Top Dressing for Success

Technology and agronomic ingenuity are combining to help sound practices coexist with solid P&L and tee sheets.

by Kyle Darbyson (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
May 2007
 

Summing It Up •Enhanced features on topdressing equipment now allow budget-minded supers to precisely control how much material they output, and also cut down on labor. •As with most things, communicating the benefits of topdressing practices to staff, members and guests is paramount. •Topdressing can also help add nutrients without use of chemicals.

To the average golfer, topdressing is a disruptive annoyance that seems to do little more than cover perfectly good grass with sand and gum up equipment with grit.

But superintendents whose livelihoods depend on keeping the course in top shape know that this “annoyance” is a fundamental cultivating practice with innumerable short and long-term benefits. And as they come under increasing pressure to find more efficient and less disruptive ways to maintain their courses, many superintendents are combining the latest technology with good, old-fashioned ingenuity to find ways to not only continue topdressing, but actually increase its frequency and prevalence. As they do so, they’re also getting more proactive about communicating why topdressing should not be seen as appalling, but instead be applauded.

Out With the Old
Even though he works at the fifth-oldest private club in the country and maintains a course that ranks second in the nation for continuous play in the same location, Bill Larson has always been an extremely progressive superintendent. For the 18 years he has been Turfgrass Director at the 119-year old Town & Country Club in Saint Paul, Minn. (see C&RB, August 2006), Larson has never shied away from taking advantage of technological advances that can help him do the best job possible. So when topdressing units were introduced with enhancements that assured him he could increase the frequency of this beneficial practice and not harm a course that was built in 1893, the Penn State alum decided to capitalize.

Larson now uses a topdresser that offers more precision control, to layer a fine dusting of material on his greens every three weeks. “It lets me keep my profile in check and avoids building up layers,” he says of this “light, frequent” regime.

This is a major reversal from the typical approach, which calls for heavy, infrequent applications of topdressing sand. But that practice, Larson has learned, allows stratified layers to build up in the greens’ soil, which in turn leads to problems with drainage and root penetration.

The “light, frequent” routine Larson has found actually results in more sand being retained, “and the higher the sand content, the better the drainage.” The extra sand also firms up the surface, decreases the severity of pitch marks, and improves playing conditions.

Lighter, more frequent topdressing has improved playing conditions and player satisfaction, says Town & Country Club’s Bill Larson.

The new approach also helps to level off the greens for truer putting, Larson says, because organic material contained in the material works into the canopy and breaks down the thatch layer that builds up with repeated mowing. “The sand takes the puffiness out of greens,” he says.

Selling His Case
Of course, increasing the frequency of topdressing also means increasing the costs associated with it. Larson estimates that his new approach has increased his overall expenses related to topdressing by “25 to 50 percent.”

To get approval for an expanded budget line, Larson relied on another tool too many superintendents still either don’t have or don’t use enough: a strong relationship with his general manager. “I’ve worked with Bill for a number of years, and learned that when he says he needs something, there is a real reason why,” says Town & Country Club’s GM, Vince Tracy.

Three times a week, Tracy and Larson conduct ‘drive-arounds’ where they share notes on the course’s condition and the feedback each is getting from members. On one of these tours, Larson first suggested increasing the frequency of topdressing. Tracy bought in immediately, but knew the biggest obstacle would be convincing the club’s Greens Committee—and not only because of the added cost.

“We needed to let them know that they would not be affected,” Tracy says. “There is a real stigma attached to topdressing, and the concept of doing it once a month would be hard for some members to swallow.”

The pair began campaigning immediately. “Communicating your ideas and intentions to members, golfers and the rest of the staff is paramount, no matter what you are doing,” Tracy says. “Bill has always been a great communicator, and he used our monthly newsletter to educate members on the benefits of topdressing and dispel myths associated with it.”

Tracy also arranged a comprehensive presentation to convince the Greens Committee that everyone would benefit from the increased topdressing. “Luckily, we have a lot of repeat members on the Committee who understand what we are trying to achieve, and trust us to do so in an appropriate manner,” he says.

