AGRONOMY
Golf was born in the British Isles, where courses evolved centuries ago from windswept,
sandy sites adjacent to the sea. The game has changed since its beginning, but traditions and challenges remain the same — turf, terrain, and weather. Firm conditions and fine-textured turf have long been the foundation for ideal playability. Over time, many golfers have forgotten the value of firmness and replaced it with the desire to have a visually appealing golf course. The
ability to irrigate has enabled golf course superintendents to produce amazingly resilient, uniform turf despite low mowing heights, extreme heat, drought, undulating terrain, variable soils, traffic, etc. However, golfer expectations and irrigation advance- ments have also contributed to the idea that aesthetics, particularly lush green grass, are greatly important to the enjoyment of the game and even define good conditions. The genesis
of cosmetic irrigation, which involves
irrigating the golf course to keep all turf areas an attractive green color, began as irrigation systems were installed at golf courses throughout the country. Cosmetic irrigation is not a problem at every golf course, but far too many facilities still place the highest priority on lush green conditions at the expense of playing quality. This fact was alarmingly evident in recent years when record droughts hit, and many golfers simply could not understand why all of the turf was not consistently dark green.
DONALD JONES
Superintendent at Magellan Golf Course