, fences and trees.
Very early in the morning -- before play begins for the day -- groundskeepers are typically hard at work. They may also work after dark, once the players have left the course.
Groundskeepers not only cut and trim the grass, but apply pesticides, weed prevention chemicals and the proper amount of irrigation to make sure the grass thrives. They also repair areas where the ground has been damaged, so they must know how to prepare soil and seed it, or how to lay new sod.
Grass and Ground Maintenance. Grass is, obviously, a key foundational element of any golf course. Grass on the tee area, fairway, green and rough must all be kept healthy and maintained at the correct height. The green is a particular challenge, as the short, firm grass must be kept perfectly weed-free. Groundskeepers not only cut and trim the ...