how do you maintain a golf course

General Golf Course Maintenance

• Maintaining the Green on the Golf Course. Just as there are many different shapes to fairways, there are many different...
• Golf Course Chemical Use. Despite the “greenest” intentions, chemicals are inescapable for golf course maintenance.
• Golf Course Pond Maintenance. Golfers differ in their opinions about water hazards. Some shiver at the...

Full Answer

What does it take to maintain a golf course?

One part is maintaining the landscaping at a golf course. The other is servicing and maintaining the vast array of equipment it takes to keep up the landscaping itself. Turf, trees and water hazards all form an overall landscape theme. But it takes tractors, mowers and irrigation systems to keep a golf course green in pristine condition.

How do you maintain the Greens on a golf course?

The best greens are well-drained but hold sufficient water to keep them fast and fun. Most course maintainers mow their putting greens daily and long before players arrive. In the spring and fall, greens get trimmed to about 0.140 inch, but summer sees them lower at around 0.100 inch.

How do you maintain a golf course pond?

The trick for a golf course maintainer is to keep ponds clean and attractive. There’s as much to know about pond maintenance as there is to keeping turf managed. Good golf course pond maintenance relies on two things — aeration and dredging. Combined, both pond maintenance techniques ensure these water traps are clear.

How can we conserve water in our golf courses?

Look for ways to conserve. Although golfers do expect great looking greens, there are still ways to reduce your water usage. This can include investing in quality aerators, which can help the grass’ roots grow solidly and strongly. Using mulch selectively and planting turf grass can also help water from evaporating or disappearing into the soil.

How hard is it to maintain a golf course?

Maintaining an average 18-hole golf course – which is larger than 70 football fields – takes work and lots of it. The average 18-hole course may also have dozens of bunkers, a few miles of cart paths and many other course features. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of work to maintain all the different components.

How do golf courses maintain their greens?

Proper mowing includes daily mowing, daily changing of mowing patterns, mowing at the correct height, precise adjustment of mowers, daily cleaning and sharpening of mowers, training of mower operators and visual inspection of results. Mowing is the single most important practice in greens maintenance.

How much money does it take annually to maintain a perfect golf course?

The cost to achieve the condition players expect — or will tolerate — ranges from about $500,000 a year for a daily-fee course to $1,000,000 a year for a private club, estimates Bob Randquist, chief operating officer of the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America.

How much water does it take to maintain a golf course?

In California, an average 18-hole golf course sprawls over 110 to 115 acres and conservatively uses almost 90 million gallons of water per year, enough to fill 136 Olympic-size swimming pools, said Mike Huck, a water management consultant who works with golf courses statewide.

How often do golf greens get mowed?

On average, greens are mowed at least five days per week, and in most cases six or seven days per week. Courses that choose to mow five or six days per week will take advantage of a closed Monday or Tuesday to skip mowing and focus more on agronomic programs like topdressing or aeration.

How often do golf courses water the grass?

every two to three daysHow much (and when!) to water your lawn, according to a golf-course superintendent. About a third of an inch of water every two to three days is a good goal for your yard.

Is it profitable to own a golf course?

Profitable golf courses are generally selling for six to eight times EBITDA, while courses that aren't profitable tend to sell at 0.8 to 1.4 times revenue.

How much does it cost to maintain Augusta National?

between $100,000 and $300,000Membership is believed to cost between $100,000 and $300,000 and annual dues were estimated in 2020 to be less than $30,000 per year.

What is the profit margin on golf clubs?

After all expenses, the best golf retailers rarely profit more than 2-3% of the total cost of a club. However, as a whole, we can say that around 33.33% of the cost of a golf club is the markup from the retailer.

Do golf courses waste a lot of water?

Courses around the U.S. suck up around approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation. That's about 130,000 gallons per day per course, according to the golf industry.

How do golf courses get water?

