Michael Lang sustainable golf agronomy contractor & woodland management

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The benefits of the sustainable golf course

Increased European legislation continues to lessen the amount of chemicals and pesticides available for use and it is becoming essential that clubs adopt a sustainable programme of golf course maintenance, which focuses on sound management practice rather than depending on the continual use of chemicals.

Putting Surfaces

Putting surfaces can be improved dramatically - I will work with your club to develop a programme of maintenance that will create soil and environmental conditions conducive to reduce the weak poa annua grasses and establish the finer bent and fescue species. These grasses will produce a superior all year round surface, increase disease resistance and reduce vital resources currently spent on fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation.

Disease Management

On average, golf courses can expect an average of seven outbreaks of disease per year - often the scarring left can blight a green throughout the entire winter and often well into the early summer. The modern method of control is by applying fungicide. Fungicides are expensive, can often be washed or mown off the leaf and can at best only be effective for short periods (1-3 weeks).

Most diseases affecting putting surfaces, including the dreaded fusarium patch, are symptoms of poor maintenance and environmental surroundings (see woodland management).

Woodland Management

Managing your woodland and scrub can have the greatest immediate effect in improving playing surfaces. To produce and maintain a healthy grass cover, especially on greens, requires air and light. Lack of light caused by tree and scrub shading during the summer months will lead to a thin weak sward, whilst during the autumn and winter months, light restriction and reduced air flow can be major contributing factors in fungal diseases such as Fusarium, Anthracnose and fairy rings. I can provide you with an assessment of your club’s current woodland and scrub and its effect on the playing surfaces.

Increasing air flow and light by managing and controlling surrounding trees and scrub can have a remarkable effect on the playing surfaces and can result in hugely reduced disease occurrence. In addition to producing a detailed woodland management plan, I also supply and supervise an experienced chain saw gang to carry out the work if required.