In the past 10 years, golf has developed rapidly in my country. At present, there are more than 150 golf courses and nearly 3,000 fairways in mainland China. However, the increasing cost of golf course turf maintenance has made many golf clubs feel unable to cope with it. How to reduce the cost of golf course maintenance has become one of the common concerns of officials and turf managers of various clubs. How to ensure the quality of the turf while meeting the requirements of the golf course landscape and players’ playing? Through several years of practice and combined with the advanced experience of golf course turf maintenance management at home and abroad, the author puts forward the following suggestions:
(1) Select high-quality grass seeds, match them reasonably, and reduce the amount of mowing. “Ordinary” grass seeds can produce more mowing grass than excellent varieties. This is a noteworthy seemingly contradictory but correct statement, because in the market that requires extensive management, ordinary grass seeds are often the main sales target of seed sellers. In a study, it was found that there was a huge difference in the amount of grass residue produced by ordinary grass seeds and high-quality grass seeds. A common variety of meadow grass produces 70% more grass than Blackburg Linn, a superior variety of perennial ryegrass, 50% more than Tara and K-31, common varieties of tall fescue, and 13% more than Apache.
(2) Chemical fertilizers can reduce diseases. Researchers at North Carolina State University found that foliar mushroom rings of phosphorus or manganese. The best effect of using this fertilizer is when the mushroom ring first appears in spring or early summer. Apply twice a week at 8g/㎡ each time, and water after application to avoid fertilizer burns on the leaves. The researchers also found that this treatment method can also reduce the occurrence of brown spot disease.
(3) Proper mowing can reduce water consumption. Contrary to most opinions, mowing the lawn can consume less irrigation water. Studies have found that if the mowing height of meadow grass is reduced from 2.5cm to 0.6cm, the irrigation water required is only half of the original. However, these low-mowed lawns will make the roots shorter, so low-mowed lawns are less tolerant of drought, otherwise the lawn will lose its green color or be damaged. In continental climates where irrigation is necessary, using low mowing to improve water efficiency can achieve good results.
Reducing the frequency of mowing can maintain moisture. Studies have shown that where mowing increases from 2 times a week to 6 times a week, water use increases by 41%. However, there are some limitations to conserving water by reducing the number of watering times, such as the waste of water caused by grass growing too high.
(4) Zoning management. Dividing a golf course into different maintenance management areas can greatly reduce maintenance costs. Of course, the maintenance level of any golf course green, fairway, tee and other areas cannot and should not be reduced. However, in some areas, the following approach can be tried: First, divide the course map into squares and triangles, assign a maintenance level to each part, and mark them from “A” to “G”. Each part has its own designated fertilizer, watering, mowing and pest control standards. Area A (greens) can receive any required management, and the other areas can reduce maintenance inputs in turn.
(5) Spring lawn “training”. As a lawn manager, you can also “train” the lawn so that it requires less water. This method is also suitable for low-mowed lawns. Although the first watering time should be earlier, as a lawn manager, you should avoid making the golf course you manage the first in the area to water all fairways and tall grass areas in the spring.
Of course, “training” lawns also has risks. But spring drought can force grass roots to grow deeper into the soil. These deeper roots will play a role in midsummer, which can reduce water use and have stronger adaptability to the environment.
(6) Reduce the number of mowing times. A research institute in New York found that mixed lawns of perennial ryegrass or tall fescue (or dwarf tall fescue varieties) have a high growth rate and require more mowing. The amount of grass residue produced is 90% to 270% more than that of slower-growing grasses such as fine fescue or meadow bluegrass.
The study found that a large amount of expenses can be saved by changing grass species and reducing mowing. Researcher James Wilmot once did the math: “If it costs $150 per acre to mix with the grass species that requires the highest mowing frequency, then it costs about $50 per acre to mix with the grass species that requires the lowest mowing frequency. Combined with the requirement to apply only about 1/3 of the fertilizer, the cost savings per acre is $120. If you manage 100 acres of land, you can save $12,000 per season.” Of course, it is not possible to replace bluegrass or tall fescue in all circumstances. But once the golf course replaces the grass species that requires high mowing frequency with slow-growing grass species, it can save a lot of money by reducing the amount of mowing. (7) Reduce the use of herbicides. Everyone has heard that reducing the use of herbicides is good for the environment. However, can the quality of the golf course be reduced without affecting the use of herbicides? According to research, to control crabgrass or bullgrass, a low amount of pre-emergence herbicide can be applied every year. He found that the full amount can be applied in the first year, half the amount every two years, and 1/4 the amount in the third year or more. This application method produces an effect similar to that of applying the full amount every year. The reason is that the lawn is becoming more dense and resistant to weeds, and the space occupied by weeds in the soil is gradually reduced over time.
A simple way to reduce the use of pesticides is to control the dosage within the range indicated on the labels of most pesticides. If the label recommends 0.15-0.3 kg per acre, choose the lowest dosage. In this way, he has used 10% less herbicides than neighboring golf courses.
Extensive lawn management can be applied to many golf courses, and its potential for saving money is self-evident. As a lawn manager, you might as well give it a try.
Post time: Nov-05-2024