Golf Fairways Aeration and Decompaction

Aeration work might be carried out on a monthly basis under suitable ground conditions, with annual, or more frequent, decompaction work, such as verti-draining being fairly common. Hollow-tining would be considered where thatch is a problem, whilst slit or chisel tining can be routinely carried out from late summer to early winter, with a frequency of fortnightly not being uncommon, before soil conditions might become unsuitable for routine tractor operated equipment. Some parts of a fairway may need to be aerated or decompacted more frequently than other areas, especially the initial

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  Golf Fairways Control of Weeds, Pests and Diseases

Any encroachment of mole runs onto fairways or rabbit scrapings should be dealt with as a matter of urgency as these can severely affect not just playability, but also present a minor and sometimes significant hazard to players and greenkeepers. Physical control might be needed, but even if damage is minor then adequate attention would need to be given to repairing and making safe any affected areas. Earthworm casting can be a problem on some fairways during cool, moist conditions. These can lead to an unsightly and muddy appearance in areas and will need additional attention to help allevi

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  Golf Fairways Dew Removal

The removal of dew from fairways may, or may not, be carried out. This does very much depend on available resources, expectations of members and whether this is really necessary in most cases. For most courses this would not be carried out, however, allowance might be made for this on the morning of a tournament, again so long as this had been forward planned and adequate resources made available. Dew removal can be carried out quite rapidly on fairways with the use of a long hose attached to two utility vehicles which move in parallel down a fairway, with the hose dispersing most of the d

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  Golf Fairways Divoting

Divoting of fairways, particularly where second and third shots are played from should be carried out on a regular basis, with fortnightly to monthly divoting for popular zones, to maybe two or three time per year for unpopular areas which are more the result of wayward shots. Frequent and often divoting will maintain a more consistent surface without the need for additional larger renovation activities needing to be undertaken in spring and autumn. Golfers should also be encouraged to replace their divots, including firming them back in place, as this will aid and increase the chance of the recovery of divots.

  Golf Fairways Drainage

Drainage, or lack of it, can often be an issue on many fairways, especially where a course has been built on previous farmland or parkland with heavier soils. Surface run-off can often aid drainage where fairways have adequate slopes, however, continued aeration and decompaction, along with mole ploughing where suitable conditions permit, will be needed to maintain fairways in a desirable condition. However, bursts of heavy rainfall or continuous rainfall will still pose a problem, and this will lead to a soft and puddled fairway. Where mechanical aeration works do not prove satisfacto

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  Golf Fairways Fertiliser Application

The application of fertiliser to a fairway can be quite contentious as with clippings being returned there shouldn’t really be much need for a fertiliser application, except on particularly worn areas which have been renovated. There is no need to have a flush of growth on a fairway, as this would just mean additional mowing and removal of excess clippings in many cases. Inland parkland courses may have predominantly perennial ryegrass fairways, which is a hungry grass, but even in these situations any applied fertiliser should be carried out judiciously so as just to maintain a suitable s

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  Golf Fairways Irrigation

Irrigation should be applied sparingly, if at all, although some courses have automatic irrigation installed and will be utilising this to create a green fairway during the drier months. It is arguable whether fairway irrigation is needed in many situations and is an unnecessary luxury whose resources could have been better spent, or save, elsewhere. Considerable quantities of water can be consumed by watering fairways and whether many fairways should be regularly irrigated during dry spells is a decision to be made by the course manager, in accordance with any course policy document a

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  Golf Fairways Mowing

These will primarily be mown, at a typical range for the height of cut of 8mm (which is very tight) to 18mm, with the clippings mainly being let-fly. Regular mowing will help create a desirable dense sward, which results in a smooth surface of relatively short grass, which is ideal for a golf ball bouncing and rolling down a fairway. A tight dense sward will also produce an ideal lie for a follow-on stroke of a golf ball within a fairway. It is important, however, to not let the grass grow too long otherwise significant clumps of cut grass can develop and this is not suitable for golf ball

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  Golf Fairways Scarification and Verticutting

Periodic scarification will also be needed as this helps to keep the surface slightly open and reduces any thatch build-up and can also help to reduce the content of trailing weeds within the sward. Verticutting will also be undertaken to maintain an upright sward which, combined with scarification, will help to provide an ideal situation by allowing a golf ball to be struck more cleanly than on a matted, more prone leaved sward. The frequency of verticutting will depend on available resources and may range from not being carried out, relying on scarification only, to fortnightly, or greater.

  Golf Green Chatter

Physical conditions on a golf green which can influence the quality of a putt and deviation of a ball from its intended end point. Chatter might include surface irregularities, hollow tine or other aeration holes, a soft thatchy surface, Poa annua seed heads, or anything which can influence, typically in a small or nuanced way, the true running and smoothness of a golf ball.