FACING UP TO THE CHALLENGE

摘要

These are challenging times for greenkeepers. A hot, dry summer, hose pipe bans, loss of pesticides, and no let-up in golfer expectation. Life has never been easy for the professional greenkeeper, but it is that very professionalism that enables themto adapt their turf management to provide playable conditions even in the most challenging of times. We saw this at The Open in July, as the summer's hot and dry weather turned the Carnoustie fairways a golden colour, providing firmplaying conditions with plenty of bounce and run. A well-developed greenkeeper education system has provided the sport in Great Britain and Ireland with a generation of turf managers who have the underpinning knowledge to marry their skills with available resources to deliver an excellent end-product. However, no greenkeeper can work miracles and we may need to prepare ourselves for potential dips in playing quality as the hurdles put in front of turf managers get higher and higher.