EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

 

Equipment & Maintenance

SPEW NEEDED!!!!!

Mowers

• Types: A listing of the various types of mowers used on golf greens and courses.

McLane builds the best quality, precision-cutting lawn & gardening equipments available. All machines are hand built in the U.S.A. using all steel framing, real rubber tires, precision bearings, and California smog legal engines from BRIGGS & STRATTON and HONDA.

• Sharpening, Back lapping

Dragmat

Bunker edgers and rakes

Aerators

Roller Roll bentgrass in early May and early October

Cups, pins & Flags

Tee Markers

Supplies

Stimpmeter Stimpmeter allows a green-keeper to measure the speed of the green and as you can see from opposite it is a relatively simple device. Read on to find out more about the Stimpmeter

Stimpmeter: What and how they are used.

Key Things to Remember
1. Selecting a reasonably level test area is important. Measurements taken up or down a slope, over mounds, etc., will result in misleading data.

2. Conditions during a test are important. Initially , test your greens under optimum conditions – a cleanly mowed, dry, smooth surface on a calm day. Once this basic speed has been established, you can then document speeds as they vary under unusual conditions: windy days, wet surfaces, non-mowed, recently topdressed , time of day, before and after fertilizer applications, etc. The data thus accumulated will lead to a better understanding of how different management practices affect the speed and consistency of each green on your golf course.

3. Practice makes perfect. A relatively small amount of practice in using the Stimpmeter will increase the accuracy and consistency of your data.

4. Keep thorough records. Obviously, complete and accurate record, maintained over extended periods, are the most useful.


The Potential of the Stimpmeter
Once the Stimpmeter is put into use at your course and the resulting information is analyzed and acted upon, the possibilities for improved playing conditions are virtually endless. Speed charts have been developed, based on data from tests performed by the USGA Green Section agronomists over the years. The charts are presented for general information only; it is NOT the intention of the USGA to attempt to standardize green speeds, which should remain up to the course officials, with the input of the superintendent, of each facility.

Speeds of Regular Membership Play1
Fast > 8' 6"
Medium = 7' 6" – 8' 6"
Slow < 7' 6"

Speeds for Tournament Play2
Fast > 9' 6"
Medium = 8' 6" – 9' 6"
Slow < 8' 6"

1 Bermudagrass putting greens typically are slower.
2 These speeds can be used as a guide for club events. National competitions may require higher speeds.

The Effects of Management Practices

The manner in which putting greens are managed has a tremendous influence on their speed and consistency. Most of these factors are known to some degree, but almost all are worthy of research. Following are some of the major variables that using the Stimpmeter will help us to understand more effectively:

1. Mowing height and frequency of cut are extremely important considerations. The mower's bench setting is no guarantee that greens are cut at a prescribed height. More over the condition of the mowers; the type of mowers (floating or rigid cutting units); attachments such as Wiehle rollers, groomers, brushes, and combs; all can make a difference in the cut and green speed. So does double-cutting, verticutting and rolling. The precise effect of each of these factors can be measured with the Stimpmeter.

2. Watering practices and surface moisture (dew) are crucial to green speeds. Moist turf will be slower than dry turf at any mowing height.

3. Fertilizing practices can be studied, such as the effects of rate and frequency of application, nitrogen source, and nutrient balance.

4. Grain is sometimes a deterrent to uniformity of speed. How grain is affected by changes in direction of cut, use of vertical mowing equipment, riding versus single unit mowers, etc., can be studied a they relate to green speed.

5. The effects of aeration, spiking, and topdressing can be measured, both before and after treatments.

6. Speed variations among the different grasses presently used for putting greens can be documented.

7. By keeping good records, you will be better able to observe, determine, and explain variances in green speed throughout the year and compensate for them. For example, in spring, when Poa annua produces excessive seedheads, greens can be slower and more bumpy. Your records will serve as a reminder to topdress, begin vertical mowing, or schedule other practices calculated to help maintain the desired speed and consistency.

General Comments
Knowing the speed of the greens may assist in determining whether a hole location is fair or unfair. A green so fast (or a hole cut in such a position) that a ball cannot be stopped near the hole from any point on the green, for example, is an unfair challenge.

Championship greens should be fast and uniformly paced, firm but resilient. They should place a premium on well-executed shots, while exacting a penalty for less precise shots.

Close daily mowing, a light nutrient program, proper irrigation scheduling, a good topdressing schedule, and a minimum of thatch are the accepted means of achieving excellent greens. The test for determining whether a surface is properly firm but resilient is the type of ball mark that results from a distance shot onto the green. If the turf within the ball-mark depression holds together, the green has the firmness required of a championship green.

Strive for championship conditions only for limited periods of time, principally for important club events. Turfgrass failure is common when championship conditions are maintained for too long or when adverse weather conditions occur.