Sustainable Golf in Europe

[Craig Sweet]

Here's a good article from the December issue from BIGGA.

Firm and fast, eliminating poa, bringing back fescue.

http://www.bigga.org.uk/greenkeeper/viewstory.php?id=847

[Eric Johnson]

Craig,

Heads up, I see a Mucci assault on the way if he reads this.  Just kidding..

By the way, are you going to Harrogate?  I will be there for the seminars and to meet with other Greenkeepers (Festuca and Poa growers).  

I also look forward to attending "Maintaining the Sustainable Golf Course" seminar and forum.  I'm not sure if two half-days are sufficient but, it's a start.

Windy and another storm on the way in Bandon.

Eric

[Ryan Crago]

hey guys,

if you ARE going to Harrogate, is there any chance you can forward (or post) some of the information from the 'maintaining a sustainble golf course' forum/seminar???  i would be interested on both a personal and professional level.

[Michael Hayes]

I am also very interested in the results of this seminar, and would really appreciate any info from it...

Michael Hayes

[Eric Johnson]

Ryan and Michael,

I'll bring as much info as possible back to the US.  I would think there would be some sort of document generated from this seminar.  Looking forward to participating in the discussion.

[Brian Phillips]

Not to throw water on the fire but...I know an agronomist that inspected many of the so called 'fescue' greens after this so 'eureka' inspection and he does not agree that the greens are fescue dominant and he still believes them to be poa annua dominant..

One of the comments that caught my eye was this one:

'Hans Beurling, a Swedish greenkeeper working in Denmark, has pioneered a process of stripping off thatch and Poa and going straight in and sowing fescue. Greens have been brought back into play in about nine months.'

Nine months, that is a long time...

Would it not be easier to set the sod cutter deep, take off the sod, dress the greens and then just reseed? Surely you can get greens in play before nine months after reseeding...or I am missing something?

We have just seeded new greens south of Stavanger at the end of September and they could be in play now....

What am I missing guys?

Brian

[Craig Sweet]

Eric, no I'll be staying put here in Montana. That storm you're getting is suppose to dump 24" or more in our mountains and I will be riding my snowboard  

The seminars do sound terrific, and this subject is certainly something I'm interested in so I'll look forward to your report!

[James Bennett]

an extract from the article ....


'The playing quality criteria is possibly the most difficult in which to bring some objectivity but the R&A is working to remedy that.
“It’s all very well saying ‘firm, fast and true’ but the only objective tool we currently have is the dreaded stimpmeter and it is more misused with every month that goes by. Ok it does measure speed but it must be used in conjunction with other measures. Over the last year, however, the R&A Equipment Standards Committee and its resident physicist, Steve Otto, and Steve Isaac, in conjunction with the USGA have done a lot of work in developing a firmness meter.”
This was tested at this year’s Open Championship and if used in conjunction with a moisture meter will provide another objective measure of how greens are improving.

The third tool on which the boffins are working is a trueness meter.
“We want to be able to give the greenkeeper a suite of tools which if used regularly will give him objective measurements that his greens are improving and thus a defence to golfers who think the opposite,” explained Nick, adding that the STRI is also working on DNA analysis of grass clippings which will give clubs a print out telling exactly the composition of the greens - e.g. 70% fescue/30% Poa, etc.'


The three tools (if they can be developed) will be interesting.  I've thought about moisture, firmness and trueness but that has been all, just thought.  Does anybody know about any progress on these tools?  

James B