COURSE + GROUNDS
Regrassing projects can give golf courses a much-needed update. But anticipating the proper adjustments in mowing techniques and strategies required by the change is also critical for keeping new turf healthy, long after the renovations are complete.
GROW and MOW
By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor
ANYTHING THAT STARTS TO SHOW its age can use a makeover every now and then, and golf courses are no exception. Once a makeover has occurred, a property still must be maintained to gain full benefit from the upgrades. And at golf courses that have been regrassed with new turf—which has been a growing trend as properties seek to adapt to changing weather and usage patterns—planning for and making the right adjustments in mowing techniques and strategies is essential for both proper grow-in and long-term health. “I think proper mowing is the most important thing you can do on the golf course,” says Shawn Emerson, who oversees maintenance operations as Director of Agronomy for the seven golf courses at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. “You need the proper frequency and height of cut, and it’s important to select the right turf. The turf selection needs to match up with the mowing practices.” THE RIGHT GRASS Desert Mountain recently regrassed its 32-year-old Renegrade Course as part of a major, $12.8 million renovation project. In a two-year plan to regrass its golf layouts, the property also is regrassing its 20-year-old Chiricahua and Apache courses (see photos, above and pg. 38). The Renegade Course reopened April 1 after the completion of a full-fledged, 10-month project to update the golf course and give it a new look. Desert Mountain’s 90- to 100-day projects to regrass the Chiricahua and Apache courses are taking place during the summer, when the courses have low play. 36
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May 2019
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
4/24/19 10:07 PM