Ground contours & grass

This presentation was given as part of the Design, Build, & Maintain: a different way? seminar at Laem Chabang on 8 March 2015.

I explained two things. First, once a sandcap is in place, a tremendous amount of work must be done to keep that surface firm. Second, growing grasses that don't die or thin out when allowed to grow slow, or when irrigation is reduced, will produce the firmest surfaces.

Transcript

1. Ground Contours & Grass
   Micah Woods
   Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center
   Handout: bit.ly/grass_contour
   www.asianturfgrass.com
   Design, Build, & Maintain: a different way?
   Laem Chabang, Thailand
   8 March 2015
   

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2. are these conditions possible in a tropical
   environment?
   fine fescue
   Scotland
   

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3. are these conditions possible in a tropical
   environment?
   bermuda & carpetgrass
   Rayong, Thailand
   

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4. are these conditions possible in a tropical
   environment?
   tropical carpetgrass
   Chumphon, Thailand
   

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5. are these conditions possible in a tropical
   environment?
   manilagrass & carpetgrass
   Chonburi, Thailand
   

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6. 1. Soil
   Yes, such surface conditions
   are possible, but sandcapping
   is not the way to achieve them.
   all referenced articles are at
   bit.ly/grass_contour
   

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7. Tremendous ground contours, excellent
   playability. But no sandcap.
   bentgrass & ryegrass
   USA
   

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8. What happens when we grow
   turf in sand?
   1. Sand has low water holding
   capacity – we have to add
   more water.
   2. Sand has low nutrient
   holding capacity – we have to
   add more fertilizer.
   3. When more water and
   fertilizer are added, the grass
   grows more.
   

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9. Once a sandcap is in place, the
   organic matter must be
   managed.
   organic layer over sandcap
   Singapore
   

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13. why do we core aerify greens? creeping bentgrass
    Japan
    

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14. why do we apply sand topdressing to
    greens?
    Tifeagle bermudagrass
    Thailand
    

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15. If the organic matter is not
    managed, greens fail.
    Once a fairway is sandcapped,
    that same work of organic
    matter removal and dilution
    with sand must be done on the
    entire sandcapped area.
    sandcapped seashore
    paspalum fairway, Hong Kong
    

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16. “The long-term health of
    putting greens depends on
    maintaining sand as the
    primary medium. If
    organic matter
    accumulates beyond a
    reasonable degree, the
    physical benefits of sand
    are diminished and
    putting green physical
    properties decline along
    with the health of the
    turf.”
    

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17. An alternative: drainage, plus sand added
    as topdressing
    Poa annua & ryegrass
    USA
    

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18. An alternative: drainage, plus sand added
    as topdressing
    fairway topdresser
    USA
    

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20. “The end result is a well-
    drained, stable, sand-
    based field at a fraction of
    the cost required for other
    renovation processes.”
    

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21. Sandcapped seashore paspalum fairways,
    no rain for previous 21 days.
    Seashore paspalum
    Thailand
    

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23. manilagrass fairway
    Philippines
    This used to be a
    bermudagrass fairway. Not
    anymore. The transition
    happened naturally.
    

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24. We grew 419 bermudagrass, Salam
    seashore paspalum, & nual noi manilagrass
    Zoysia matrella
    Thailand
    

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25. These are the grasses during the fourth
    week of the experiment in December 2013.
    simulated fairway turf
    Thailand
    

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26. nual noi was 22% more
    efficient in water use and 25%
    more efficient in N use. It does
    not require as much water or
    nitrogen to produce a dense
    sward.
    measuring water use
    Thailand
    

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29. Kawana: no sprinkler system, zoysia
    tees, fairways, greens, rough.
    Z. matrella & Z. japonica
    Japan
    

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30. Royal Hua Hin: native grasses, excellent
    ground contours and playing condition
    mix of native grasses
    Thailand
    

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31. Ground contours at Royal Hua Hin mix of native grasses
    Thailand
    

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32. Tree shade is pleasant on a tropical golf
    course; what other grass is so versatile?
    tropical carpetgrass
    Thailand
    

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33. Tifeagle & manilagrass
    Thailand
    Handout: bit.ly/grass_contour
    

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