Lahinch Golf Club is one of the few courses in the world that uses grass pathways from tee to green. This provides a unique aesthetic value, but comes at the price of extra labor.

A public course that is a popular destination of tourists and native Irish alike, Lahinch is open all year (weather permitting) and puts through between 42,000 and 45,000 rounds per year. A policy of no golf carts (or buggies, as they're called here) unless warranted by a medical condition helps reduce wear and tear, as maintenance equipment are the only heavy machines on the course.

A newly sodded pathway leading to the 13th tee

The paths have irrigation, and the sandy nature of the soil allows for ideal drainage and growing conditions.

Maintaining high quality turf on these high traffic areas does not come easy however. Human nature dictates people taking the shortest route between two points, regardless of the health of the turf below their feet.

To combat this, movable gates are used to direct traffic away from worn areas and allow the stressed turf time to recover.

Movable gates used to divert traffic on the pathways

Accumulated compaction also is an issue, but an active aeration regimen helps alleviate it. The paths are hollow-tined in October, and then Verti-Drained with ½" tines to a depth of 8 inches twice between December and March. The paths are also solid tined with ½" tines on a ProCore machine 4 to 5 times during the season.

Topdressing pathways by hand.

In addition, the paths are topdressed as often as possible. This is done by hand and shovel, something I have never seen done in the States. It is yet another practice that is tied to tradition and keeps golf history alive and well.