HORT30260 Sportsturf Management

Academic Year 2021/2022

Topics covered during this seven week module include an overview of golf green, golf tee, and different pitch construction methods. Compaction and its effects on turf growth and development; the necessity for rootzone aeration and cultivation and the methods used. Causes of thatch, its development and production, damage resulting from excess levels, its amelioration, management and control. Topdressing objectives, benefits, requirements, problems and turf management issues associated with it. Selecting top dressing materials, topdressing frequency and top dressing programmes for golf greens, tees, fairways and football pitches. Determining nutrient requirements, soil and tissue analysis, MLSN; Nutritional programmes for different sportsturf surfaces and their impact on turfgrass development and the environment, leachate prevention and or control, alkaline and acidic fertilisers and their role. Regular release, controlled release, slow release and liquid fertilisers; fertiliser application methods and programmes. Mowing and rolling and factors influencing green speed. Plant growth regulators and their use in turf management. Mowers and their selection for different turf situations; greens, tees, fairways, roughs, football pitches, tennis courts and bowling greens; mower sharpening, the importance and impact of sharp blades in disease control and management. Creeping bentgrass and Poa annua greens' management; pop-up green management. Cultural and chemical weed and moss control, Poa annua control in fine turf. Principal turfgrass diseases, pests and their impact on turf growth and surface development. Factors promoting Localised Dry Patch and Black layer occurrence and their management and control. The role of wetting agents. Rootzone amendments, biostimulants and pH management. Sustainable management strategies on golf courses. Annual management programmes for different specification golf greens and athletic fields. The role and impact of trees on golf courses. Irrigation characterisation, precipitation requirements, co-efficiency of uniformity and management through technology; the rationale for using a moisture a meter, Clegg impact hammer and Stimp meter as surface quality determinants; Surface firmness, smoothness and trueness as measurements of surface quality; golf course preparation for tournaments. Major management problems and strategies to overcomer them.
A continuous assessment will be conducted on an unspecified date during the trimester, but most likely in week 6 or 7. Students will also be required to undertake a group assignment. To this end they will be assigned into small groups. Each group will most likely be given a different topic. The assignment will take the form of a dissertation approximately 2,500 words in length together with a bibliography containing twelve to fifteen correctly cited scientific references primarily from published journals to be included at the end of the document. Each student will also be required to submit a Learning Journal containing approximately 500 words documenting their role, level of participation and their learning experience in the project. The Learning Journal, should take the form of a joint document from each group and must be submitted as a separate file. Failure by any student within any group to submit a learning journal will result in forfeiture of all their marks both for the group assignment and the learning journal.
Group members are encouraged to use IT platforms to share information within their respective groups. Group projects/learning journals should be submitted via email and both documents will be due on Friday March 18, 2022 at 5.30pm. There will be a 1% daily penalty imposed on late submission marks of both the assignment and the learning journal. There will be a written examination in this module.