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.
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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