Golf courses use a variety of water sources for turfgrass irrigation including groundwater, surface water (lakes, rivers and reservoirs), recycled water, and municipal potable water supplies.

Do golf courses use fresh water?

The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), which serves 105 of the golf courses, draws from the California Water Project, the Colorado River and the aquifer. Kessler, who heads up the Coachella Valley Golf and Water Task Force, said much of the water used to irrigate golf courses is non-potable.

How to conserve water in golf greens?

Although golfers do expect great looking greens, there are still ways to reduce your water usage. This can include investing in quality aerators , which can help the grass’ roots grow solidly and strongly. Using mulch selectively and planting turf grass can also help water from evaporating or disappearing into the soil. Plus there are some other benefits of finding ways to introduce more sustainable practices, including lower water bills and community or industry recognition.

What are the challenges of a PGA course?

You might not have the resources or the scale of full-fledged PGA course, but you may have some of the same challenges, including short- and long-term upkeep, labor, budgets, and even challenges with water. So it’s always interesting to compare notes on what challenges others courses experience, what solutions they try and then guessing what could work for you.

Is it good to maintain a golf course?

Overall, good golf course maintenance never seems to slow down, and there’s always fixes to be made. But it can be satisfying knowing you’ve been able to provide optimal conditions for players to have a great experience. TurfTime is always eager to help course personnel improve what they do, whether it’s state-of-the-art equipment or useful advice from assisting courses around the country. Contact us today to get started!

What do golf course managers need to know?

To “keep the green,” these experienced professionals must know everything from chemicals to cart repair. They also have to be knowledgeable in integrated pest management, irrigation techniques and equipment maintenance. That’s a diverse spectrum to handle, but golf course maintenance gets done daily at thousands of courses across America.

What is golf management?

Golf courses are a unique business where an artificial outdoor playing environment has to blend with nature and appear as natural as possible. Designing a course that makes golfers feel they’re part of the landscape while focusing on lowering their score is no easy feat. Neither is maintaining the course and equipment to keep it in peak condition.

What is a greenkeeper in golf?

Golf course greenskeepers break their grounds into distinct segments. Each grounds component that contributes to an entire playing course has its own peculiarities and unique needs. Here is a general guide of what’s involved in maintaining the green in each segment.

What are the components of a golf course?

There are two main components involved in golf course care. One part is maintaining the landscaping at a golf course. The other is servicing and maintaining the vast array of equipment it takes to keep up the landscaping itself. Turf, trees and water hazards all form an overall landscape theme.

Why do golf courses have wash stations?

Most golf courses dedicate specialized areas to mix and store chemicals. They also have specific areas to wash and clean equipment used to apply chemicals. This is vital insurance to prevent concentrated chemicals from escaping and polluting soils and waterways. Commercially built wash stations, wash water recycling systems, and chemical mix, containment and recovery systems solve the escapement problem and ensure spills or discharges never happen.

Is it haphazard to maintain green on a golf course?

Just as there are many different shapes to fairways, there are many different shades of green on the course. Maintaining the green on the golf course isn’t a haphazard affair. There’s a tremendous amount of knowledge and skill involved in keeping golf courses green and lush. It involves intricate familiarity with fertilizers and maintenance techniques that go far beyond what a homeowner has to keep their lawn healthy and their shrubs showy.

Can golf courses be irrigated?

Every golf course requires irrigating, regardless of its location. This is a precise science that takes considerable experience to master. No plant can survive without sufficient water, but overwatering can be a serious mistake — not to mention a costly one. Fortunately, computerization now allows precise golf course watering. Flow amounts and application times are closely regulated which saves costs and allows perfect irrigation conditions.

What does 90 degree mean in cart paths?

Also: When a course says cart paths only, that means cart paths only. Same goes for the 90-degree rule, which is grounded in grade-school geometry and is just about as easy to understand. One aspect of it does call for clarification, though.

How to fix a pockmarked green?

