ONLINE HOME STUDY - SPORTS TURF MANAGEMENT
LEARN SPECIALISED TURF MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Caring for Turf is a science of its own and it is worth getting to understand how to care for it to the best of your ability.
- Gain specialised turf care knowledge
- Increase the scope of your business
- Learn maintenance, greens, sports grounds and cultivation techniques
This course assumes a basic knowledge of turf care, either through experience or prior study (eg. Our Turf Care course) From there it develops your ability to manage the maintenance of sports turf. It is relevant to the maintenance of all sports turf including golf courses, bowling clubs, playing fields, cricket wickets and other sporting facilities.
“This is a must do course for those currently working in the turf care industry or who are looking to enter it. Students will not only cover the basics in terms of drainage, cultivation, mowing, weeding, and feeding of refined turf, but will also explore appropriate techniques for managing different types of sports turfs.” - Gavin Cole B.Sc., Psych.Cert., Cert.Garden Design, MACA, ACS Tutor.
Lesson Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
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Turf Variety Selection
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Mowing - selection, use and maintenance of equipment.
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Cultivation Techniques -spiking, coring, thatch removal and other techniques.
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Preparing for Play on Sports grounds - rolling, marking, etc.
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Preparing for Play of Greens - rolling, marking, etc.
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Turf Protection & Preservation
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Irrigation & Drainage
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Soil Treatment & Sprays - pesticides, fertilisers, etc.
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Evaluate Maintenance Facilities
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Develop a Management Plan.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Select turf varieties to suit different sports surface requirements; including different climates & soil types.
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Select turf varieties to suit different sports surfaces (eg. lawn bowls, fairways, greens, league football, cricket)
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Identify turf blends, their application and reason for use.
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Explain alternative procedures for sports turf maintenance, used for different types of facilities.
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Explain specific wear problems and solutions for the five types of turf facilities
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Evaluate procedures being used to maintain different types of facilities.
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Determine the resources required to maintain a selected sports turf.
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Develop management plans for different types of sports turf facilities.
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Explain the management of a turf nursery to produce a reliable supply of sod.
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Explain the irrigation and drainage requirements for sports turf fields ..............and lots more!
Sports turf is different to other types of turf in various ways. Primarily, the major difference is that sports turf may suffer more wear and tear than ornamental lawns. An ornamental lawn may be walked over very little, and when it is walked upon the traffic is generally mild. The amount of damage which a sports turf suffers will depend upon:
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The amount of use it gets
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The type of games which are being played on it
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Weather conditions (e.g. it is more likely to be damaged in very wet weather)
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Construction factors (e.g. soil type, drainage, and so on)
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The type of turf cultivars growing in the turf
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The health of the turf and, in relation to this, the level of care and maintenance.
Before discussing turf grass varieties in detail, it is interesting to review the history of turf grass selection:
TURF VARIETIES IN PARKS
(By M. Fielder: from a seminar organised by John Mason, ACS School Principal)
Grasses were used for lawns as early as the 13th century. The composition was typical of a natural meadow of that time with weeds giving added colour at flowering time. In the 16th and 17th centuries, information was recorded for the maintenance of chamomile lawns and bowling greens. The game of bowls has been recorded as early as the 13th century while the famous St. Andrews Golf Club in Scotland was founded in the 15th century.
It was not until the 18th century that references were made to obtaining seed from clean pastures instead of using seed from hay.
In the 19th century the scythe was being replaced by the cylinder mower and the introduction of turf management as we know it today, saw its beginnings.
The experimental study of turf appears to have started in the United States around 1885 by J. B. Olcott. He selected about 500 strains from thousands of plants and came to the conclusion that the best turf forming grasses were to be found in the genera Agrostis and Festuca. Improved strains of these two genera are still the basis for fine lawns, golf greens and bowling greens, even today.
The number of grasses suitable for turf is limited. Grass we use today is mostly selected and bred in Europe and the United States. Holland is emerging as a world leader in turf grass breeding while in the United States, couch grass, particularly the hybrids, have been developed and are being used in sporting situations.
