Bringing greens up to speed

THE excitement has died down and the Tiger has stashed the money in his tank, but the magic of Augusta National remains fresh to all golfers. And among the legendary elements of Augusta National, it is the greens, slick and treacherous, which most capture the imagination.

To see the greatest exponents of the game approach a short, downhill putt with the sort of respect normally reserved for a rabid rottweiler, causes golfing afficionados to wonder how they themselves might perform on such greens. Which prompts the question: should Irish greenkeepers present putting surfaces at this speed, even once a year?

Whether they should, or not, is debatable. As to whether they could, the answer is a qualified yes. The qualification relates to the contours of Augusta which are so severe that some downhill pulls can be virtually impossible. But pace could be brought up to very acceptable levels on the flattest of surfaces, if a specific programme of work were implemented.

Greenspeed is best measured with a Stimpmeter which should be part of the equipment of every greenkeeper. It should also be used regularly so that greenspeeds can be accurately monitored. A reading of below six would indicate very slow greens; eight to 10 would be quite fast while 10 to 12 would be tournament speed. Augusta greens would normally run at 12 on a flat surface but could be as quick as 20 to 30 down one of those notorious slopes.

The distance a golfball rolls on a pulling green is determined by the force imparted and the friction generated between ball and surface. Therefore, to speed up greens, the coefficient of friction must be reduced.

So, how do we do this? Firstly, the type of grass is important. Broadleaved grasses are often present in greens in unacceptable quantities and lead to very slow surfaces. Fescue is a fine grass with a strong leaf, but fescue greens will never be as fast as greens of Bentgrass, which has a softer leaf.

Despite all the criticism about it, Poa Annua (meadowgrass) is also quite capable of producing a very fast surface, as we saw in the 1994 US Open at Oakmont. It would be fair to suggest that over the long term, overseeding greens with Bents would be a good idea if slick surfaces are desired.

Height of cut is an obvious factor if speed is to be increased, but low heights of cut will not automatically lead to fast greens. There are other factors involved.

A height of cut of 5mm, or three sixteenths of an inch, is fairly common for growing conditions but to produce extreme pace, a height of 3mm would probably be required. This takes time and will be possible only if surfaces are level. Otherwise "scalping" will occur.

The suitability of the surface can be established through the use of pedestrian mowers, gradually reducing the height. If the machine is inclined to dig in, the areas requiring topdressing to improve levels, will be easily identified.

Topdressing should continue until such time as surfaces are level enough to be cut at the desired height. This may take time, possibly up to a year in some cases, but we must be patient. Reduce heights of cut in increments of 0.5mm and do not proceed to the next height until such time as the machines are running smoothly over the greens.

Assuming the surfaces are level enough to permit culling at 3mmheight, double culling of the greens should begin three or four days before the designated competition (Captain's Prize?). This will greatly increase speed, but at a cost to the greens.

They will recover if, as soon as the competition is completed, heights are immediately restored to 5mm and culling is done on alternate days only, for a few weeks. Remember that prolonged culling at very low heights leads to die back.

Lateral grasses always impact on speed and these can be controlled by regular verti cutting and grooming, which should be carried out only in the growing season. Sound judgement is essential, however, if the correct results are to be achieved and a good rule of thumb would be to verti cut at 1mm every second week and use groomers 2mm below cutting height twice a week.

Excessive thatch will result in slowish greens and it is essential to maintain a depth of thatch at about 10mm. Hollow coring twice a year - subject to soil tests - and prudent top dressing, should deal adequately with thatch levels.

Finally, nitrogen and irrigation regimes have a pronounced effect on speed and how greens generally perform. Too much nitrogen leads to spiking up under heavy traffic while its application too close to the competition leads to vigorous growth and a consequent slowing down of green speed during the day. No nitrogen should be applied within three weeks of the competition.

Too much water causes soft greens that can imprint, while reducing pace. Therefore, a sound watering programme should be undertaken. This will involve cutting back seven days before the competition to about five minutes per day in dry conditions, and none at all during showery weather.

To sum up, speed depends on grass type, the amount of thatch, fertiliser dates, verti cutting and grooming programmes, irrigation programmes and height and frequency of cut. Attention to detail and well prepared programmes of work should ensure that on Captain's Day, members will face largely the same putting challenge as tournament professionals.

But we warned: not everybody will like it. Particularly the player who has three pulls for victory... and takes four.