AGRONOMY TOURNAMENT PREPARATION - PGA Tour Agronomy

TOURNAMENT PREPARATION CHECKLIST COURSE CHANGES  Immediately inform the Agronomist about any situation(s) that may potentially affect playability of the golf course. This would include unexpected or weather related changes in the condition of the turf.  List course changes (e.g. tee repositioning/additions, fairway re-contouring, architectural changes, tree removal, landscape changes, mowing pattern changes, etc.), that have occurred since the last event:  MOWING HEIGHTS  Schedule maintenance activities to achieve the following mowing height targets during Tournament Week: Greens: Collars: Approaches: Tees: Fairways: Practice Tee: Intermediate Rough: Rough Advance Week: Rough Tournament Week: GREENS  A Stimpmeter purchased from the USGA must be available at the beginning of Advance Week.  Schedule maintenance activities to achieve, but not exceed the following Stimpmeter reading targets: Advance Week: Tournament Week:

 When appropriate, the Agronomist and the Advance Rules Official may adjust the target Stimpmeter readings up or down.  Excessive greenspeed must be avoided as it can eliminate prime hole locations, especially during windy conditions.  Dramatic increases or decreases in greenspeed must be avoided.  Two to three key staff members should be trained to hand water greens and maintain

consistent soil moisture content during Tournament Week.

PGA TOUR Agronomy Preparation Checklist – Page 2 of 9

 Two Spectrum Technologies Field Scout TDR 300 soil moisture meters are recommended to monitor soil moisture content. Tournament sites receive a discount by using order code #S89PGA for the Field Scout TDR 300 moisture meter which is available from: Turf-Tec International phone: 800-258-7477 www.turf-tec.com

Spectrum Technologies, Inc. phone: 800-248-8873 www.specmeters.com

 During dry weather, the irrigation system may be used in conjunction with hand watering

to maintain consistent soil moisture. All scheduled irrigation must be reviewed with the Agronomist and Advance Rules Official before application.  Level sprinkler heads well in advance of the event surrounding all 18 greens to avoid unnecessary rulings.  Repair all high and low hole plugs two weeks prior to Advance Week.  Avoid tournament hole locations starting two weeks prior to Advance Week.  Repair ball marks on a daily basis starting two weeks prior to Advance Week.  Disruptive aeration procedures should be completed well in advance of the event, and

ample topdressing must be applied to completely backfill open holes in the putting surface.

 To avoid confusion, all arrangements for complimentary Tru-Turf rollers for tournament

use shall be directed to the Agronomist.

 The following maintenance procedures were discussed to develop firm, consistent, grain-free playing surfaces and to meet Stimpmeter reading targets:         

Fertilization: Topdressing: Cultivation: Verticutting: Grooming: Brushing: Rolling: Growth Regulator Use: Wetting Agent Use:

Additional Comments: 

APPROACHES  Firm playing conditions on the approaches are required to support a bump-and-run shot onto the greens.  The mowing of the approaches should generally match the fairway mowing height. Additional Comments: 

PRACTICE GREEN  Rotate practice holes daily during Tournament Week. Pending approval from the Advance Rules Official, the practice holes can be rotated in late evening to save time during morning course setup.  Mow the practice green first each morning and ensure that the Stimpmeter reading matches the competition greens.


 18 practice holes on one or more greens are requested for competition. Additional Comments: 

GREEN COLLARS  Avoid tall primary rough adjacent to collars.  The typical width of the collars is: Additional Comments: 

TEES  Firm, level playing conditions are required on all tournament tees.  Avoid tournament tee marker locations starting one month prior to Advance Week.  Protect tournament tee marker locations with plastic mesh on par 3 and short par 4 holes during Advance Week and scheduled practice rounds. Visit pgatouragronomy.com for examples of plastic mesh coverings. These examples are listed under the Best Management Practices tab.  The last scheduled topdressing application should be made at least two weeks prior to

Advance Week.

