What can we expect from our new greens? Firm as concrete? Fast as a tile floor?
These questions can be answered as yes. Commonly I hear a few questions after a new greens construction that are easier to answer at the beginning rather than later. After 4 new greens constructions over the past decade I have had a great opportunity to witness first hand and understand exactly what a new bentgrass plant is going through once open for play.
A new greens construction typically takes 2-3 years for a bentgrass green to reach maturity. In the first year to two years, the rooting structure does not mature and become hardy as a 4+ year old green would be, which results in some bentgrass diseases lessening in severity after a green reaches maturity. Many factors come into play to reach maturity for a green. Components such as root density, shoot density, organic matter build up, and sand structure setting up, all play a key role in the life and performance of a green. The first years of a new golf course green can be related to a new born baby. We are essentially asking a six month old baby to run a marathon before learning to crawl. Everyone, including our golf course staff, is excited to get on the new greens and will result in a lot of stress from maintenance operations and golf operations once open. A six-month-old baby has a hard time learning to walk with someone standing on their back and running a race in 90F plus heat. After 2-3 years root and shoot density become more stable and a vigorous network of roots and organic layer form to provide an environment-enabling bent to withstand stresses.
We can expect some thinning in areas from stress in high traffic areas, outside edges of the greens, and slopes around the putting surface. These areas that can suffer are merely pushed to their limits at a young age and need time to recover and mature. As a golf course maintenance staff, there will be certain precautions used to minimize these stresses and potential for injury. For example, practices such as: directional roping away from high traffic areas, extensive hand watering of slopes, venting aerifications to allow gas exchange through the green, starter tee times, and rotational closings of nines during the week will be used to promote healthy growing conditions and recovery periods.
Softer greens conditions can be expected in stressful periods, like summer, than in the spring and fall when the greens environment have optimum growing conditions. Through regularly scheduled topdressings and water management practices, softer greens can be relieved and provide better playing conditions when working around play.
We, as a club, have to do our diligence to promote healthy bentgrass and limit stress on the greens as much as possible. Operations like repairing ball marks, avoiding high traffic areas, and allowing golf course maintenance staff to perform golf course operations will be a must. We are looking forward to turning a new corner here at Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club and providing a club for all to enjoy.
*All these conditions could or could not arise, it all depends on the outside stresses, but definitely easier to manage expectations than explain after the fact.