Royal Copenhagen Golf Club
Sustainable and practical greenkeeping in Denmark
Martin Nilsson Headgreenkeeper, Royal Copenhagen Golf Club Chairman, Danish Greenkeepers Association
Welcome to the ”Dyrehaven”
Royal Copenhagen Golf Club Club established 1898 18 hole golf course (opens in 1931) Situated in a very popular public park “Dyrehaven” 7 million guests/year “Dyrehaven” is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site Farmland until 1750 Used by the King for hunting after 1750 Today between 2,000 and 2,700 deer
Open Parkland Golf Course
3 A multi-functional Golf Course
It looks pretty
”Oh deer!”
Bunkers
Restrictions, restrictions! GREENKEEPING • Obligation to minimise use of fertilizers, pesticides and water • No signs, benches or waste bins • Only tee markers and flags • No course markings visible • Flags are collected every evening before sunset • No maintenance of rough • Much repair from deer • Bunkers are very popular and greens get a beating!
Sustainable greenkeeping in Denmark We have a pesticide loadindex, which allows a golf club to use app. 10% of what the industry used in 2005 A quest for finding the lowest equilibrium of inputs up against playing performance
A risky game
The Fundamentals need to be present:
Drainage
(water needs to go away)
Air
(you need sun, not shade)
A good soil
(can be USGA or native)
Proper traditional greenkeeping
At my place with no pesticides: • • • • •
•
The right grass: red fescue Good topdressing programme Plenty of overseeding at the right time Minimal disturbance (height of cut, verticut..) Right moisture level and nutrition level
Tons of patience and strong communication
My network group ”The sons of golf”
My focus being a sustainable golf course My first 6 years:
My past 5 years:
My next 5 years:
Poa greens to fescue greens
Greens uniformity
Clover on fairways
General presentation
Fairways as greens
Objective: Get rid of Poa annua for having safer winters Get rid of Plantago on greens
Cloverinfestation on greens, green surrounds and tees
Progression on greens 2006
2010
2016
Grass composition
Poa/bent/Fescue
Fescue/bent/Poa
Fescue/bent/Poa
Height of cut
5 mm
5 mm, sometimes 4,5 mm
4,2 mm
Season of cut
March - December
February - December
February - October
Rolling
Prior to tournaments and matches
Programmed 2/week
3-4/week
Topdress + verticut
Every 4 weeks
Every 4 weeks
Every 4 weeks No verticut, only brush
Greenspeed
8-9
8,5-10
9,5-10,5
Irrigation
6000 m3
4100 m3
3000 m3
Aeration
Vertidrain 2-3/year Hollowcore 2-3/year
Vertidrain 2/year Hollowcore 1-2/year
Vertidrain 1 Solidtine 1
Nutrition
N:70 P:0 K:20
N:50 P:0 K:0
N: 40 P:0 K:0
Number of applications
3
2-3
2
Always stop early august
Fungicide applications
2-3
1
0
No applications for 5 years
Risk of damage
Very high both fall and winter
Medium/high
Low/medium
I still don’t like snow
60-80% fescue
Rolling from mid october
No aeration after mid september
What we (might) do a bit different • Verticut and topdress on a 4 week basis • Stop fertilizing in early august • Brushgroomers always From 2014: • No aeration in fall and winter • Stop mowing greens in mid october, but still rolling Death is an integral part of the management: • Winterdisease helps • Drought helps • Stress helps
Early years after prolonged snowcover
Progression of problem areas 2006
2010
2016
2017+
1. priority
Greens management
Greens management
Clover on greens and surrounds
Clover on greens and surrounds
2. priority
Plantago on greens
Insects
Plantago on surrounds
Plantago on surrounds
3. priority
Bunkers
Bunkers
Greens management
Clover on fairways
Plantago on greens
Bunkers
Greens management
4. priority
With no or limited use of pesticides, problems starts with disease and ends with weeds (and/or insects)
Clover
Scorching of Clover Theory: Continuous scorching will kill of the plant in the end Pilot in fall 2014 shows 60 kg/ha is perfect Preliminary results from 2015: Easier to kill clover on greens than surrounds Fall is better than spring/early summer 3-4 applications are needed
Pitfalls Lack of communication
Management of club stakeholders Changes in management occur. Dangerous when strategy is not part of the ”club DNA” Sustainable greenkeeping is labour-intensive.
What to do in the Netherlands? •
DON’T COMPARE TO OTHER SECTORS OR COUNTRIES WHEN PLEADING FOR MERCY
•
YOU MUST BE READY TO GIVE MORE THAN YOU WANT (BACKFIRED IN DK)
•
ALL PARTIES HAVE TO BUY-IN ON NEW REALITY
•
CREATE OTHER CHANNELS TO PROMOTE GOLF (Nature conservation, multifunctionality)
•
WELL EDUCATED GREENKEEPERS (Do you have a strong enough education?)
•
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (DTRF) (Independent research)
•
WELL-INFORMED NON-GREENKEEPERS (with insufficient communication greenkeepers will loose)
•
2020 IS GETTING VERY CLOSE
Hartelijk bedankt!
