Perspectives on Course DesignPerspective of Golf Course Design

In early autumn, I visited a woodland course in the northern part of Ibaraki Prefecture. The playing fee was less than 5,000 yen for a two-sum round, including meals. I had a preconceived notion that the course condition was in line with the price. My expectations were completely overturned when I actually played the course on the day of my visit. The bent greens, which are the key to course management, had fine leaves and the grass was upright. I could hardly find any ball marks. Balls were rolling fast. The fairways are slightly matted, but the turf density is high. The turf condition is good with almost no infestation of pests. The tees are made of Western grass, but they are almost passable except for the areas that receive poor sunlight. The problem is the rough. Most of the grass is weeds, such as Japanese knotweed, but some of it is occupied by bluegrass. The rough has been mowed low and there are no problems in terms of playability, but the bare areas are worrisome in places. The rough grass is in a rough state and I felt a little uncomfortable. When I later asked about the annual management budget, I was told that the management cost is less than 70% of a normal golf course. I was impressed by the management method that got the point across.

The disparity among golf courses is remarkable these days. While some high-end and suburban golf courses have managed to remain stable without being caught up in the price-cutting competition, many other golf courses are caught up in the price-cutting competition, and it is impossible to allocate sufficient budget for course management. It is only natural that golf courses with low revenues should be operated and managed according to the needs of each golf course. The uniform management methods used by the majority of golf courses have become a relic of the past, and it is essential to change to an operation and management system that reflects the circumstances of each golf course. The woodland course in the northern part of Ibaraki Prefecture may point the way forward for course management in the future when the number of visitors declines due to the decrease in population.

In planning and implementing course management, it is necessary to establish clear measures to improve customer satisfaction. Without a shared management philosophy among all management personnel, course management will not produce results. Neither education and training nor a thorough understanding of the management philosophy will lead to good course management without the other.

The course is beautifully finished. This does not mean a perfect golf course without a single piece of trash. It is a golf course where you can feel the warmth of the heart, including the manners of the employees. Efforts are needed in terms of both course remodeling and management to make the course look beautiful. The mowing method of vertical mowing height bumps on the green collar, approach, fairway and rough mowing lines will be recognized by players as a beautiful mowing line. In addition, the environment around the greens can be beautifully transformed if the thinning and surrounding landscaping are done in harmony.

Tee groundTrees other than hedges and shade trees around the tees should be removed if there are trees in the vicinity. Stairs should be removed except in special cases, and the tees should be accessible from any direction. At the same time, surrounding trees should be drastically thinned and pruned to improve sunlight and ventilation, and to promote the growth of healthy turf. As a result, it will be possible to grow turf that is resistant to pests and weeds. In areas with good sunlight and ventilation, the area of the tees can be maintained and managed even if it is small. The slope of the slope around the tees should be steep enough to allow work with a three-row riding mower. Recently, there is a tendency to reduce the amount of fertilizer applied and the number of mowings due to a decrease in the management budget. Recovery requires a great deal of time and money. Ideally, fertilizer should be applied at 40 g/m2 (8:8:8) 4 to 5 times per year and mowed 3 to 4 times per week.

The standard tee area for tee modification is 500m2 to 600m2 for 40,000 rounds per year. Sand similar to green sand should be used for the floor sand. The cross section of the sand should be 10 cm thick on the sides and 20 cm thick in the center, with a 300 mm cross section of Φ100 culvert drainage laid in the center. Ideally, all tees should be on one side if possible, but the number of tees should be kept as small as possible even when the topography is restricted. Ideally, the tees should be sloped to allow for the operation of regular management equipment.

Greens and surrounding areasTrees around the green should be drastically thinned and pruned to improve sunlight and ventilation. We believe that environmental improvement takes precedence over everything else. Many people objected to the thinning of trees around the greens because they feared it would make the course look bleak, but as a result of the clean up and turfing of the thinned areas, the area around the greens was reputed to be beautiful.

Bent management methods have become necessary in response to the recent global warming. Since the growing season of bent grass is short in spring and fall, and the summer season, which causes stress disorder, lasts for a long period of time, it is necessary to adjust the annual plan for renewal work, fertilization, and chemical application. It is appropriate to determine the structure of the modified greens and selection of bedding sand according to USGA green specifications. To facilitate the efficient operation of the riding management equipment, shoulders should be provided on the outside of the green collar to facilitate the management of the green. A similar shoulder should be provided between the bunker and the green. In addition, the exit of the green is a bottleneck where turf loss can be observed. In such areas, the hazard should be repositioned.

Fairways, roughs, bunkersA major problem in fairway management is drainage. Especially during the rainy season, we have to worry about countermeasures against spring water. Recently, a large trencher has been used to dig rib-shaped trenches (H=500, W=80) at intervals of 4 to 5 m in the direction of the water gradient on the turf surface, lay culvert pipes at the bottom, and fill them with sand, which has been very successful in improving drainage of fairways and rough. It is also effective even if it is installed only in areas where drainage is really bad.

Excessive accumulation of thatch (mowing residue) on the fairways can also lead to pest infestation, poor drainage, and loss of effectiveness of fertilizer and chemical applications. It is necessary to remind ourselves that regular renewal is a fundamental part of management. The amount of fertilizer applied is 40 g/m2 (8:8:8) two to three times per year. Mowing should be done twice a week during the peak season. The goal is to grow dense and healthy turf. Mowing lines on fairways should be beautiful curves, avoiding straight lines.

Mower blades should be sharpened on a regular basis so that the edges with the rough are clearly visible to both sides of the mowing height. The flat rough should be managed in the same manner as fairways. Where bare areas are being created due to allelopathy or lack of sunlight caused by the growth of trees on slopes and mounds, thin out the bare areas drastically to secure sunlight. Bare areas will be restored to turf. Thinning will be encouraged so that mowing of rough grass can be done with a riding mower as much as possible.

The best way to make a bunker look beautiful is to make sure that the edges are well trimmed. The best edge cut is about 5 cm between the sand surface and the grass surface. When I visited a golf course in Florida to observe the management of a golf course, one person was in charge of the edge trimming of bunkers and cart paths throughout the year. The golf course was beautiful in every detail.

February 2008. (In cooperation with Ikki Publishing Co.