The intended or actual use of a particular area is the deciding factor in the selection of grass species and its subsequent management. The situation will vary from a feature lawn with a high maintenance cost to a park which is only mown when necessary.
When planning a seed mixture, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different grasses and why certain grasses are used in preference to others.
Bent grasses and fescues such as Chewings and Creeping Red can withstand lower mowing than other grasses. The bent grass strains known as Penncross and Palustris are both stoloniferous and tend to become spongy with age. If these bent grasses are used alone or with fescues in a lawn, bowling green or golf green, annual scarifying, preening and coring is essential for their maintenance. In a park or sports oval, these varieties of bent grass tend to colonise and form patches choking out all other grasses and giving a very patchy appearance.
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is a perennial. It will not survive close mowing whilst winter grass (Poa annua) which is an annual will survive close mowing and can quickly become a serious weed. It is also seeds prolifically.
The Bermuda couches are used extensively where there is heavy wear because they bind the surface together despite being dormant in winter. It should be sewn in spring and summer.
Improved strains of perennial ryegrass with finer leaves have been developed for turf use. These strains have a deep strong root system and are easier to mow.
Tall fescue, also known as Demeter fescue, is a recent introduction to recreational areas although it has been in use as a pasture plant for a number of years. It is a grass capable of withstanding severe wear and it has been used successfully in sports ovals and other areas where there is concentrated foot traffic. The finer fescues will persist in partially shaded areas for longer than other grass species, but in extreme shade no grass will persist.
Kikuyu can be used in situations where other grasses are destroyed by excessive wear, or where there is a limited water supply. To prevent it developing a spongy surface, low mowing is necessary in either spring or autumn. This grass is either dormant or semi‑dormant in winter when it becomes yellow and this unsightly colouring has rendered it unacceptable as a sports surface. Ryegrass, both perennial and annual, can be introduced in autumn to provide a more presentable appearance.
MANAGING USE
Often, the biggest problem facing a sports turf manager is that their facility is regularly over used. Factors beyond the control of the manager will often affect the extent to which the turf is used, and damaged.
To manage the use of the turf may require not only horticultural expertise, but also good communication skills, in order to clearly show the full implications of excessive use to the owners or senior management of a facility.
There may be situations that require turf personnel to inform management to inform users that a particular field or fairway is closed until repairs. Whether communicating to public or management, it is important that the necessity of the rearrangement/inconvenience is made perfectly clear, and is actually beneficial to the individuals in the long run.
Before informing anyone, it is essential that the wear and tear is determined. If the damage is significant then action is required immediately. It is best to maintain turf facilities in top condition rather than to let them deteriorate, then having to do major repairs.
WAYS TO MINIMISE DAMAGE TO SPORTS TURF
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Practice sessions could be held elsewhere as much as possible.
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Use covers to protect against heavy rain, or to cover valuable turf wickets during practice sessions.
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Using sponging/soaking machines to remove excess water.
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Delaying the start of the season till surfaces are fully prepared.
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Re-scheduling games to other locations, or to when the surface is better suited for use.
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Temporary mid-season repairs
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Changing the areas of most intense play, such as remarking playing areas, rotating playing strip on a turf wicket, moving the tee location on golf courses, moving the hole on golf greens, etc.
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For top class turf facilities use air blowers, or even helicopters hovering above the ground to help dry out the surface
ASSIGNMENT Example
1. Submit reports on what you found out in your set tasks:
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Outline what turf varieties are recommended for different sports turf situations by the seed company/companies you investigated.
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List some of the turf varieties which are commonly used in your locality or region, and give one or more reasons why each of these is in use.
2. Compare the turf varieties which you considered in your set tasks, in terms of:
3. Recommend appropriate turf varieties or mixes for each of the following sports surfaces, in your locality:
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lawn bowl green
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golf fairway
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golf green
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league football ground
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junior football ground
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cricket wicket
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cricket outfield
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lawn tennis court
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baseball field
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soccer field
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hockey field
Explain why you made each selection.
4. List 3 different turf blends which have applications in sports turf. Explain their application and any advantages in their use.
