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The importance of agronomy to a golf designer

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Michael Dugger:
Mr. Lang,

Could you please extrapolate a little bit in regards to something you said in your earlier post.

"On a technical note, since agronomy has to be closely considered in the site's water balance, as well as playability it is definitely important."

What is a site's "water balance"?
How do you achieve it?
Why is it important?

Forrest Richardson:
mdugger --

I believe Water balance is the effect of how many water hazards you have on one side versus the other. This is sometimes called the "Shueman Effect", but rarely used now-a-days in favor of simply, Water Balance. MacKenzie used this theory quite well in his day, creating such wonderful...

Steve Lang:
;)

thanks Forrest, Mack aside... any mass or material balance is simply

input-output=accumulation

Certainly most if not all agronomic choices will influence water balance definitions.. evapotranspiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, percolation, run-off... i.e., all the elements of a site's water balance and fit into the locale's overall hydrologic cycle



its not got the moxy of "lines of charm" and visual psychological impacts of cross bunkering and travel over the alps in this group's lexicon of GCA effects.. but how else can one quantify how a maintenance meld is to be reproduced and "over-watering" of open approaches etc. brought under control.. definition of the water balance I say!

I believe it can be achieved by measuring-monitoring soil moisture, groundwater levels, etc. in a coordinated holistic manner across a site.  Some practical ones say bunk to such type science being applied in GCA, won't work, too much area and uncertainty, just go cut the grass and put the water sprinklers on good timers.. keep an eye on the weather, know your course needs and let mother nature run the basic things and just supplement.  Fine for them, time to move into the 20th century!  

Forrest Richardson:
Steve,

I recognize the mountains, terrain and a few other elements. But what are the things floating in the sky and what is that blue stuff coming down toward the mountains? I've seen nothing like that here in the West...at least that I can recall...?

Also, I believe this diagram is of a site which later became a Jeff Brauer layout called, "Treeworld Golf Resort & Spa". Am I right on that?

Thanks.

Steve Lang:
;D

Forrest,

Actually it came from Mountain Lakewood GC, .. kinda like a spruce-pine-fir 2x4..

Hey, we get 56 or so inches a year of rain over here and even parking lot drainage is a big deal.. what's your pan evaporation rate in that arid clime of yours?

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