A well-tended putting surface can make or break a golf course. At Mount Juliet, we place our greens at the top of our priority list. And it for this reason that our course has such a great reputation, and holds up so well, even in the cold and the rain. Golfers may fight the elements, but not the greens. The first step in green maintenance is mowing, but here at Mount Juliet, topdressing is what sets up the rest of the schedule for greens maintenance.

Topdressing is done by hand with shovels.

Every other week through most of the growing season, light topdressing is done to every green. A little less than 1 mm is spread out, and then dragged in with a metal rake mat. A small difference between Mount Juliet, and other courses however, is that the topdressing is done by hand. Skilled crew members take shovels, and spread the sand out in a uniform layer over the entire green. They really do make it look very easy, but in reality, achieving such a uniform layer of sand takes a long time to perfect. The sand is a washed, medium coarse textured sand, that comes in from the south of Ireland. When the topdressing is completed, the focus can shift from sand to turf.

Mount Juliet uses Jacobsen walk-mowers, but has two different fleets. One for post topdressing use, and one for normal use. The post-topdressing mowers are a standard reel type, set at 3.5 mm. The sand can be harsh on the reels in post topdressing mows, so these older mowers are used for a couple days after topdressing. When the sand has settled in the turf, and the green returns to its normal state of growth, the other mowers with the groomers are used. These mowers have groomers in front of the reels to ensure stolon cuts, and promote healthy vertical growth. The groomers are set at 2.5 mm, and the bedknife is at 3.3 mm. The heights are changed from time to time depending on growth, weather, and course needs, but at Mount Juliet, the concern isn't green speed, its green quality.

Regular walk mower setup on left, with groomer on right.

Fertilizing is also done by hand, like topdressing. A team of two men use a hose with a gun attached to spray a mix of nitrogen and potassium at small, spoon-feeding amounts. Right now the focus is on potassium, but this can change depending on time of year and weather demands. The wind can be very tricky to work with when fertilizing in this fashion, but the course leaves a couple days window to fertilize, just in case one day has weather that doesn't cooperate, and another is more suitable.

Fertilizer rigs.

The greens here at Mount Juliet were grown in with the A-4 variety of creeping bentgrass, but over the years, a large amount of annual bluegrass has set in. With our regular rainfall, and consistent green maintenance however, the bluegrass is kept in check, and blends in with the bentgrass to create a very uniform surface.