Additional Comments: 

PRACTICE FACILITY  Firm, level playing conditions that reflect the condition of the fairways are required on the tournament practice tee.  Close tournament practice tee and chipping areas well in advance of the tournament to ensure good turf conditions.  A practice area at least 300 feet wide and 75 feet deep is normally requested for full field events.  The Practice Tee mowing height should match the fairway mowing height. Additional Comments: 

FAIRWAYS  Establish Tournament Week mowing height well in advance to avoid scalping.  Remove dew on fairways, approaches, and intermediate rough walkways ahead of morning rounds.  Establish fairway contours as requested by Agronomist and Advance Rules Official well in advance of tournament.  Begin filling divots well in advance of the tournament with a dark colored sand/soil mix that meets the approval of the Agronomist.  Repetitive directional mowing to burn-in a striped pattern may negatively affect playability and is not encouraged.  Treat fairway landing areas with a wetting agent to avoid localized dry spot development, if necessary.


 Six to eight employees or suitable volunteers may be required to hand water landing zones

for the purpose of maintaining firm conditions during Tournament Week. Further, 1-inch quick couplers on each fairway perimeter may be necessary to accommodate hand watering.

 Daily fairway mowing should be scheduled during Advance and Tournament Weeks,

including weekends. Additional Comments: 

ROUGH  Prepare to mow all rough inside the ropes during Tournament Week, if necessary.  Establish all intermediate rough well in advance of the tournament to avoid scalping.  Walkways from tees to fairways should be established at intermediate rough or fairway

height well in advance of the tournament.

 The intermediate rough widths during Tournament Week will be: Around greens: Around fairways: From tee to fairway: Additional Comments: 

IRRIGATION  Schedule irrigation to provide firm playing conditions on greens, tees, and fairways during Tournament Week.  Coordinate all irrigation on a daily basis with the Agronomist and Advance Rules Official during Advance and Tournament Weeks. Additional Comments: 

BUNKERS  Prepare for additional work on bunkers during Advance Week if necessary.  Check sand depth in all bunkers prior to Advance Week and adjust where necessary. The recommended sand depth is 3 to 4 inches on bunker floors and, if practical, 1 to 2 inches on faces. The sand depth in all bunkers will also be rechecked during Advance Week and adjusted if warranted.  Add new sand in the bunkers as soon as possible to ensure adequate settling and firmness.  Remove any stones, roots, loose fabric liners, and the like that will adversely affect playing conditions during Tournament Week.  Edges of the bunkers must be completely grassed or otherwise permanently outlined to establish a clear hazard boundary.  Establish a clean, visible edge along each bunker perimeter at least one week prior to Advance Week. Thereafter, the edge should be lightly trimmed by cutting when necessary.  Establish a 1-inch lip or deeper, if appropriate, along the greenside edge of each bunker. Along the opposite bunker edge, establish a shallow lip to provide good definition.  Maintenance rakes and on-course rakes must be approved by the Agronomist.


 Train staff in proper rake placement. Generally, place on-course rakes outside bunkers in line with play.  Avoid overly compact or loose sand conditions. Additional Comments: 

ON COURSE TRAFFIC RESTRICTION  To preserve playing conditions for the competition, it is recommended that play should be limited to 150 rounds per day Monday through Thursday of Advance Week. During Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Advance Week, the course should be closed. Also, restricting cart traffic to paths well in advance of Advance Week and/or diverting cart traffic with appropriate mobile barriers as early as possible is recommended. Additional Comments: 

RAIN PREPARATION  Maintenance staff must be prepared to work in inclement weather as long as hazardous conditions do not prevent outdoor activities.  A minimum of 8 rubber squeegees in good working condition are required for Tournament Week.  A minimum of 4 trash pumps in good working condition are required for Tournament Week. Additional Comments: 

TREES  Remove all non-essential stakes and support wires in playing and spectator areas.  Level to grade all tree basins in playing areas.  Trim or remove all low overhanging branches and shrubs that interfere with spectator movement, Player walkways, or ball flight corridors. Additional Comments: 

CUP LINERS, FLAGSTICKS, AND FLAGS  Matching metal cup liners and flagsticks in good condition that are approved by the Agronomist are required. (No plastic cup liners or inserts shall be approved.)  When purchasing cup liners and flagsticks, please use the information below:

PAR AIDE Orders can be placed via telephone, fax, or email. For direct service and support related to these products, contact PAR AIDE Customer Service.

