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Green speed and consistency

John McLinden
GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT

It’s a beautiful fall day with cool temperatures and low Many other factors affect turfgrass growth. Growing
humidity. You are playing golf and enjoying the condition environments, soil conditions, and applications of plant
of the course, particularly the pace of the putting greens. growth regulators, plant protectants, and fertilizer are just
Some golfers might be inclined to just enjoy the moment. a few. Anything that affects turf growth is likely to affect
Others will wonder why the greens can’t play like this all the putting green speed. Here at Ladies’ we are constantly
time. There are innumerable variables that affect turfgrass juggling maintenance practices with the weather to
growth and putting green speed, and what is possible to maximize playability and maintain consistency.
achieve at one time of year under certain conditions may be
Consistency is defined as the reliability or uniformity of
impossible at other times.
successive results or events. Consistency is one term
Unquestionably, the biggest variable affecting turf health commonly used when dealing with greens and can be often
and playability is weather. Air and soil temperatures both misinterpreted. Many players believe that green speed
have a tremendous impact on turfgrass growth rates. So should be nearly the same, day in and day out, depending
does moisture and humidity. Rain or irrigation events, upon the weather. To the extreme, there are golfers who
particularly when combined with a fertilizer application, think it should be the same year round. Yet others believe
can stimulate extra growth. This effect can be magnified that the green speed should be identical in the morning and
under warm conditions with the result being increased afternoon. The true use of the word consistency for greens
surface resistance and reduced ball roll. Similarly, hot, should apply to the day you play the golf course, not day to
humid conditions cause turfgrass leaves to retain moisture day.
and remain fat, and this also may result in reduced green
The greens here at Ladies’ are all treated in the exact
speed. Conversely, dry, windy conditions can cause the turf
same way. All cultural practices such as vertical mowing,
to wilt which can reduce surface resistance and increase
brushing, topdressing and rolling to accomplish the same
putting green speeds. Putting green speed will vary from
consistency on a daily basis are carried out on a regular
day to day merely as a result of weather influences and the
basis.
seasonal changes turf undergoes.
John
Maintenance practices also have major effects on putting
green speed. Mowing and rolling operations increase
putting green speed. Applications of topdressing, needed
to dilute organic matter and smooth putting green surfaces,
can initially slow putting green speeds. A day or two after
a topdressing application, putting green speeds often get
faster than they were prior to the application. The same
often is true of vertical mowing and brushing. Practices
that stand the turf up aid in controlling the development of
grain and can improve the quality of cut, but these practices
can slow putting green speed for a day or two before
stimulating an increase.

10 | BEAUTY, GRIT & GRACE