Poa Annua at The Open

[Steve Lapper]

Everyone here should note that the rampant and explosive intraday growth of the poa annua on WFW's greens is a well-know, but well-kept secret that few pros face (other than Westchester CC and perhaps occasionally at Pebble). WF's greens are near 100% poa annua.

Recent weather, mild precipitation with residual dampness retained just below the turf's surface coupled with decent sun, moderately warm temps and a little wind, all conspire to cause massive intraday growth of the Poa Annua weed.

It is quite difficult to maintain perfect surfaces, shy of multiple intraday cuts & rolls, to make the green surfaces remain constant through the course of the day.

Let the pro's bitch, it is a slight advantage for the early starters but also constant and consistent for everyone.

[Peter Galea]

Two words - Plant Growth Regulator.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I posted this John Hawkins piece on another thread:

http://blogs.golfdigest.com/hawkins/2006/06/putting_the_bes.html

[Marc Haring]

I don’t know what the weather is doing but is there any likelihood of them getting the Shinnecock problems on the poa greens? Poa greens with that shallow rooting and high ET rates are notorious for rapidly drying out.


Steve.

I hope Janzen isn’t planning to play any more St Andrews Opens with comments like that.

[TEPaul]

Many of the best of the old championship courses maintain primarlly poa greens. I'm sure the Open competitors can deal with it.

It does seem like some of these great old championship courses that have maintained primarily poa greens for so long are beginning to consider regrassing to some of these new bent strains like the As and the Gs.

Frankly, I don't know which side to come down on at this point other than to say I'd give most all of the last word on those decisions to the particular superintendents.  

[wsmorrison]

At least those grasses at St. Andrews have been under Darwinian survival of the fittest forces for hundreds of years.  Those grasses are natural to their environment and thrive.  The grasses on US courses have a lot of comptetition (natural and imposed) and tend to be treated reactively.

I don't think the bounces and speed of the greens are what the course set up people wanted to see.  Some of those bounces, especially late in the day were significant.  It may be the rub of the green and needs to be dealt with by all, but not what is expected by players, tournament officials or fans.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

TW had some things to say about the "slow" "bumpy" greens at Winged Foot:

From Jim Salisbury's column in today's Philadelphia Inquirer:

www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/14829338.htm

Speaking matter-of-factly, Woods delivered a jab and a left cross when he called the greens "slow" and "bumpy."

"They've been slow all week," he said. "Our mind-set is, 'This is the U.S. Open,' and U.S. Open greens are always quick. They're not. They're slow and bumpy. You have to make adjustments, and I did not."

[wsmorrison]

BillV,

I like poa greens, I really do.  They putt beautifully.  The question remains, can you have a one-size-fits-all attitude about when to have a golf tournament like the US Open when different grasses in different regions behave differently?  Poa greens are at their best outside the current time frame.

I don't think anyone thinks the greens were ideal for a national championship yesterday.  Will they get better throughout the tournament?  I expect so.  But those that went out late yesterday when they were soft in the morning and spiked and bumpy in the afternoon were at a disadvantage that won't be the same today or later in the weekend.

[TEPaul]

"Two words - Plant Growth Regulator."

PeteG:

Who am I to be picky---but that looks suspiciously like three words to me.  

[TEPaul]

PeteG:

That sort of reminds me of Alice Longworth (TR's daughter) the hilarious Washington DC curmudgeon. She thought Herbert Hoover was perhaps the most boring man on earth because he generally said so little. Alice went up to President Herbert Hoover at a White House party and informed him that she had just bet a friend that even though he was the most boring man imaginable that she could actually get him to say more than two words.

Hoover looked at Alice Longworth and said; "You Lose", and walked away.  

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

Wayne -

I agree with you that the flipping of the starting times will even out the field from a bumpy yesterday, smooth today perspective.

Remember, we have not had a lot of warm sunny weather here in the NYC Met Area, so the Poa has not firmly bloomed and blossomed yet.  I am not an agronomist, but what I have noticed from playing in this area for the last 40 years is that once the heat comes and stays, the Poa blooms and then wilts.  Once shaved, the greens will be fine if the heat and humidity cooporate.

Could this be a ploy from Tiger to get the USGA to really bring the greens speeds up (And the scores as well)?  Personally, I don't think so, but making the course even more difficult would be a benefit for the world's #1 player...

JWK

[Peter Galea]

"Two words - Plant Growth Regulator."

PeteG:

Who am I to be picky---but that looks suspiciously like three words to me.  

I better stick to my day job, I guess internet comedian is not my forte.

[SL_Solow]

Pete and Tom;  Samuel Goldwyn (MGM),  " In two words;     im possible."

[John Kirk]

PeteG:

That sort of reminds me of Alice Longworth (TR's daughter) the hilarious Washington DC curmudgeon. She thought Herbert Hoover was perhaps the most boring man on earth because he generally said so little. Alice went up to President Herbert Hoover at a White House party and informed him that she had just bet a friend that even though he was the most boring man imaginable that she could actually get him to say more than two words.

Hoover looked at Alice Longworth and said; "You Lose", and walked away.  

Tom,

I actually heard a variant of that story used in conjunction with Ben Hogan, who responded to a woman whose husband bet her Ben wouldn't say five words to her all day, "Sorry lady, you lose."  

[Jim Sweeney]

TEP and JK:

Sorry, your both incorrect. The story TEP told involved the famously taciturn chief executive from New Hampshire, Calvin Cooledge.