Design With Maintenance In Mind
Golf course architects are tasked with creating aesthetic layouts that provide an enjoyable experience for golfers. While some features may be more appealing than others, they sometimes can be detrimental to turf health or costly and difficult to maintain. Therefore, it is important to balance the design goals of a construction or renovation project with the long-term goals and budget of the golf course. This article provides some guidelines that should be considered to help optimize playing conditions and control long-term maintenance costs when building or renovating a golf course.
Multimedia Content
Photo Gallery
Five Ways To Improve Playing Conditions Through Renovation
Capital improvements can have a drastic impact on how a golf course looks and plays; prudent planning will ensure only the most positive of results. Consider some of the improvements detailed in this USGA photo gallery. Although they require varying degrees of investment, each offers opportunities to improve playing conditions and sustainability.
Course Care Video
Planning For The Future

Planning takes a lot of time and effort, but a facility-wide master plan can ease the difficulty of planning individual projects by guiding their alignment with overall facility goals. The staff at Bel-Air Country Club have had a master plan in place for nearly 20 years. The advice they have to offer might make the planning process seem a little less overwhelming. 

Green Section Collection: Planning For The Future


These interactive digital collections include additional supporting articles, a photo gallery and videos that provide relevant information on the primary subject. The collections can be viewed online in a user-friendly digital magazine format, saved as a PDF or printed.

Research You Should Know
Nozzle Type And Spray Volume Make A Difference
Many factors influence the efficacy of fungicides, including droplet size and carrier volume. Fortunately, scientists at several universities have researched the effect of these variables on the control of common turfgrass diseases. Their findings are helping improve the efficiency of disease control. 
Fore The Golfer
Nothing Lasts Forever

Bunkers, cart paths and other golf course features age just like anything else, but it is difficult to determine when golf course assets should be replaced or renovated. Although useful life cycle estimates have been developed for many golf course features, it is important to remember that age isn't necessarily the only factor to consider.

Regional Updates

West Region
Operating aeration equipment close to fairway sprinklers without hitting them has always been a challenge. See how one course in California resolved this issue with some simple modifications.
Northeast Region
The importance of continuing education cannot be overstated. Learning new techniques and staying abreast of the latest in technological advances will help everyone more effectively perform their jobs.
Central Region
Does your turf experience chronic problems associated with winter ice cover? When water and ice collect in low-lying areas, winter injury can be a real cause for concern. Try this creative technique to enhance late-winter drainage.
Southeast Region
Aeration can certainly be frustrating, but it is extremely beneficial. Fortunately, injecting sand directly into putting green rootzones may be an effective supplement to ease the frustration of traditional core aeration.
 
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