September 14, 2016

Great article from the USGA about drainage

It's hard to think about drainage after a summer like this, but now is the best time to start working on a plan. Drainage is never an issue until you need it, and it doesn't work.
Some of the problems we experienced toward the end of the summer are directly related to drainage, more specifically the lack of it. The 3rd, 4th,5th, and 6th fairways along with the 5th green all suffered turf loss after a thunderstorm dumped water onto stressed turf, and the temperatures soared into the 90's before the playing surfaces had a chance to drain. The high temperatures literally cooked (Scott might say simmered) the turf, damaging the proteins almost like an egg white dropped into boiling water.
Wet soils and turf absorb and retain heat more readily than when they are dry. Adding drainage to the areas of the course with heavy soils and minimal surface drainage will significantly improve the appearance, function, and health of the turf.
Follow the link to an article that will share more than you can imagine about the importance of drainage on golf courses.

http://gsrpdf.lib.msu.edu/ticpdf.py?file=/article/skorulski-o'brien-drainage-9-2-16.pdf

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