Don't be so quick to judge until you have all the facts.....JK quote
As most of us know, JK has no turf facts, judges freely and enjoys personally bashing Supers and turfgrass science in general. He is quite ignorant, with a touch or arrogance...and for anyone schooled in turf, pretty hilarious too!!
Patrick Gertner
GC Super
Potowomut Golf Club
East Greenwich, RI
Well put, Patrick. The following is an article that was published for the Georgia GCSA last year by my friend, Patrick Reinhardt of the The Standard Club. He is a lurker here and passed on the article for me to post here.
"The summer of 2010 showed all of it's teeth when it came to the extended lengths of heat and humidity that enveloped the region. From the scorching heat that lasted for months on end, humidity that thickened the air, and the afternoon thunderstorms that created perfect conditions for bentgrass greens to decline, it was one of the toughest summers for bentgrass growers in recent memory. It seemed as though the only positive to come from the summer was the demonstration of the effectiveness of fans in helping to keep bentgrass healthy and alive.
The basic concept of using fans for greens is relatively simple. Turf diseases that contribute to the decline of bentgrass in the summer months rely on warm temperatures and high moisture levels in order to thrive. At the same time that the disease pathogens are thriving, bentgrass is going through it's normal cycles of root degradation. The use of fans helps to reduce the high relative humidity levels at the canopy level of the turf. As well, the fans provide for a cooling effect of the greens, both at the surface and subsurface levels.
Beginning in 2005, we started installing fans at The Standard Club in order to combat the hot and humid conditions that led to some turf loss on our greens. The decision was made to consult with Tom Michaels of TurfBreeze Fans, now a part of SubAir Systems, L.L.C. We were provided with help on choosing the correct fan sizes, as well as the initial placement and heights of the fans. Since the initial consultation, we have added fans on multiple occasions using a few lessons that were learned about proper placement.
In order to achieve the most effective results from the fan, we try to keep the fan placement close to the green. The most effective fans that we have installed at The Standard Club have been approximately 30 feet from the green. The fans are positioned so the fan is approximately 4 feet above the surface of the green. The distance from the green can vary slightly depending on the contours around the green, as well as the placement of the fan cable. Installing the fan too close to the green can not only interrupt play on and around the green, but can also lead to accelerated wilting of the turf directly in front of the fan. If the distance from the green is too great, the effectiveness of the fan across the entire green surface is reduced, and the turf farthest from the fan could suffer.
The size of the fan is an important decision to make when installing new fans. One larger fan is generally more effective than multiple smaller fans. In some cases, the smaller fan may provide sufficient air flow for smaller greens, or if only a portion of the green is in need of a fan. On the greens that we installed smaller 36” diameter fans in 2005, the areas directly in front of the fan have significantly stronger turf than the areas away from the greens. The greens that have 50” diameter fans installed have a more consistent turf quality across the entire green surface, which can be attributed to the larger volumes of air moved at longer distances.
The 50” diameter fans that we have installed can sustain a 3 mile per hour wind speed at a distance of 150 feet from the fan, while the 36” fans can sustain the same speed at just over 110 feet. When placing the fan 30 feet from the green surface, this provides about 80 feet of green surface covered by the smaller fans. In most cases, even on very large greens, the large diameter fan can be used near the center line of the green to provide coverage over the entire surface of the green. While the initial cost of the 50” fan is more than the 36” fan, when comparing the price of only using one large fan it is significantly less expensive than using multiple smaller fans.
The effectiveness of the fans in cooling the turf surface, as well as the green subsurface, was evident throughout the day. During the morning hours, temperatures averaged 2 degrees cooler on the surface of the green in front of the fans, as opposed to greens that did not have fans. As well, the subsurface temperatures averaged 4 degrees cooler in front of the fans at a 4” depth, compared to the same depth on greens without fans. The relative humidity at the surface of the green was consistently 80% in the mornings, which may be attributed to the dew on the surface of the greens in the mornings.
Temperature and humidity levels start to differentiate more drastically as the heat of the afternoon starts. In order to see the differences between multiple greens more clearly, surface and subsurface greens temperatures, as well as surface humidity readings were taken on greens that are placed in different micro-environments on the golf course. Temperature and humidity levels were tested on a green that sits high on the property with good airflow and no fan, as well as a green that sits lower on the property with poor airflow and no fan. Readings were also taken close to fans, as well as the farthest point of the green from the fan.
On one recent afternoon, the measured air temperature at 2:00 pm was approximately 92 degrees with a relative humidity of 64%. The #5 green at The Standard Club has good airflow, sits high on the property, and does not utilize a fan. The surface of the green reached a temperature of 105 degrees, and the humidity measured 61%. At a 4” depth in the green, the temperature had reached 95 degrees. In contrast, the #1 green sits lower on the property and has a restricted airflow. There has not been a fan placed on the green, and the resulting temperature and humidity levels showed a surface temperature of 110 degrees, humidity level of 70%, and a 4” depth temperature of 96 degrees.
In order to see the effectiveness of the fans, measurements were taken on the #12 green both in front of the 50” fan, and the front of the green. The measurement in front of the fan was taken 30 feet from the fan, and the measurement at the front of the green was 120 feet from the fan. The front of the green measured a surface temperature of 114 degrees, with a humidity level of 58%. The subsurface temperature was 93 degrees, which is slightly lower than the greens without fans. Directly in front of the fan the surface temperature was 108 degrees, and a humidity level of 43%. The subsurface temperature was 88 degrees at a 4” depth, which is a significant reduction from the greens without fans.
The benefits of the fans have been shown through the temperature and humidity readings, as well as in the quality of the turf in front of the fans. By utilizing the fans 24 hours per day, from May through September, we have been able to achieve the maximum results from our fans. With careful planning, the installation of fans may help bentgrass greens survive the stresses associated with the summer."