Heavy Soils?

[Mark Saltzman]

I read a review of a course recently where it said the course had "heavy soils."

I think this was viewed by the reviewer as a negative.

Can anyone tell this agronomic newbie what that means?  Is it good/bad/indifferent? Does it mean that a course will be prone to a certain firmness/speed/color?

Thanks.

[Tom_Doak]

Heavy soils mean poorly drained soils -- such as clay.  If you're into firm and fast surfaces, it will be more difficult to achieve here ... especially if the climate is prone to rainy spells.

[Ben Sims]

I read a review of a course recently where it said the course had "heavy soils."

I think this was viewed by the reviewer as a negative.

Can anyone tell this agronomic newbie what that means?  Is it good/bad/indifferent? Does it mean that a course will be prone to a certain firmness/speed/color?

Thanks.

Mark,

Heavy soils (in the parlance used) = clay soils.

Clay soils have a high bulk density and a higher porosity made up of primarily micro pores.  For this reason, clay holds water very well and has very slow percolation rates.  Though crops grow well in clay loam or sandy loam, turfgrass needs more macro pores to get the water out of the soil and also for air flow within the rootzone.  

Notice how a disproportionate number of the worlds best courses have sandy soils.  It allows archies to design more aggressive features and more prominently for the ground game.  

PS--Whoops, yeah, what Tom said.

[James Bennett]

clay soil = worrying about drainage.  Any hollows will be very wet after heavy rain.  Run-off will be more significan, so the shaping around bnkers needs to be more careful to prevent wash-outs.  This can mean that 'gathering' bunkers aren't possible.  Clay compaction can result in very firm (ie hard) fairways, resulting in less controllable bounce and more run, especially when the fairway is allowed to dry.  It can also play incredibly slow (hit and stick) after heavy rain.

sandy soil - freer draining, better combination of air and water possible.  Less of the above issues.

Merion East is an example of what can be achieved on clay, with good design and very good maintenance.

James B

[Bryan Izatt]

Mark,

Most everything in the Toronto area is on heavy clay soil.  I think Osprey Valley might come closest in this area to sandy and fast draining.  Ian could probably give us more insight on the soil at Osprey.

[Steve Okula]

Heavy soils (in the parlance used) = clay soils.

Clay soils have a high bulk density and a higher porosity made up of primarily micro pores.  For this reason, clay holds water very well and has very slow percolation rates.  Though crops grow well in clay loam or sandy loam, turfgrass needs more macro pores to get the water out of the soil and also for air flow within the rootzone.  

Notice how a disproportionate number of the worlds best courses have sandy soils.  It allows archies to design more aggressive features and more prominently for the ground game.  

Say, Ben, you sound as though you've been studying agronomy at Penn State or somewhere.

[Mark Saltzman]

Thank you for the information, gentlemen. 

Your descriptions of heavy soils aptly describe how the course played.

[Steve Lang]

 

pics help some... these are a little fuzzy, but you can find them with a little effort..  i think the term heavy soils is related to some semantics as some call the clay soils "fat"

..  some oxidized brown clays have permeability that is measured as ~ a foot per year (1E-6 cm/sec) gray-blue clays can be 1/10th to 100th less permeable..

 

sandy soils have permeabilities of 10's to 1000's of feet per year or more.. but it all depends on the mix

[Kyle Harris]

A superintendent can make magic happen on a clay-base with the right attitude and some patience. I think it's a bit myopic to say that sand is a categorically better surface, especially on cool-season turf. That clay retains moisture and nutrients at higher capacities can be an asset with the right attitude. Root health and density are probably more important on a clay-base to take advantage of these higher capacities - minimizing the input required from the superintendent.

As with any input, management and timing are the keys to making any soil work for golf. With a more clay-rich soil, it is key to manage the soil colloid and structure... just as it is key to manage the same in a rounded-sand base... or anywhere.

[Peter Galea]

A superintendent can make magic happen.

You do the best you can with what you have.
P.

[RDecker]

Not all clays are created equal.  Soil pH is particularly important in relation to clay soil and nutrient availability.  Water quality and pH
is also very crucial.  In today's world there is a soil/water amendment for almost every situation however some of them are time consuming to employ and most are expensive and involve patience and diligence.