What makes their programs work is that Rusch, Thevenaz and Carlson are grass whisperers. They know that healthy turfgrass, like a healthy human body, has plenty of internal defense mechanisms. They know that chemicals don't necessarily trigger or beef up those mechanisms, and sometimes suppress them. These guys monitor their turf constantly, pushing and prodding it into natural, healthy states.
"Grass doesn't eat dirt," says Thevenaz. "Grass eats dead matters in the soil, microbes. So our goal is to encourage microbial exchange. Get enzymes down there. We get a lot healthier plant that way -- much more resistant and able to fight back. It's also important to practice soil analysis, to balance your pH level. If your soil is balanced, the turfgrass thrives. Then it's a walk in the park."
"I monitor greens daily," Rusch says. "I personally hand-water greens every day. You can't throw half an inch of water on the greens every night and then pump 320 rounds of golf across them every day. Compaction will occur, broadleaf weeds will move in, diseases will develop. So I'd rather keep the water off them, keep the roots driving deeper to find the water. If you're not hand-watering, you're overwatering."
"I've watched my turf adapt," says Carlson. "I really believe our grasses have adapted to diseases. It's like they build up immunity."
‘One of the great myths of organic golf is that it works only in niche areas, at high altitudes where insects, weeds and disease are less common.’So what do they do if a problem does break out? Isn't there a strong temptation to spray a quick application to nip the problem? No, they say, mainly because they have no chemicals on hand.
"If a disease hits one of my greens," Rusch says, "I'll mow it with one of my walk mowers, to keep the disease from spreading to other greens, I'll apply a little ammonium sulfate to get the grass growing aggressively, and I'll either add water or back off the water, depending upon the disease."
"Weed control is the one thing that organic management hasn't conquered," Carlson says. "If we do anything, we hand-pick them, even in the rough. Golfers just don't like weeds anywhere in their line of vision."
So that's the big trade-off with organic golf? It's much more labor-intensive. It'll drive up the cost of the game.
Not really. Rusch's maintenance budget at Applewood, including payroll, is just $350,000 (considerably less than comparable 18-hole public courses). Granby River's is even less, $247,000 Canadian, including equipment leases. Carlson says his Vineyard budget is in the mid-range for New England private courses, spending a little more on labor costs.
So why is it Americans can't wean our golf courses off most chemicals, particularly when it could have a positive impact on the water we drink, the air we breathe and the wallets we carry?
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