101 |
Repositioning of fiscal resources….. tight budgetary constraints as well as increasingly demanding clientele…. No one is feeling prosperous. |
102 |
We have had two of the hottest years back to back that I can remember in 45 years working on a golf course. We have had to resort to much more handwatering than ever before and returned to a more frequent spiking regimine. |
103 |
For us it was rolling. We began this practice twice a week three years ago and green speed and smoothness have improved dramatically. We also were able to cut green mowing from seven days a week to five. |
104 |
Rolling |
105 |
Grooming to manage grain in Bentgrass and puffiness in poa |
106 |
The advent of quick rollers. |
107 |
Just learning to manage the (bent/Poa)turf that you have. More needle tining. More overseeding with the new varieties of bent.More use of Growth regulators. Higher height of cut with more rolling. |
108 |
The most significant change we endured these past 5 years was the major weather changes experienced here in Southern Indiana. Extreme wetness followed by hot drought type conditions. |
109 |
Alternating rolling and mowing has been the most signicant change for me. I can keep green speeds averaging at 9.5 and only Mow 3 times a week. |
110 |
The increased use of “old” techniques such as brushing and rollling to improve playability while maintaining plant health. |
111 |
Rolling was the most significant change for me, but it had been around since the very early days. I wonder why it took so long for the practice to be implemented by so many. |
112 |
Smarter purchasing practices of chemicals and fertilizers, shopping for best value instead of the best price. |
113 |
Solid tine aeration to a depth of 9-10 inches. 45 year old push up greens with heavy clay base and 5-6 inches of topdressing. It has made a huge difference in greens health. |
114 |
Kin dried topdressing sand and the cassete options available for greens mowers |
115 |
For us it was going to iron and trimmit applications with less fertilizer. |
116 |
weather and fertility |
117 |
The practice of drill and fill aeration every fall and more topdressing with straight sand. |
118 |
Growth regulation, and rolling |
119 |
Light frequent fertilization and more use of bio-stimulants
|
120 |
The expectations of our members regarding green speeds. |
121 |
Finding, thru reserch, that rolling once and sometimes twice daily and mowing every other day reduces dollar spot by 50 to 67 percent….It works i have been doing it for two full seasons now going int my third and I have witnessed the savings by 65 percent in my dollar spot control. |
122 |
needletine, more often |
123 |
NON-INVASIVE slicing aerification equipment which allows for better aerification but does NOT effect the revenues at daily fee courses |
124 |
The use of growth regulators |
125 |
Verticutting and lite topdressing. |
126 |
Utilizing Graden Contour Sand Injection machine to manage organic matter accumulation at playing surface. |
127 |
Many courses in the Southeast are converting “Thank God” to ultradwarfs. Converting has dramatically changed both Superintendents management practices and their lives (for the better). |
128 |
Growth regulators/seedhead prevention |
129 |
Water quality/cost |
130 |
increase in use of fans |
131 |
core aeration |
132 |
A major trend towards going lean, low, and dry to milk out any additional speed possible while keeping quality high. |
133 |
Finding out that using high rates of K and no influence on green quality. |
134 |
fans, venting |
135 |
dealing with resistant or “new” diseases |
136 |
use of utradwarf bermudagrasses |
137 |
Snow mold options |
138 |
For us more liquid fertility |
139 |
DO MORE WITH LESS |
140 |
I feel the newer aerating and topdressing equipment has allowed people to vent the greens using needle tines and topdress lightly during play much more often than in the past. |
141 |
Realizing that turf professors don’t have to worry about thier jobs and can convince us of damn near anything. |
142 |
I think it’s the introduction of the greens roller. Now you don’t have to mow shorter to get faster greens speeds. Greens can be rolled during the heat of summer and the height of the grass can be higher. |
143 |
Hybrid mowers, it is nice not to worry about hydraulic leaks. |
144 |
Experimenting with different irrigation techniques, specifically deep and infrequent irrigation cycles. |
145 |
green speed |
146 |
Keeping hoc up while maintaining speeds. |
147 |
The weather… the heat the last few years has been unbelievable. I don’t think the public or greens committees realize how hard it is to keep grass a live during these hot days.. |
148 |
Mother Nature! Must be global warming. Our winters just haven’t been “normal” lately. It’s been difficult to keep Poa alive throughout the winter months for various reasons, whether it be ice or standing water…in January!!! |
149 |
