Do You Have Green Creep?Time marches on - and so does tur/grass. Some basic preventive maintenanceprocedures can keep a golf course design the way it was originally intended.

by RONALD w: FREAM

GOLF COURSES experienceevolution, alteration, matura-

tion, and aging just as all otherliving things do. Having the benefit ofalmost 35 years as a golf course archi-tect and observing some courses for25 years or longer, it is quite easy tonotice the incremental and, at times,profound changes that time induces.

The alterations I refer to are naturaland evolutionary. Golf course mainte-nance crews cause and enhance alter-ation. Technological advances haveaccelerated change. Plant physiology,human genetics, nutrition, television,and golf publications have expeditedthe demand or need for alteration. Thefocus of this article is on those alter-ations that are more or less naturallyoccurring as distinguished from greencommittee action or periodic remodel-ing for design sake.

Green creep is a catchall phrase Iuse to describe the inevitable alter-ations that emerge on every course.The rate of emergence, the frequency,and the extent are variable in responseto the type of course, location, climate,turfgrass varieties, soil conditions,original design, and constructionmethods, intensity of and quality ofmaintenance, volume of play, andfinancial strength of the owner oroperator of the golf course. Alterationscan occur faster with tropical andwarm-weather grasses than with cool-season or northern-climate grasses.

Green creep begins to emerge asmaintenance commences on a newcourse. However, it increases inprominence as the course gets older.Green creep is part of the agingprocess of almost every course every-where. There really is no easy way to

avoid some component of green creep.That green creep is so prevalent andyet so unnoticed is due to the almostglacial rate of occurrence.

At its most basic, green creep isaltered shapes and sizes of puttingsurfaces, the repositioning of bunkeredges, and altered tee surfaces due toinsidious, little by little, mowingchanges and sand edging practices.These changes can become several tomany feet of distance over time.

Maintenance personnel keep theirjobs by not killing the grass. As theperson mowing the putting surfacesdoes the job, each day a little uncutcollar is kept to prevent scalping. Theperson mowing tends to cut insideyesterday's cut. Concurrently, straighterlines or more rounded lines of cutemerge over time. The putting greensurface becomes smaller in overall sur-

An all tootypical round

and boringgreensite.

Green creepis part of the

aging processof almostevery golf

course. Littleby little,mowing

changes canresult in

several feetof changeover time.

14 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

"7ree creep" has made the left side of this tee obsolete.

face and rounder or more oval, moreuniform, and less visually appealing inshape.

Bunker edging often does not cutback all of the growth that hasoccurred since the bunker edge waslast trimmed. The person doing theedging often overlooks the originaloutline shape. The grass remaininghas grown more onto the sand thanbefore. Continued edging over timetends to cut off or ignore originallydesigned undulations or irregularlyoutlined shapes. The sand surface areabecomes reduced. What were visiblesand surfaces from the tee now aregrass. What had been a visible bunkerin the fairway is now a slightly visiblesand depression, or appears from theplayers' view to be only grass. Theaesthetic and strategic reason for thebunker has been lost. Now the sand isblind to the player and has become anunfair hazard. What was visually anicely outlined bunker is now, 10yearson, another round, saucer-like bunkeror a square or rectangular one. Exces-sive adding of sand over time tends toflatten and make shallower what origi-nally was a meaningful sand hazard.Siltation has clogged the drainagesystem and the bunker is a pond whenit rains. In some environments, theaction of blowing wind can cause sandto accumulate at one prevailing edgeor side of the bunker. Sand accumu-lates and the grass continues to grow.Now that portion is substantiallyhigher than before. A mound or ridgenow obscures what was once visiblesand. This same result occurs from theuse of mechanized sand bunker rakingmachines.

As the green surfaces becomesmaller and rounder, day by day andyear by year, the area for hole locationis reduced. The spatial distance rela-tionship between hole location andadjacent sand bunker is expanded.The golfers' visibility of the sand basinoften is reduced. Topdressing of greens,as a normal process of maintenance,will over time smooth out a greensurface, remove some original con-tour, and perhaps not make it easierfor most golfers, but make the puttingsurface flatter and less contoured.

Progressively smaller greens, greaterdistance between flagstick and sand,and less before-shot awareness ofbunker locations all contribute to sub-stantially different playing conditionsthan the original design possessed.Changing putting surface shapes doalter what were originally designed-in

approach play strategic factors, oftenlessening the challenge and diversity.Smaller greensites that are flatter androunder all begin to look the same.Reductions of 25 percent or more inhole locations is common after 10 or15 years.

