While it’s never exciting to see, we’ve all come across one or two greens on a golf course that just seem to show more wear and tear than the others. If you are like most golfers, you probably play one or two courses more often during the season and notice that it’s usually the same greens that struggle each year – perhaps even the same portion of those greens. Do you ever wonder why? The truth is that while the putting surface shows the damage, the problem is often the growing environment the green occupies – both above and below the ground. These are some of the primary factors that contribute to consistently unhealthy or unreliable greens:

• Shade is a leading factor in putting green decline. Like other plants, grass requires water, carbon dioxide and light to create energy for survival. It is no surprise that when grass mowed at a height less than two stacked dimes doesn’t get enough light, it dies!
• Obstacles surrounding a putting green can restrict air movement and increase the risk for decline. Air movement helps grass cool itself and when airflow is restricted the surface temperature will be much higher than on exposed putting greens. This type of stress is especially problematic for cool-season grasses like Poa annua or bentgrass. The next time you are playing your favorite course and find yourself on a green that is struggling, look around and see if that green is surrounded by trees or located down in a valley. While you get to escape that oppressive environment, the grass experiences those conditions all day.
• The underground growing environment also has a significant impact on why some greens struggle more than others. More specifically, inadequate drainage can be a major cause for decline. Grass needs water to survive, but the roots need oxygen too. Saturated soils can lead to rapid turf decline, especially during periods of hot weather.
  
  

These three issues are among the most likely causes for decline if there are only a few greens that consistently struggle on a given golf course, but obviously there could be other contributing factors. Whatever the causes of a problem green might be, you’re probably wondering why those issues aren’t solved or corrected if they create problems year after year. Unfortunately, while superintendents can usually identify the problem, finding a solution is not always easy. For instance, the shade or restricted air movement may be caused by trees located on a neighboring property, by large landforms, or by structures like the clubhouse. None of those issues lend themselves to an easy fix.

Sometimes the solution may require a significant amount of funding. For instance, fans can be installed around putting greens in difficult growing environments to help keep them cool. However, purchasing the fans, installing the required electrical wiring, and the labor involved in putting the fans out each spring and bringing them back inside each winter is costly. The same goes for improving drainage, which can be extremely beneficial and also very expensive.

In most cases, if there is the will and financial support, a solution can be found to improve problem greens. That said, money alone can’t solve all problems. Sometimes the most challenging situation for a superintendent is when the problem, the solution and the funds are identified, but the idea of change is just too much for some stakeholders to bear.