Better, faster aerators which create the opportunity to do more small solid-tine venting in the summer. I really think that the evolution of greens rollers has been the biggest improvement but that really started more like the past 10 years. |
150 |
Rolling : to relieve excess stress, I don’t have to lower to ridiciulous heights for armchair agronomists and golfers who think they have a tour game…the only game they play well is video golf, even there they have the yipps |
151 |
Growth regulators |
152 |
fungus. specifically anthracnose |
153 |
The use of soil moisture meters – knowledge of the site specific moisture under the turf canopy is instrumental in knowing exactly what can be expected each day. |
154 |
mower |
155 |
keeping the same standards with alot less inputs |
156 |
The Toro Procore was a significant change for us and our cultural practices. |
157 |
The increased maintenance needed to increase greens speeds and consitancy |
158 |
I have managed them the same over the last 5 years |
159 |
For us it was using rollers to increase speed with out reducing hight of cut. |
160 |
Less daily mowing replaced by rolling. |
161 |
More Rolling |
162 |
The balls to use enough regulators and Poa annua prevention products 😉 |
163 |
For me. Higher height of cut plus much more rolling. This seems to be the healthiest solution for quality greens. |
164 |
I think going hybrid or all electric with greens mowers has really reduced my stress level. I hold my breath that we don’t have a hydraulic leak when we verticut or use our sand mower to mow after topdressing. They’re hydraulic machines. |
165 |
we now roll every day, and only mow on alternate days. |
166 |
topdressing equipment and fungicide chemistry. We have become better water managers and steering away from DEFENSIVE WATERING practices. |
167 |
Continued research on disease management. |
168 |
better chemicals |
169 |
keeping greens speeds consistient. |
170 |
Floating head and clip of reel independent of ground speed. |
171 |
Probably the studies on the rolling of the greens and not mowing some times during the week |
172 |
The idea of rolling greens to increase or maintain green speeds |
173 |
At our golf course, in the lat five years, it was the purchase of the Jacobsen Eclipse Triplex Greensmower which provided a higher quality groom and cut in the spring and fall before we begin using our walking greens mowers. Besides that, it was putting to greater use, combinations of new cultivating procedures like venting and modern pesticides, wetting agents, and foliars. |
174 |
Its been more than 5 years, but the Toro ProCore has changed the aerification game. Also more people are using “flushing” on greens to manage water and salts better. |
175 |
Moisture meters and fans. |
176 |
The extremes in the weather. Nothing seems to come in moderation anymore (in regards to weather). We get torrential downpours followed by six weeks without rain. Heat and cold temperature extremes in the same week, etc. |
177 |
Increased rolling frequency. |
178 |
The politics involved in hiding the fact that we lowering budgets every year. It becomes tougher to get through stressful weather because of lack of flexibility in budgets. |
179 |
My Procore is the best piece of equipment ever! It is clean, it is fast, and it hasn’t cause any damage since I got it back in 2005. The healing time has been almost cut in half. |
180 |
The last two summers have been record breakers and has required more water and wetting agents to keep the greens alive. Less mowing and rolling more helped but several greens still stressed out. |
181 |
I have started solid tine aerating my greens once a month June-August and it has really helped them get throught the heat. |
182 |
Wider variety of turf health products that can be customized for individual micro climates |
183 |
Increasing the frequency of topdressing. |
184 |
more foliar feeding |
185 |
New mower technology |
186 |
I don’t feel that there has been a significant change. |
187 |
Rolling has been the biggest change in my greens maintenance. |
188 |
More rolling |
189 |
crazy weather! |
190 |
Budget cuts and employees qualified to watch turf, need a more educated staff. |
191 |
New fungicides |
192 |
Mowing less at higher heights while maintaining optimum speeds. |
193 |
The quality of greens rollers. You can now roll very often without increasing compaction or mechanical damage. |
194 |
more rolling |
195 |
For myself it was alternating mowing greens one day and rolling the next. This has allowed us to raise the height of cut thus reducing stress in the summer while actually increasing the speed of the greens. |
196 |
Unquestionably, the introduction of hand-held soil moisture meters have given superintendents the opportunity to make much more intelligent decisions in the area of moisture management. |
197 |
improved aerification equipment / toro |
198 |
Wetting Agents and Rolling |
199 |
Beeing able to aerate (solid or hollow) 18 greens in one day. |