1. Repair your pitch marks (properly!) Few sights in golf are sadder than a pock-marked green, rough and cratered like the surface of the moon. Fix every mark you make, Cutler says. While you’re at it, fix a few others. Just make sure to get the repairs right.

Can you use a tee to repair turf?

Though you can use a tee to do the job, a divot-repair tool is more efficient. A common error is to dig down and pull up, which can tear the grass roots and kill the turf. The proper technique is to work around the pitch mark, pulling the surrounding turf toward the center of the depression, as shown here. 2.

How many acres does a golf course have?

While a golf course might encompass more than 100 hundred acres of land, a superintendent knows every player is going to be playing on tee boxes.

Why is it important to maintain a tee complex?

It’s important to develop a systematic maintenance program for tee complexes to promote healthy turf that heals quickly from divots and compaction. Superintendents strive to create an excellent surface that will leave a positive impression on golfers.

How often does Madden mow tees?

As part of Madden’s maintenance program, he strives to mow tees three times a week, but the unpredictable New England weather makes adhering to a regular mowing schedule difficult.

Why is it important to have a strong stand of turf on the tees?

The development of a strong stand of turf on tees is necessary to handle foot traffic and promote rapid healing of divots. Managing irrigation, fertilization and mowing well can lead to quicker recovery of turf on tees. A lasting impression. In Saucier, Miss., Grand Bear Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course, ...

What is the tee box in golf?

During a round of golf, a player has one spot on a course where he has some control of his next shot – that’s the tee box. Much like a billiard player who has the cue ball in hand, a golfer can decide where he wants to hit the next shot from within the limits of tee markers. A golfer can place his ball on a tee at whatever height he wishes ...

How many rounds does Grand Bear Golf Club have?

A lasting impression. In Saucier, Miss., Grand Bear Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course, generates about 25,000 rounds annually. Superintendent Allan Sullivan strives to maintain the tees on a regular schedule, which includes mowing the tees four times a week at 0.45 of an inch and spot fertilizing biweekly.

When was Gleneagles Golf Course built?

One such course is the Gleneagles Golf Course at the Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vt. This classic course, designed by Walter Travis, was built in 1925 . Rees Jones remodeled it in 1994 and added several new tee boxes; however, many of the older tee boxes were kept, leaving an interesting mix of old and new.

What is the real difficulty associated with course maintenance?

The real difficulty associated with course maintenance is upholding standards well before a golfer comes to play.

Why do golfers use aeration holes?

Aeration holes allow excess moisture to evaporate and promote gas exchange in the soil, result ing in stronger root systems and turf that is better able to tolerate golfer traffic. The addition of sand, both firms and smooths the green surface allowing for consistent roll and speed.

What does Eric say about poorly kept courses?

A course with the resources to provide optimum playing conditions will show that. Courses that may appear to be poorly kept are most likely incredibly kept given the resources the superintendent has at their disposal."

When to aerate turf?

SPRING. “The first thing that comes to mind as far as seasonal maintenance is aeration. Aeration is performed in late spring and early fall. Core aeration involves physically removing small soil cores from the turf.

Do golf courses require chemicals?

Courses require certain chemicals to remain playable. Eric said, “There is a plethora of chemicals and nutrients used on sports turf surfaces. From greens, tees, rough, fairways, to clubhouse lawns, all are treated specifically to their own needs. Soil tests are preformed throughout the year on all surfaces to determine exact nutritional needs and applications are made accordingly. Fungicide and Insecticide applications are based on timings of disease and insect pressures. All chemical applications are posted at the Starter Shack.”

What happens if a golf course is not maintained?

If a golf course is not maintained for an extended period of time, the road to recovery is likely to be a long one. The spread of COVID-19 is having a tremendous impact on golf course maintenance across the country. Many superintendents are operating with limited staff and facing resource constraints that could get worse over the coming weeks.

Why do you use plant protectants in golf?