Phone: 888-893-2433 Fax: 651-429-4519 Email: [email protected] Part Number

TOUR Package Discount: 9 Aluminum Cups 9 8’ White ½” diameter Flagsticks 1 Free Aluminum Cup Setter, 1-1/8” depth

#TR800

Price $328.50


Metal Cups: 9 Aluminum Cups Flagsticks: 9 8’ White ½” diameter

#TR900A

$195.75

#TR910A

$150.75

 New cup liners must be placed in use Advance Week to ensure easy flagstick removal.  If not provided by the tournament sponsor, a minimum of 27 yellow flags must be available for Tournament Week.  A cup cutter in good condition that is approved by the Agronomist must be used to ensure a crisp edge around the holes.  Hole locations can only be changed after mowing.  Two properly trained cup cutters will be needed during Tournament Week for independent setup of the front and back nines. To ensure proper technique for a PGA TOUR event, cup cutting procedures will be reviewed by the Agronomist during Advance Week.  The following list of tools and supplies is needed for each cup cutter:             

cup cutter (blade to be sharpened daily on the inside) tool bucket large towel depth setting ring (cup must be set at least 1 inch below surface) cup removal tool tool to knit edges of replaced plug a piece of 3-inch PVC pipe that is 1 foot long (bevel sharp edges of the pipe) small water bottle extra greens mix for leveling hole plugs small foam paintbrush to clean up paint runs pair of small delicate scissors sufficient Hole-In-White paint and applicator device shield for painting in windy conditions

COURSE MARKING  To avoid confusion during competition rounds, routine marking of water hazards, drop circles, and ground under repair must be discontinued at least two months before Advance Week.  Remove all plant material that prevents line-of-sight between out-of-bounds stakes at least one week prior to Advance Week.  As directed by Advance Rules Official, trim tall grass and remove clippings and debris along all hazard boundaries to ensure that marking paint will adhere directly to the ground.  Yellow plastic hazard stakes 2”x 2” and 2’ long with an attached spike are recommended. If previously approved by the Advance Rules Official, freshly painted red and yellow wooden stakes can be used. The quantity of stakes listed in the chart below will be a good number to start with, however be prepared to quickly supply additional stakes as needed.  White plastic stakes 2”x 2” and 3’ to 4’ long with an attached spike are recommended. If not available, alternative stakes must be approved by the Advance Rules Official. The quantity of stakes listed in the chart below will be a good number to start with, however be prepared to quickly supply additional stakes as needed.


 It is imperative that the following marking supplies are on hand Monday of Advance Week. Supplies Red spray paint

Quantity 10 case(s)

Yellow spray paint

3 case(s)

White spray paint

3 case(s)

Green (natural color) spray paint

1 case(s)

Red plastic hazard stakes with attached spike

200

Yellow plastic hazard stakes with attached spike

50

White plastic out-of-bounds stakes

120

Brand

Long handled paint guns

4

-------

Two-pound mallet

2

-------

The preferred course marking paint for PGA TOUR events is Dura-Stripe. This product line can be obtained from: U.S. Specialty Coatings 3085 Trotters Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30004-7703 1-800-278-7473 ext. 108 Product

Order Code

Price

Red Paint

UMA DS R

White - $34.95/case of 12 18-oz. cans

Yellow Paint

UMA DS Y

Colors – $36.95/case of 12 18-oz. cans

White Paint

UMA DS W

Green Paint

DS TG

Long handled paint gun

Wand

$19.95 (one free wand included with each order)


ON CALL STAFFING  At least two well trained employees must be on call with the Rules Staff during all competition rounds to make emergency course repairs (e.g. hole repair/relocation, debris removal, bunker liner repair, irrigation shutoff/repair, etc.).  During severe weather alerts ample staff and/or volunteers must be on call to restore course conditions in an expeditious manner. TENTATIVE WORK SCHEDULES Task Dew Removal - Fairways Dew Removal – Walkways Course Set Up Greens Mowing Green Collar Mowing Greens Rolling Tee Mowing Fairway Mowing Approach Mowing Intermediate Rough Mowing Primary Rough Mowing Practice Tee Mowing Bunker Raking Divot Repair After Mowing Blowing Hand Watering Total

AM

Number Employees

PM

Number Employees


EQUIPMENT Equipment Greens Mowers Green Collars Mowers Greens Rollers Tee Mowers Practice Tee Mower Approach Mower Fairway Mower Rough Mower Fairway and Rough Blower Bunker Rakes Transportation Auxiliary Lighting

Equipment Inventory

Brand/Model

Units Needed