Firm conditions: Design and/or Maintenance ?

[Paul Jones]

I played a course last weekend and the conditions were much firmer; greens and fairways.  We even played the day following a pretty good rain and still played firmed.  I have played this course for the last 5 years, but this time it was different.


I started wondering, what has changed?  The design has not changed, but the maintenance has changed. 


I always thought that you could not have firm (and healthy) conditions if the design did not support it, but it appears that maintenance has more to do with it then anything else.

[Tim Martin]

Paul-I was at a club recently that had aerated and top dressed the green approaches and it seemed across all the holes with open entrances that the treatment extended farther back than I remember.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Probably maintenance, or in many cases, irrigation capacity and occasionally water quality.  A real world example - I was building a hole and knew it needed some cross slope to fit the land. 


Around that time, I happened to be at a local country club, digital level in hand and saw where their fairways held shots at 8% on the same Bermuda grass we were using.  So, I designed that fw at max 8% cross slope.  In a few areas, the shapers took a few liberties, and it exceeded 8% in spots. 


However, they have run into irrigation supply issues this year on the new course, and the fw is very firm, and the 8% slope kicks balls left, and into the bordering creek, despite a small "save" lip, which apparently some balls bounce right over.


So, did the design support the unintentionally firmer conditions?  Or, should I have been more conservative to anticipate that?


I recall Jay Morrish telling me that max cross slope should be 5% in the LZ.  Hurdzan wrote that it should be 4% slice side, 6% hook side.  JN wrote it had to be in the "single digits" presumably a max on 9%.  I was looking to avoid boring template design, and wanted more contour, but if we want to consider firm and fast and/or future water shortages, it looks like I should have been more conservative.


So, that is a real world design issue related to firm and fast.  Perhaps the phrase ought to be, "firm, fast, and flatter."

[Anthony_Nysse]

I played a course last weekend and the conditions were much firmer; greens and fairways.  We even played the day following a pretty good rain and still played firmed.  I have played this course for the last 5 years, but this time it was different.


I started wondering, what has changed?  The design has not changed, but the maintenance has changed. 


I always thought that you could not have firm (and healthy) conditions if the design did not support it, but it appears that maintenance has more to do with it then anything else.

Could just be simply that a committee/board has turned over & wants to see a firmer place. Many factors, but I dont think just 1. If its' the Supt, they need the support of the committee. If its the architect, they need a membership/owner to buy in.

[Thomas Dai]

Has the price of obtaining water for irrigation increased?
Atb

[Paul Jones]

Has the price of obtaining water for irrigation increased?
Atb

It has not.

[Donnie Beck]

I played a course last weekend and the conditions were much firmer; greens and fairways.  We even played the day following a pretty good rain and still played firmed.  I have played this course for the last 5 years, but this time it was different.


I started wondering, what has changed?  The design has not changed, but the maintenance has changed. 


I always thought that you could not have firm (and healthy) conditions if the design did not support it, but it appears that maintenance has more to do with it then anything else.

Humidity....

[jeffwarne]

I played a course last weekend and the conditions were much firmer; greens and fairways.  We even played the day following a pretty good rain and still played firmed.  I have played this course for the last 5 years, but this time it was different.


I started wondering, what has changed?  The design has not changed, but the maintenance has changed. 


I always thought that you could not have firm (and healthy) conditions if the design did not support it, but it appears that maintenance has more to do with it then anything else.

Humidity....

Exactly-and or time of year with cooler UK like conditions.
We are blazing firm and fast March-May.
You're less likely to experience that kind've firmness on pure bent in a 6 week run of July/August high heat and high humidity.

[A.G._Crockett]

Mother Nature.

[Mike_Trenham]

I played a course last weekend and the conditions were much firmer; greens and fairways.  We even played the day following a pretty good rain and still played firmed.  I have played this course for the last 5 years, but this time it was different.


I started wondering, what has changed?  The design has not changed, but the maintenance has changed. 


I always thought that you could not have firm (and healthy) conditions if the design did not support it, but it appears that maintenance has more to do with it then anything else.

Humidity....

Humility...