Smaller putting surfaces reduce holelocation options. The original varietyof placements now has become lost.Smaller putting surfaces concentrategolfer wear and tear and increase soilcompaction even as play increases.Deteriorating putting surfaces are theresult. Increased maintenance costsare a result. Missed putts are also aresult.

Similar slow-motion changes occuron teeing surfaces. Day by day, mow-ing can change the shape, reduce theusable surface, alter the outline edge,and adversely impact play and wearand tear. Often, smaller teeing surfacearea is a result. Incorrect or inattentivedivot repair and inadequate or incor-rect tee surface topdressing will, overtime, turn a flat, comfortable surfaceinto one more crowned, bumpy, or

with a surface sloping in several direc-tions. Traffic-induced compactionproblems increase. Turf quality oftendeteriorates. Any of these creepingchanges can alter how the playeraddresses the ball. Inattentive mowingcan lead to tee surface alignments notfocused on the center of the fairway orpar-3 greensite. The person setting thetee markers often then does not orientthe markers correctly and perpen-dicular to the desired line of play.Inattentive golfers often line up theirshot on this incorrect orientation, hit-ting inaccurate shots, wasting time,and raising scores. Miss-hit shotsresult at no fault of the golfer.

Changes such as these are incre-mental and very slow. Ten to 15 yearsafter opening is a good time to reallybegin to ~ee the difference. However,some green and bunker shape changesoften can be noted by year five. Whenvisiting older courses, the extent ofchange can be remarkable. Thesechanges are so glacial that to theGreen Committee, general manager,or superintendent, the changes may

JANUARYIFEBRUARY 2001 15

not even be apparent. The playershardly notice, unless turf deteriorationbecomes obvious. Many players willnever even think of what might havebeen. They play in the here and now.

A new superintendent, a new pro,or general manager taking over 10 or20 years after opening, or a first-timeplayer, seldom will even be aware ofwhat might have been the originaldesign intent. The golf course archi-tect's name may have been lost. Theoriginal design drawings often havebeen lost or discarded. Unfortunately,these creeping changes tend to softenthe course and remove much of theoriginal playing strategy. This oftenturns what may have been visuallyinteresting and exciting design into acourse that is round, common, andboring. The fame or talent of theoriginal architect does nothing to pre-vent these changes. USGA greensseedbed mixtures do not prevent greencreep. A certified superintendent isnot immune. The course now can begreatly different from that on openingday long ago.

Tree growth also creeps up on acourse. Too often, superintendentsbudget little for annual tree care, par-ticularly proper pruning. Players sel-dom notice the annual growth of atree, yet overplanting of new coursesin originally open areas and too gentlea clearing on wooded sites leaveample tree growth over time. Ongoinggeneral thinning and reshaping oftrees is lacking, so excessive growthresults. Creeping tree expansiondirectly influences golf shots on thesame hole differently over time if leftuntouched. Fairways become nar-rower. The strategy of play around atree can be significantly altered. Moreshots are in the rough. Play is slowed.Other problems related to turfgrassmaintenance also arise from en-croaching shade and surface roots asthe trees age.

Two of the most profound changesthat have creeped rapidly in the past10 years have been the explosion ofnew technology and enhanced physi-cal well-being. An increasing numberof senior players also are an evolu-tionary result.

Innovations in golf club heads,shafts, and grips, new shaft materials,and significantly altered golf balldesigns have, in effect, shortenedmany courses.

Tiger Woods is not the only taller,leaner, more flexible golfer out there.Put better equipment in any player's

16 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

hands and the ball will go farther, ifnot straighter.

Increased tee shot length has greatlyaffected play. Twenty-five years ago,fairway bunkers set in the 220- to 250-yard area had impact upon the betterplayers and even the pros. No longer isthis the case. Today fairway bunkers260 yards off the back tee do notintimidate the better players. Clubplayers or daily fee golfers expect todrive 230 or 250 yards, and oftenthat range is beyond the fairwaybunkers. Women hitting farther canalmost reach the fairway bunkerswhen those bunkers were not origi-nally positioned for that purpose.Green creep and bunker creep shifttargets and modify bunker positions.Bunker creep alone, when extensive,can move the sand basin 10 or 20 oreven 30 feet over time. Ten yardsshorter or longer can incorrectlyimpact a shot. While smaller puttingsurfaces may in some ways com-pensate against longer tee shots, thesesize reductions are not design or playstrategy driven. Therefore, the changesdo not contribute to the benefit ofthe game.

