Putting green perimeters routinely receive an abundance of traffic from maintenance activities. The constant starting, stopping and turning of mowers, rollers and other pieces of equipment can take a toll on the green edges and surrounding collars. It is not uncommon to see these turf areas struggling at this point of the year.
Instructing employees to be cognizant of potential damage and to make wide turns is a good practice, but one that does not always work. Steep slopes, nearby bunkers and other obstacles can force maintenance traffic into the same spots regardless. For many golf courses, using turning boards is a key part of maintaining healthy collars. Thin sheets of plastic positioned around the green edges during mowing can help to protect turf from the cumulative effects of mechanical stress.
It is quite easy to see the difference in collar health between golf courses that use turning boards and those that do not. This topic came up multiple times this past week on Course Consulting Service visits. If you are experiencing weak collars, I suggest purchasing some turning boards and starting to use them right away to prevent further damage. Shifting the boards around during mowing does require some extra work from the staff, so expect some initial reluctance from certain crew members who are eager to finish their morning job and get back in for a coffee break. However, in my experience using the boards only adds about five minutes or so for mowing an average-sized green.
For optimal results, it is important to use turning boards throughout the entire season – not only when signs of wear begin to show. Sacrificing a few minutes per green to position turning boards during mowing can result in significantly stronger collars and better playing conditions throughout the year.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Adam Moeller, director, Green Section Education – amoeller@usga.org
Darin Bevard, director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott Dowling, agronomist – edowling@usga.org
John Daniels, agronomist – jdaniels@usga.org
Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service
Contact the Green Section Staff