Willow Ridge Country Club Turfgrass Chronicles: With We Live, Without We Perish

Without it we cannot thrive, our metabolic process is disrupted, our cells lose rigidity, respiration and temperature increase because we cannot cool ourselves; that very important thing we cannot survive without is water. The same principles are relative to the grass that is vital to the quality of the property as well as the overall playability of the course. With a lack of water, plants much like humans begin to lose their turgor pressure, which helps to keep the plant structure rigid. This is accompanied by the breakdown of chlorophyll, the primary pigment used to produce food that is vital to survival. You factor in the heat of the summer, with a lack of water, you get a recipe for disaster. The plant is using more food than it is producing, while the cellular structure slowly begins to degrade because an essential need is lacking. This eventually will lead to death if not remedied in a timely manner.

Now unlike the human body, too much water can also cause issues and in many cases it can be more detrimental than too little water. The plant can expel excess water through their leaves much like we can via sweat glands, however with excessively wet soils the likelihood for disease is greatly increased. Excessive wetness also does not bode well for foot traffic, hundreds of golfers a day walk on the small greens whose leaf blades are succulent with too much water. Thus imposing damage from compaction and the twisting of spikes. One also has to take into account that water holds heat very well, so when the sun heats the earth, which then incidentally heats the air the soil can get to extreme temperatures. The soil will generally be a few degrees warmer than the air, so in that regard with too much water we can essentially cook the roots eventually leading to their death.

So it is our most pressing duty to maintain a healthy balance that will promote plant health, while also providing the golfer with a great playing surface. You may have seen employees out walking the greens and probing them with a purple utensil, this small tool is a very valuable piece of equipment that allows us get a reading on soil moisture. With these meters we are able to determine at what percentage the greens will wilt, and which percentage deems it wet, allowing us to make decisions on if, when, and how much water we need to put down. This also allows us to focus on only those spots that are dry, rather than watering spots that already have sufficient moisture. We also have soil moisture sensors that are actually buried in a number of greens on the course. These sensors relay information such as soil temperatures, soil moisture, salinity and a number of other indicators back to us, to allow us to make a more informed decision when considering to water.

Hand held soil moisture meters that are used by employees when checking greens to help
determine whether or not water needs to be applied.

We have a couple great tools at our disposal to help in our pursuit to maintain great playing surfaces, however with that being said it's difficult to substitute a good eye. The men handwatering are trained to identify physical characteristics of the plant, which helps to ascertain drying spots much easier. As the plant begins to wilt, it will transition from green to a sheen of white (at which time your footprints will remain visible), then from white to purple (signaling the breakdown of chlorophyll), and if not dealt with in a timely fashion from purple to brown/black (aka. dead turf). All this can take place in a matter of hours depending on the weather, so it is crucially important to have a great team, equipped with the right tools out there to stave off any significant wilt. So if you find yourself wondering what the guys probing the greens and waving their hoses around are doing, remember they're keeping the greens is great shape for play. Also, now that we're heading into July and August I'm sure you'll see them on a more frequent basis.