Increased tee shot length alsoimpacts tee positions. Many coursesdo not have much extra room to addlonger back tees. Lengthening a holeby 20 or 30 yards often is not possible.Repositioning of middle and forwardtees may be one partial remedy tocounteract increased hitting lengths.Increasing the number of teeing posi-tions and playing lengths from onlytwo or three to four or five is oftennecessary to fully accommodate to-day's wider range of players, playinglengths, and ages of players. Increasedvolumes of play over time increasewear and tear, also necessitating largertee surfaces. Increasing tee surface sizecan provide more playirig diversityand ease tee maintenance demands.An alert superintendent can regu-

larly overcut the green or tee edgeapron by a few inches. A yellowishdiscoloration will be visible for a fewdays. However, this repositioning ofthe putting or teeing surface can helpretain the original outline shape andsurface area.

Fairway mowing patterns and fair-way outline shapes often have creepedover time. New machinery at least canprovide visually attractive patterns,even if the width or outline shape ofthe fairway has changed over the years.Fairways often become narrower.Maintained or semi-maintained rough

gets closer to the preferred lie. Roughareas tend to creep inward as well, par-tially due to inadequate maintenancestaff. Recontouring and expandingfairway and maintained rough areascan help compensate for increasedtree growth and more senior players.Longer hitters often will benefit fromexpanded fairway widths since lengthand accuracy are not synonymousand speed of play is always a factor.Increasing the depth and area ofrough may have a place at somecourses. However, increasing the areaof semi-rough or more or less main-tained rough only toughens anycourse. In today's economy, mostcourses seek rapid playas an eco-nomic necessity. Deep and thickroughs are counter productive. Intro-ducing new mowing patterns can addeye appeal and make even flat fair-ways look better.

Evolution alters the turfgrass, too."As long as it is green" suits some;however, what was originally a homo-geneous blend or single variety hasbecome infested with Poa annua,weedy broadleaf species, commonbermudagrass, or worse in fairwaysand maintained roughs as well asputting surfaces and tees. Seedbedimprovements and replanting may bethe remedy. The introduction of newerturfgrass varieties by oversee ding willhelp improve playing conditions andappearance.

Bunker creep and technology haveovertaken the irrigation system, too.A new, more versatile and efficientpumping plant may be necessary. Up-grading the irrigation system controlsto computer operation may save labor,improve turf quality, and help con-serve water and electricity. Reshapingof greensites or repositioning of fair-way bunkers can also require sprinklerhead replacement, repositioning, orthe addition of heads to assure uni-form coverage. Recent improvementsin sprinkler head operation, water dis-tribution, and water efficiency may en-courage sprinkler head replacement.Adapting to the use of sewage effluentirrigation water may be a necessity ofthe times in some areas. Adding addi-tional irrigation water storage lakesmay be desirable and can be ,anaesthetic and strategic enhancementas well.

Green creep also impacts waterstorage lakes and ornamental lakes,ponds, and streams. Water vegetationcan expand in number and beginfilling the lake. Grass from the edges

IWo options are available when restoring lost area on putting greens. The area can be severely scalped back (left) in one step and thegolfers endure the temporary turf stress, or the cutting height can be taken down in steps to reduce the scalping damage (right).

can grow into the water over time,reducing surface area. Excessive algaegrowth can clog a pond or lake over afew years with unrestrained growth.Uncontrolled lake edge waterweedgrowth can obscure ornamental walls.Irrigation storage capacity or floodcontrol capacity may be reduced.

Time and increasing golfer trafficadversely change soil structures. Fair-ways once mostly dry can evolve intoat first small muddy spots. As rainfalland pedestrian, cart, and maintenancetraffic continue, the compacted andwet or muddy and degraded areas canmigrate and spread like a cancer. Turfdeterioration follows. Adding subsur-face drainage or even sand cappingfairways may be necessary to expandplaying opportunities during wetweather. Putting surfaces can becomewet sponges or brick-hard when the

seedbed has deteriorated due to com-paction. Tees are one of the first areasto demonstrate the impact of compac-tion on turfgrass quality.

