Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Selection of turf-grass for putting greens
For tropical areas, turf-grasses desirable for putting greens include hy-
brid cynodon (
Cynodon dactylon
Cynodon transvaalensis
) and seashore
paspalum (
Paspalum vaginatum
). Some golf courses in Singapore and
Malaysia still use
Digitaria didactyla,
locally known as serangoon grass,
which is closely related to a very troublesome weed,
Digitaria sanguinalis.
Numerous varieties of hybrid cynodon and paspalum are available
around the world, and in certain countries sprigs may be imported or
locally produced.
Mowing
Putting greens are mowed very low, so even minimal mowing error or
inconsistency in mowing height becomes noticeable. Before mowing
begins, the green should be inspected for foreign objects such as stones,
golf-shoe cleats, metal and other hard objects that may damage the
mower-reel blade and/or bed knife. Ball marks should be repaired and
smoothed, as they may cause scalping or tearing of the turf. During the
inspection, the green should be checked for disease and insect activity,
dry spots, wet spots, leaking irrigation valves, etc. The mower operator
should take notes about the condition of each green and report findings
to the turf manager when mowing is completed. For mowing putting
greens, special high-quality mowers with 8-9 blades in the reel are
required. Two basic types of mowers are used on greens: (i) a walking
mower with a 50-56-cm mowing width; and (ii) a riding, three-gang
(triplex) mower with a 1.5-1.6-m mowing width (Fig. 9.3). Walking
mowers are more accurate but take 5-6 times longer. Riding
triplex mowers are faster but usually cause more soil compaction and
turf-grass wear, may be difficult to operate close to sloped bunkers, and
sometimes cause damage to turf by leaking hydraulic fluid. Putting
greens must be mown very low to yield the highest turf density and
uniformity. The preferred cutting height varies from 3 to 7 mm, depend-
ing on turf species and anticipated use. The lowest cutting height, even
lower than 3 mm, can be used for special professional tournaments, but
ordinary golfers are usually satisfied with a height of 4-5 mm. A mowing
height below that recommended for a given species and/or variety
should not be maintained for longer than a week. Somewhat increased
mowing height (over 5 mm) can be used when additional leaf surface is
needed, e.g. to promote a faster recovery from stress or injury to the turf.
As a rule, putting greens in the tropics should be mowed daily in the
early morning. Less frequent mowing results in loss of turf density,
scalping, coarser leaf texture, unpredictable changes in ball-roll direction