Answer. Plant protectants are applied at specific times to prevent various diseases, weeds or insects from damaging the grass or disrupting playing conditions. Fertilizers, plant growth regulators, and wetting agents are also commonly applied to ensure the turf is healthy and provides optimal playing conditions for golf.

Why do you need to maintain bunkers?

Routine bunker maintenance is done to create good playing conditions, but it also prevents weeds from growing in the sand. If bunkers are not maintained, weeds will eventually cover the sand. Unmaintained bunkers are also vulnerable to serious decline from sand washouts that go unrepaired.

Can you lose turf without water?

Depending on the length of time without water, thinning or even complete turf loss can occur. Any turf loss will require aggressive maintenance practices to restore playing quality and complete renovation and replanting may be necessary in severe situations.

Can putting greens be damaged by drought?

Different playing surfaces are also more prone to damage from drought because of their mowing heights. Rough areas are typically the most tolerant of drought and putting greens are usually the least tolerant. In the right conditions, even a day or two without water can result in significant turf loss on a putting green.

How much does it cost to maintain a golf course?

The cost to achieve the condition players expect — or will tolerate — ranges from about $500,000 a year for a daily-fee course to $1,000,000 a year for a private club, estimates Bob Randquist, chief operating officer of the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of America. But of course, it’s also about location, location, location. Hawaii is, on average, the most expensive state in which to maintain a course, at $1.44 million a year. That’s followed by tracks in the southwestern U.S., where the average yearly maintenance cost is $1.05 million. Because they have such a short season, courses in the north central states come in, on average, at a bargain $556,000.

What is the most important thing in a golf course?

The greens. They are the most essential element of any course, but because of labor and equipment they are also the most expensive things to maintain — even if some of our demands are a costly waste. Firm and fast is the golf standard for greens.

Why does the USGA slow down the greens?

Lest this seem pedestrian, Moeller says that even the USGA slows its roll at championship venues. “Because of pace-of-play issues we have at our championships, we’ll sometimes slow the greens down,” he says. “We have so many golfers to get through, and we want to use challenging hole locations.”

What do golfers complain about?

As golfers, we complain about the course. Miss a putt and we instinctively touch the green, tamping down a raised ball mark that only our eye can see. Hit it wide off the fairway and we’re likely to comment on the consistency of the rough. Patchy. Burned out. Trampled down. Even if we get to play a U.S. Open–level course like Winged Foot, where the rough is thick and pristine, we’re likely to complain that it’s too thick! And then there are bunkers, where golfers are apt to note that the sand is different from hole to hole. Send it flying over the green? Not a bad swing — no sand in the bunker!

How long does it take for a stimpmeter to slow down a golf game?

Every foot of green speed on a stimpmeter slows play by seven minutes per group .

What is the best way to keep greens from burning out?

Firm and fast is the golf standard for greens. That’s achieved by mowing, rolling and hand-watering the greens to prevent them from burning out. It’s time-consuming and pricey.

How do private clubs, which carry a bigger tab, spend their money differently?

How do private clubs, which carry a bigger tab, spend their money differently? More people and equipment. They might, for example, hire a horticulturist to handle the landscaping or a fleet of grounds-crew workers whose lone job is to fill fairway divots. Grooming the course of your dreams? That’s a dream-team scenario.

Who is the superintendent of Dellwood Hills Golf Club?

This process has allowed us to edge once a year, requires a small amount of upkeep and our members are very happy with their appearance. Eric Peterson is the superintendent at Dellwood Hills Golf Club in Dellwood, Minn.

How old is Dellwood Hills Golf Club?

Dellwood Hills Golf Club is a 40-year-old, private 18-hole club located 20 minutes northeast of the Twin Cities. The club is a full-service country club but has been a players’ club historically. The course has a rating of 74.2 and a slope of 141 with water and out-of bounds coming into play on 15 of the 18 holes.