The addition of golf cart pathwaysor the extension of existing paths oftenbecomes necessary as the volume ofplay increases. Placing fairway carttraffic onto cart paths will help com-bat fairway compaction and seedbeddeterioration. Adding expanded "lay-by" cart parking positions can easecongestion near greens and tees. Add-ing curbing can help control waywarddrivers. Repositioning some cart pathscan improve utilization and even helpspeed up play. Converting from gravelor dirt to concrete or asphalt will helpimprove maintenance and enhancethe visual elements. Cart traffic alwayswill cause compaction when not on apath.

Few old and older courses are todayas they were when they first opened.Noted examples, such as AugustaNational, Pine Valley, and PebbleBeach, bear little resemblance to theirearly years of operation, even thoughcurrent owners or members believethey are holders of the original designor original product. Some changes arecommittee induced, not green creep,however, and still result in substantialalteration from the original design.

Green creep makes courses morehomogeneous, more similar in visualand playing appearance and certainlydecreases the playing challenge of theoriginal design. Few professional golfcourse architects of the last half of the20th century would have designedevery green round, every fairway flat,and every bunker in the image of apeanut.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001 17

Bunker and green creep corrections are really a remodeling and modernizationprogram, and much can be done with minor alterations and adjustments inmaintenance procedures. Sometimes, however, major work is needed to recapturethe lost glory of a venerable old course, and a comprehensive and precise masterplan by a golf course architect is a good investment.

influence some remodeling efforts. Re-modeling to a budget, to meet usermarket green fees or membershipcapability is certainly feasible. Revital-izing an older course to join today'sstandards and meet today's expecta-tions while accommodating more playis attainable and can occur in anaffordable way. Often, corrections caninvolve only mowing pattern changesor bunker edge recutting. A compre-hensive master plan should guidemore elaborate directives. The masterplan for a hole or a course should beprecise and comprehensive. Accurateworking drawings should be utilized.Not only golf design, but also orna-mental horticulture and turfgrass agro-

EDGE

..DAYUGHT ALL ORAINllNE"INTO AREAS OUT OF PLAV

When I am doing bunker and greencreep corrections, I feel just like aplastic surgeon. I am doing nip andtuck, wrinkle removal, a little middle-age facelift and enhancement, a fewhair grafts. Pouty lips on a bunker arepreferable to thin ones. Our work alsoinvolves some liposuction, taking theexcess accumulated fat out of a maturegolf course.

Correcting green creep really be-comes a remodeling and moderniza-tion program, even if some effort isdevoted to recapturing a long lostglory. Modern volumes of play,enhanced expectations for turfgrassquality, a focus on visual dynamics,and who has the toughest course will

18 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

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nomics are part of the solution. Thecorrective effort can occur over anextended period of time, be sequentialor priority phased, or occur quitequickly over an entire course. Bunkeredge corrective changes can occurquickly and have clear, obvious, andbeneficial results.

To do nothing and continue withthe status quo is a continuing down-ward slide. From a competitive view-point, the slowly deteriorating coursethat does nothing in response certainlyloses market share to newer courses inthe area. Golfers today are highlyattuned to the visually dynamic styleof golf. Countering years of evolution-ary change will have direct and posi-tive economic benefit. To see theproblem, to understand there is aproblem, is not for everyone to do.Being too close, being there too long,being too new to the situation, and notbeing attuned to the action shields theviewer from the knowledge of whathad been and often also what can be.An impartial, experienced eye bringsgreat value.

Much of this article's focus is oneasy-to-implement, relatively inexpen-sive actions to reclaim what once wasthere. This must not be confused withthe more extensive makeover or up-grade and repositioning that can bevery elaborate, involved, costly, andbeneficial. An assessment of existingplaying conditions, the members' de-sires, analysis of current market com-petition, user demographics, opera-tional goals, economics, agronomics,local competition, and other factorsbecomes part of any renovation ormodernization program. The restora-tion or modernization program mustbe carefully planned and correctlyimplemented. The results can be spec-tacular and the cost of implementa-tion need not be excessive. Greencreep is here to stay and we must dealwith it, sooner or later.

Since 1966, RONALD FREAM has beeninvolved with planning, design, construc-tion, and maintenance of golf coursesworldwide. He can be reached at:

GolfplanRonald Fream Design GroupPo. Box 1823Santa Rosa, CA 95402Telephone: (707) 526-7190Fax: (707) 576-1823E-mail: goltplan@goltplan.com.