![\"\"](\"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2010\/09\/ChambersBay.jpg\" "\\"Max")
<\/a>Brown was the new green at Chambers Bay for the U.S. Amateur<\/p><\/div>\n
And two, it\u2019s the USGA\u2019s new initiative about \u201cbrown being the new green\u201d as witnessed with the linksy and firm conditions at Chambers Bay, site of the recent U.S. Amateur. Initially, I thought there was a correlation between the two but after talking to several knowledgeable sources I realize they\u2019re different topics sharing a common concern: good and sensible course conditions.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve long been an advocate of using less water on courses, making fairways firm and fast and more fun to play. Is there anything more irritating than having one\u2019s tee-ball stop dead and pick up mud due to over-watering? And why does it invariably happen on a long par four, adding insult to injury?<\/p>\n
So for me it was especially pleasing to see Chambers Bay set up as a brown, bouncy, firm, links course along Puget Sound outside Tacoma. To its credit, the USGA awarded the Amateur (and the U.S. Open in 2015) to Chambers Bay not only due to its links fescue-laden design, by Robert Trent Jones Jr., but also due to it being a daily fee, county-owned golf course. So the USGA earned a two-fer here: supporting public golf as well as a naming a scenic venue with \u201csustainable\u201d maintenance practices.<\/p>\n
Well then, is Chambers Bay relevant to Michigan? I posed that question to Greg Lyman, Director of Environmental Programs for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. \u201cIn terms of a philosophy, I understand and appreciate the direction and efforts of the USGA in \u2018its brown is the new green\u2019 initiative,\u201d said Lyman. \u201cBut as an agronomist, there are some concerns. First, there are sizable differences in climate and soil conditions for different parts of the country. What works in Washington along Puget Sound may not work in Michigan.\u201d But Lyman readily admitted the side effects of less watering often results in more playable conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver-watering doesn\u2019t help anyone,\u201d said Lyman. \u201cToo much watering is not good for the turf, makes it too lush and leads to slow play. In fact, golfers generally like firm and fast.\u201d I then asked Lyman, who lives in Lansing and used to be with Michigan State University, if less watering practices would have prevented some of the blight seen this year on Michigan\u2019s greens due to the high heat and humidity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis summer\u2019s heat wave with high humidity has been out of the equation,\u201d said Lyman. \u201cIt\u2019s been so intense. Cool season grasses, like bent and poa annua and rye grasses, have been at the edge all summer long.\u201d Lyman says part of the problem is that many golfers don\u2019t understand the effects of heat and humidity on grasses. \u201cMost golfers understand how cold and frost can damage a green but they don\u2019t have a sense about heat and humidity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis summer\u2019s been great for corn\u2014a hot weather grass\u2014but not for Michigan golf courses,\u201d said Lyman.<\/p>\n
One countermeasure to blight is sunshine. According to Kevin Dushane, General Manager of Wuskowhan Players Club near Holland (Mich.) and a former President of the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association, morning sunlight is vital to healthy greens. \u201cDr. Joe Vargas from Michigan State always stressed to me the importance of morning sunlight on greens,\u201d said Dushane. \u201cMorning sunshine to a green is like a nutritious breakfast.\u201d Dushane says his club has removed several trees near its ninth green allowing it more morning sunshine and air as it recovers from a blight brought about by unprecedented heat and humidity.<\/p>\n