Spring Greens maintenance has commenced this week

It is that time of year again when we begin our greens maintenance to get ready for the Summer. We often get asked what the reason behind this annual maintenance is and why it is so important, so we’re going to explain a little more here.

To ensure fine turf remains healthy throughout the year it is all about balance. Balancing nutrients, moisture, organic matter, oxygen and of course wear and tear. The latter, we can’t control too much of as golf courses are designed to be open all year round, but a simple changing of the hole position can spread the wear nicely.

With nutrients and micro-nutrients, these can be balanced by a well-planned fertilising schedule which is suited to the types of turf species on the course, and the growing conditions on each surface.

Arguably, the most important part of healthy turf is the oxygen and moisture levels, which is where the greens maintenance comes in as a very important part of our Greenkeepers’ calendar.

For a turfgrass to be strong and healthy, it needs the best growing conditions, which include:

• A free-draining surface to prevent disease, weed and moss growth;

• Sufficient moisture levels underneath the surface for continued growth;

• Enough oxygen within the root system to allow good cellular respiration.

This in a nutshell is the reason you will see golf courses punch thousands of holes in a golf green in the spring and autumn, as well as other forms of aeration such as spiking, scarifying, and vertidraining. To maintain good moisture and oxygen levels, while providing a free draining surface, we need to aerate the greens.

Within a couple of weeks of us completing the maintenance the greens should be back to normal ready for the playing season, and we’re looking forward to a long season of good golf and great greens!