Tournament Operations Golf Course Management Workshop by James Graham Prusa James Graham Prusa
Tournament Operations 24. Tournament Operations – From Club Events to International Tour Events James Graham Prusa
Tour events and standards cannot be kept perpetually It takes 1 to 3 years to ‘ramp up’ to the peak of Tour conditions that are intended to only last for 1 week! At the majors and other top events we exert serious stresses on the golf course On the turfgrass On the club On the staff On finances Top tier tournament conditions should only be approached for the briefest moment in time Tournament Operations James Graham Prusa
Applying what the tour standards have taught us to routine management Tournament Operations Good turfgrass health management practices help to balance high- quality conditions and their usually higher costs. James Graham Prusa
How do they achieve those ‘Tour Conditions?’ ‘Preparation’ is just as key for the kitchen and for the golf course The key is planning and taking time to ‘ramp up’ for peaking conditions ‘just-in-time’ for the event Tournament Operations James Graham Prusa
Ball roll – not speed! James Graham Prusa
PREPARING 2 COURSES CONCURRENTLY FOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HANUL AND OCEAN COURSES TOUR CONDITIONING: Objective Criteria: KLPGA - Hanul:LPGA - Ocean: Current Mower Bench Height of Cut (BHOC) 3.9 mm 3.0 mm Current True Height of Cut (THOC) 4.2 mm 4.0 mm PHOTO Current True Height of Cut (THOC) James Graham Prusa
Putting Surface Density EXCELLENT Good (But noticeably less than Hanul) PREPARING 2 COURSES CONCURRENTLY FOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HANUL AND OCEAN COURSES TOUR CONDITIONING: Putting Surface Density 3.9 mm 2.9 mm Hanul:Ocean: James Graham Prusa
PREPARING 2 COURSES CONCURRENTLY FOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HANUL AND OCEAN COURSES TOUR CONDITIONING: Objective Criteria: Hanul:Ocean: Turfgrass Color Deep, dark green in appearance Good, but yellowish, light green Stimpmeter TM Reading 3.2 m (HOC 3.9mm) 3.0 m (HOC 2.9mm) Rooting Depth 9.0 cm 7.5 cm James Graham Prusa
Play levels are the same – 90,000 rounds per year They are located only 1 kilometer apart – climate and other course factors the same What was the only real difference between the maintenance on these two courses? The superintendents used different fertilizer regimes Hanul applied virtually no Phosphorus (P) all season Hanul applied an average of 3-4 grams of N / m 2 per month Ocean applied considerable P and only 1.5 – 2 grams of N / m 2 per month PREPARING 2 COURSES CONCURRENTLY FOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HANUL AND OCEAN COURSES TOUR CONDITIONING: James Graham Prusa
2013 LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship -- TRADITION James Graham Prusa
Tournament Operations Golf Course Management Workshop by James Graham Prusa James Graham Prusa