Water Management

As summer starts to unleash its heat and humidity, water management is critical throughout the golf course. We spent all spring attempting to provide the turf with the best opportunity to grow a deep and expansive root system. The turf will need to utilize those root systems over the next 6-8 weeks.

It is difficult to grasp this concept, but when it’s hot, watering the grass can do more harm than good. It takes a lot of heat energy to warm water. However, once warm, water holds onto that heat for a long time. Therefore, a wet soil in the summer will absorb and retain heat. The warmer the soil, the more stress the turf is subjected to. A drier soil allows the warm air within the soil to escape and keep the soil cooler.

So, we want to provide the turf with just enough water to cool itself through transpiration, yet not too much that causes the soil to heat up and bake the roots. This is where water management becomes critical, especially on greens. In order to monitor soil moisture, we measure it with a meter. Each green is divided into 9 sections and a meter reading is taken and recorded in the early morning following mowing. Each reading is then evaluated against the forecasted weather to determine the need for additional water. If an area requires water, an appropriate amount is delivered through 1-inch hose. ONLY the areas requiring water are hand watered. The intent is to provide the turf with sufficient soil moisture to get it through the day. Then as night arrives, the soil air can be exchanged and cooled. If surface temperatures are too high, we may perform a true syringe of the putting surfaces. The art of syringing involves spraying a fine mist over the turf. Syringing moisture does not reach the soil. Droplets land on the turf and are allowed to evaporate. The process of evaporation is a cooling effect and the surface temperature can be temporarily lowered, relieving some stress from the turf.

Assistant Superintendent, Harrison Beal,
records soil moisture on the putting green.



Volumetric Water Content reading: 12%



Daily Moisture Record Grid Sheet

 

Harrison hand watering #16 Green extension

When hand watering becomes too extensive and all areas are requiring significant water to support daily turf functions, the irrigation system will then be programmed to provide a deep watering that simulates a nice rain event. Deep and infrequent irrigation recharges the soil moisture and helps the turf retain its root system.


Water management is a skill that I’m constantly attempting to improve and understand. OGC is home of many challenging soil situations (green extensions) which behave differently during various parts of the season. Measuring the soil moisture provides a concrete value that improves our understanding of providing exactly what the turf needs, instead of what we think it needs.