Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2010 - 33

Superintendents are fi nding that improving
playability can be both environmentally
responsible and fi scally benefi cial.
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n February 6, USGA president Jim Hyler laid
down the gauntlet to his constituents at the
USGA's annual meeting. Addressing the critical
issues facing golf, Hyler called for a long-term
strategy that confronts some of those issues.
" When it comes to the issue that is perhaps of greatest concern
to golf's future-namely, water, " Hyler said, " we must reset
the way that we look at golf courses. As we have for the U.S.
Open, I believe that our defi nition of playability should include
concepts of fi rm, fast and yes, even brown, and allow the
running game to fl ourish. We need to understand how brown
can become the new green. "
What exactly does that statement mean? Will the vibrant
greens of springtime in Augusta become the subtle browns
and grays of autumn in Eveleth? Will the U.S. Open fairways
at Pebble Beach resemble the dried-out links at The Open in
St. Andrews? Will local courses project the hue of winterkill all
summer long?
None of the above, actually.
Hyler was not suggesting that golf courses turn off their irrigation
systems and let the grass go completely brown. Rather,
he's recommending realistic maintenance practices that fi rm
up a course and reduce the usage of clean water.
" People think that we're maintaining to have that color, and
that is certainly not the case, " says Chris Tritabaugh, superintendent
of Northland CC in Duluth. " Some have said, 'Oh, I
thought this place was going to be brown.' We're not maintaining
for the color, but brown is part of the color palette that you
get when you are maintaining in a dryer, fi rmer manner. "
Tritabaugh joined Northland four years ago and started
down the road to fast and fi rm at that time. Focusing
on the playability of the course-which
he says most golfers enjoy with a bit more
roll-he has been reducing his use of fertilizer,
fungicides and water as part of a three to fi ve
year program.
" I don't think from a golf course standpoint
that there is a lot of risk, " says Tritabaugh. " You
are creating a stronger turf environment and a
stronger general turf culture that can better handle different
situations, be it hot and dry or cool and damp.
" We found that the condition of the course has leveled out
much more from when it went up and down with the weather, "
he adds. " When it was wet, the course was really wet; if it
was dry, the course was really, really dry. Now I feel we are on
more of an even keel. "
The key to Tritabaugh's success, however, is knowing the
grasses on his course. Bob Vavrek, senior agronomist for the
North Central Region of the USGA, warns that not all grasses
are created equal when it comes to consumption of water.
" I worry about turning everything brown on the golf course
for saving water, " Vavrek says. " If you turn Poa annua brown, it
is probably dead. That's just the way it is. Going brown is good
as long as you know the grasses you have. "
Poa annua, also known as annual bluegrass, is the predominant
strain of grass upon many of the older courses in this
region. Newer courses are being seeded with bentgrass and
low-mow Kentucky bluegrass, which are perennial turf types
with deeper root systems than Poa annua. They can handle a
bit of brown by going dormant. Poa annua doesn't have the
water reserve capacity of those varieties and requires more frequent,
light watering (as opposed to infrequent, deep watering
for bentgrasses and Kentucky bluegrasses) to keep it alive.
Bentgrass, when given less water and stressed, will go dormant-but
it will come back. Poa annua, on the other hand,
will turn brown and die when water deprived and stressed in
the heat of the summer. Both grasses can be great playing surfaces,
but they react differently to a reduction of water.
North Oaks CC superintendent Jack MacKenzie has a huge
amount of thirsty Poa annua at his course,
because it became prominent as cut heights
were lowered to provide a better playing surface
in recent years. As the original turf varieties
were driven out by the lower height of cut,
the Poa moved right in.
MacKenzie says he could swing the pendulum
to maintain a bentgrass population, but
that would cost his membership at least a year
Chris Tritabaugh
Summer 2010 MINNESOTAGOLFER
31
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2010

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