How to achieve a Masters-worthy lawn

WCCO-AM / 830 WCCO

As golf fans wait in anticipation for the start of The Masters, Clemson University expert Joseph Roberts explains how Augusta National manages to look so pristine year after year.

Transcript

00:00My name is Joseph Roberts. I'm an associate professor here at Clemson, an extension specialist,

00:05and I work in turfgrass pathology and nematology. So I work on microbes that infect turfgrasses.

00:13So in terms of managing these really intense conditions, it's an annual program. So it's

00:22obviously there's a lot more details going into the tournament as you get closer, but

00:26doing this is a year-round affair. So it's constantly looking at conditions, assessing

00:32sites for potential issues that may arise, be it a pest development or certain environmental

00:39conditions that may be negatively impacting the sites. So if you have a lot of rain going into

00:48a situation, a lot of cloud cover, these can negatively impact the site and be detrimental

00:54to creating those ideal course conditions. When we're talking about certain high profile

01:00tournaments like this, oftentimes there's a desire to create very fast green speeds to make

01:07the play more intense. And a lot of that is dialed in by limiting water inputs, low mowing

01:14and so forth. And all of those factors could allow weather to play a significant role in

01:19adjusting those conditions and how they may be impacting players during course of play.

01:28So golf course managers spend a lot of time in monitoring water inputs into certain areas

01:34and trying to, again, achieve those best conditions while limiting excessive use of water. And in terms

01:41of other inputs like fertilization, again, more strategically applying these applications so that they are not

01:48overused. And then again, you know, you're looking into pest management. So utilizing certain pesticides or

01:56integrated pest management that we call it in a way that we can have the least impact on the environment

02:01while still achieving those best conditions for tournament play like we're discussing with the Masters.

02:07So if I had to say, you know, pick out one thing, or I would say a few things to try to get that picture

02:18perfect lawn is one starting with the right grass. So making sure that you are growing a grass that is

02:24well adapted to your environment is critical. And it will help to avoid you having to put in those additional

02:31inputs later on to keep that grass alive. So picking the right species and in some cases, even the right

02:38cultivar within a species can be ideal to creating a dense, lush lawn that requires fewer inputs. So other

02:47things that could play a factor are again, shade. You know, grass needs sunlight. And oftentimes when we're

02:53talking about a home lawn, you have various impacts of shade versus sun. So maximizing sunlight can be

02:59highly helpful. And then again, utilizing the resources online to understand what inputs are

03:05required for that particular grass. So what height of cut should you be mowing at on a regular basis?

03:11How much fertilizer does this particular grass species need so that it can thrive during the period of the

03:17year that it should be growing? And again, creating that ideal condition that you want for your home lawn.

03:25But there are other micronutrients that play a role in that green color.

03:29Certain iron type colors that contribute to that color. So, you know, fertilizers can play a role

03:37in certain cases. And again, just utilizing the right inputs in terms of the right amount of water,

03:43having the right amount of sunlight. These are all contributors to that lush green color that we

03:49talk about when we have these picturesque golf course situations.

03:52So on a daily basis, a lot of, from a golf course green standpoint, greens are mowed every day

04:01under certain conditions. So you have a very frequent intense mowing. Again, like I said,

04:09in some cases down to an eighth or a tenth of an inch when we're talking about golf course greens.

04:14There are other processes that occur throughout the year in terms of management. So for a lot of these

04:20greens, they may be performing what we call verticutting. So that's a way of taking out some

04:27organic matter and again, helping to favor the growing environment of the turf. And then within a

04:33couple of times of year, and in some cases, maybe just a single event during the year, they will do

04:37what's called aeration. So they will actually use a spiking tool to drive the spikes down into the root

04:44zone. And what that does is that creates a channel for oxygen to get into that root zone. And again,

04:50that's a very beneficial practice when it comes to the management of golf course greens, or in some

04:56cases, golf course fairways, and even some cases you can utilize aeration in your lawn. All of these

05:02factors go in. So very intense daily activities, sometimes weekly activities, and then, you know,

05:09even a couple of times a year in certain cases.

05:14A group of people have already released because of the

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