3-in-1: Needle tine - Pitchcare

Marielyst Golf Klub: The fescue and bent mix
was full, dense and compact (note singular Poa
plant seeding).
of green and relative pin placements.
Of significant interest to the writer was
the detail of the management regime -
three full time staff for eighteen holes
and a cutting regime for greens based on
a 6mm bench set… cut three times per
week….. four on special occasions!!!!
A fertiliser regime based on 40 - 60
KgN/ha/year, and Henrik Christiansen,
Head Greenkeeper, confirmed regular
top dressings, applying 160 tonnes per
annum to the greens alone.
SKOVBO Golfklub was built in 2000
originally with a sand: peat construction
profile, but the Head Greenkeeper has
recently decided to switch to a pure sand
top dressing policy. This was interesting
as the other five courses had remained
consistent with a sand: peat or sand:
compost top dressing mix. With only two
rootzone and top dressing suppliers in
the country there was no evidence of
heavy layering in the green profiles
where changes of top dressing suppliers
had been tried in the past, which is not
uncommon in the UK.
Once again the writer was impressed
with the level of fescue retained in the
turf. However the bent content had
become a little procumbent, which will
need to be addressed in the future.
RUNGSTED Golf Klub was built in 1937
by C.A.MacKenzie, brother of the famous
Alistair MacKenzie, architect of Augusta
National, Alwoodley and even Bingley St
Ives in 1927. It was felt that Rungsted
best matched the sort of golf course
managed in the UK, i.e. old push up
greens, which had over the years become
colonised with Poa annua.
Over the last five years, through an
intensive management programme, Ian
Skovbo Golf Klub: Leaf spot disease was
identified on some of the bent.
has removed in excess of 50mm of thatch
from the profile, promoted root
development in excess of 150mm and
created a much better growing
environment for the encouragement of
the finer grass species. Ian was very
critical of his own course, almost
demanding more fescue and pushing
hard to achieve this goal. Both Jay and
Andy confirmed to Ian that he was
achieving his goal of promoting a higher
proportion of both bent and fescue in his
greens. To a large extent, and where
take-all patch disease had removed a
proportion of bent, the infill was
primarily fescue. Consistency and
uniformity is key and the blend of
component grass species being
developed at Rungsted was worth seeing
- though still working towards increasing
the proportion of the finer species.
The realism of fusarium scarring
brings everyone back to earth - still some
way to go.
FURESO Golfklub and the enthusiastic
Hans Beurling, Head Greenkeeper, was a
delight. Nearing retirement, but very
sprightly and deep in thought for the
task in hand, Hans was in the process of
completing the most radical treatment
yet, stripping the surface off with a Koro
Fieldtopmaker, making good the
rootzone and reseeding with a mixture of
Avalon (Velvet Bent) and fescue.
FORESO Golfklub was originally built in
1974 as a 27-hole complex, but has
recently undergone a re-building
programme; the first nine-holes through
1999/2000 and the 2nd nine-holes in
2004.
25mm of organic matter had built up
at the turf base on the first nine-holes to
Rungsted Golf Klub 18th green. No thatch now
and extensive root development. Very uniform
profile.
be reconstructed, and superficial fairy
ring activity had created a significant dry
patch condition on selected greens.
Potassium carbonate was being tried as a
treatment for the fairy ring condition.
SMORUM Golfklub has been one of the
most talked about courses in the press
and again you cannot fail to be
impressed with the quality of the turf, in
terms of fescue, bent and meadowgrass
proportions. In addition, Per Herlov
Rasmussen, Head Greenkeeper is
conducting on-site trials of individual
grass species and mixes to determine the
best suited to his situation - forward
thinking.
Impressive, but the course is very
exposed, so good light and air
movement across the greens, and built in
1993 with 27 holes, a par three course
and six hole pitch and putt, is not your
average members club.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
There has been much written about the
management and encouragement of
fescue turf in Denmark and the writer is
full of praise and admiration for what
has been achieved. There are, however, a
number of fundamental questions which
need to be answered if we are to be able
to extend this ethos successfully
elsewhere. The quality of information is
very much in the detail, which in some
areas needs to be tightened up.
1. Aims and Objectives
We need to identify not only the primary
objectives of encouraging more fescue
and, where applicable, bent in the turf,
but we also need to get back to thinking
Ian, Antoine (Deputy Course Manager) and Andy The realism of fusarium scarring brings
New green being top dressed - a regular feature
Cole.
everyone back to earth - and still some way to of the maintenance programme.
14 go!
15