While Larson calculated he could get all 18 greens done using the new lighter approach in less than two hours, it also helped to propose that the applications would be done on Mondays, when the Town & Country course is closed.

With the Committee’s blessing, Larson set off on his progressive topdressing plan, and has received nothing but positive feedback thus far. “So far, we haven’t received one single member complaint,” he says.

Green in Other Ways, Too
In the future, industry experts see topdressing also playing an important role in turfgrass management’s environmental movement. “You’re already seeing clubs use less and less chemicals,” says an industry expert. “And topdressing can provide most of the nutrients that are lost with decreased chemical fertilizer applications.”

Manufacturers are already offering spreaders designed to handle top-dressing material with a higher organic content. “It’s often heavier and wet, so conventional spreaders aren’t always successful at spreading it,” the expert says of the compost or manure favored by environmentally conscious turf specialists. Specialized belts with chevron-shaped grooves can distribute this dense material more evenly, leaving less to work in manually.

The frequency of topdressing stands to increase on other parts of the golf course as well. Where units with large-volume hoppers have always allowed superintendents to treat and overseed large areas of greens, the next generation of models will bring the same level of control to fairways and tees.

Some superintendents are now using topdressing to level off uneven fairways or bury soggy trouble spots, says Larson. “I’ve heard of some guys putting down two to three inches [of sand] a year,” he reports.  
In the rainy Pacific Northwest, the Superintendent at Bellingham (Wash.) Country Club, Dave Bocci, now uses topdressing to keep his course in top shape throughout the year—despite the 40-plus inches of annual rain in the area.

“With existing sand-based grounds and the application of additional topdressing, the course now plays to tournament-ready conditions year- round,” Bocci reports. “The ball rolls and bounces enough to make the course playable even in December.”

Larson has also used fairway topdressing for another problem. “Earthworms were a real issue on a couple of holes,” he admits. Their castings (small piles of dirt deposited as they emerge from the depths) covered the fairways to the point where play was being affected and mowing equipment used in these areas was suffering.

Rather than apply a band-aid chemical solution that would only provide short-term relief, Larson loaded up a topdressing unit with angular sand and applied liberal amounts to worm-infested areas. The jagged grains made life miserable for the slimy critters, and they sought refuge elsewhere.    

In Full Control Like most aspects of grounds maintenance, topdressing has evolved considerably over the years. Not long ago, most turf care professionals viewed it as almost an afterthought to aerating or overseeding. But as one industry expert explains, keen-eyed superintendents began to notice other benefits of this necessary evil. “They saw how heavy applications of topdressing helped control thatch and level off the greens,” he says. “So it stood to reason that lighter, more frequent applications of material would help even more.” Standing in the way of this theory was the reality of increased disruption to play and higher costs associated with labor and supplies. “Both superintendents and manufacturers had to figure out how to facilitate this increased topdressing frequency without disrupting play, and do it in a way that minimized waste,” the expert says. Turf equipment engineers set to the task and developed spreaders that gave operators unprecedented levels of control, with fine-tuned motors, self-cleaning belts and more. These new units allow users to lay down a tremendously fine layer of topdressing material, and three-position switches add further benefit. They engage the spinners before the belt, eliminating the unintentional piles that are deposited with traditional on/off switches. This enhanced control not only allows budget-minded supers to accurately monitor how much material they output, it also significantly cuts down on labor. The manual manipulation of the topdressing sand into the green involves a lot of manpower, and is extremely disruptive to play. “Greens staff used to have to brush the sand into the canopy, and remove excess material by hand,” says the industry consultant. “Now with such light applications possible, superintendents can just run a quick cycle on their irrigation to wash the sand in, or in some cases do nothing at all.” Some equipment allows superintendents to angle the spreading mechanism and drive material deep into the turf canopy. This further reduces both labor costs and interruption. Wider swaths now mean the average putting green can be done in just a few passes (“Some units have 30-foot swaths. Crews can set out in the morning, topdress all 18 greens and still stay ahead of the first group”). It all means that superintendents are now empowered to use topdressing without interrupting play. How they use it is up to them.