Martin Nilsson Headgreenkeeper, Royal Copenhagen Golf Club Chairman, Danish Greenkeepers Association
Welcome to the ”Dyrehaven”
Royal Copenhagen Golf Club Club established 1898 18 hole golf course (opens in 1931) Situated in a very popular public park “Dyrehaven” 7 million guests/year “Dyrehaven” is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site Farmland until 1750 Used by the King for hunting after 1750 Today between 2,000 and 2,700 deer
Open Parkland Golf Course
3 A multi-functional Golf Course
It looks pretty
”Oh deer!”
Bunkers
Restrictions, restrictions! GREENKEEPING • Obligation to minimise use of fertilizers, pesticides and water • No signs, benches or waste bins • Only tee markers and flags • No course markings visible • Flags are collected every evening before sunset • No maintenance of rough • Much repair from deer • Bunkers are very popular and greens get a beating!
Sustainable greenkeeping in Denmark We have a pesticide loadindex, which allows a golf club to use app. 10% of what the industry used in 2005 A quest for finding the lowest equilibrium of inputs up against playing performance
A risky game
The Fundamentals need to be present:
Drainage
(water needs to go away)
Air
(you need sun, not shade)
A good soil
(can be USGA or native)
Proper traditional greenkeeping
At my place with no pesticides: • • • • •
•
The right grass: red fescue Good topdressing programme Plenty of overseeding at the right time Minimal disturbance (height of cut, verticut..) Right moisture level and nutrition level
Tons of patience and strong communication
My network group ”The sons of golf”
My focus being a sustainable golf course My first 6 years:
My past 5 years:
My next 5 years:
Poa greens to fescue greens
Greens uniformity
Clover on fairways
General presentation
Fairways as greens
Objective: Get rid of Poa annua for having safer winters Get rid of Plantago on greens
Cloverinfestation on greens, green surrounds and tees
Progression on greens 2006
2010
2016
Grass composition
Poa/bent/Fescue
Fescue/bent/Poa
Fescue/bent/Poa
Height of cut
5 mm
5 mm, sometimes 4,5 mm
4,2 mm
Season of cut
March - December
February - December
February - October
Rolling
Prior to tournaments and matches
Programmed 2/week
3-4/week
Topdress + verticut
Every 4 weeks
Every 4 weeks
Every 4 weeks No verticut, only brush
Greenspeed
8-9
8,5-10
9,5-10,5
Irrigation
6000 m3
4100 m3
3000 m3
Aeration
Vertidrain 2-3/year Hollowcore 2-3/year
Vertidrain 2/year Hollowcore 1-2/year
Vertidrain 1 Solidtine 1
Nutrition
N:70 P:0 K:20
N:50 P:0 K:0
N: 40 P:0 K:0
Number of applications
3
2-3
2
Always stop early august
Fungicide applications
2-3
1
0
No applications for 5 years
Risk of damage
Very high both fall and winter
Medium/high
Low/medium
I still don’t like snow
60-80% fescue
Rolling from mid october
No aeration after mid september
What we (might) do a bit different • Verticut and topdress on a 4 week basis • Stop fertilizing in early august • Brushgroomers always From 2014: • No aeration in fall and winter • Stop mowing greens in mid october, but still rolling Death is an integral part of the management: • Winterdisease helps • Drought helps • Stress helps
Early years after prolonged snowcover
Progression of problem areas 2006
2010
2016
2017+
1. priority
Greens management
Greens management
Clover on greens and surrounds
Clover on greens and surrounds
2. priority
Plantago on greens
Insects
Plantago on surrounds
Plantago on surrounds
3. priority
Bunkers
Bunkers
Greens management
Clover on fairways
Plantago on greens
Bunkers
Greens management
4. priority
With no or limited use of pesticides, problems starts with disease and ends with weeds (and/or insects)
Clover
Scorching of Clover Theory: Continuous scorching will kill of the plant in the end Pilot in fall 2014 shows 60 kg/ha is perfect Preliminary results from 2015: Easier to kill clover on greens than surrounds Fall is better than spring/early summer 3-4 applications are needed
Pitfalls Lack of communication
Management of club stakeholders Changes in management occur. Dangerous when strategy is not part of the ”club DNA” Sustainable greenkeeping is labour-intensive.
What to do in the Netherlands? •
DON’T COMPARE TO OTHER SECTORS OR COUNTRIES WHEN PLEADING FOR MERCY
•
YOU MUST BE READY TO GIVE MORE THAN YOU WANT (BACKFIRED IN DK)
•
ALL PARTIES HAVE TO BUY-IN ON NEW REALITY
•
CREATE OTHER CHANNELS TO PROMOTE GOLF (Nature conservation, multifunctionality)
•
WELL EDUCATED GREENKEEPERS (Do you have a strong enough education?)
•
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (DTRF) (Independent research)
•
WELL-INFORMED NON-GREENKEEPERS (with insufficient communication greenkeepers will loose)
•
2020 IS GETTING VERY CLOSE
Hartelijk bedankt!
