Multi-step plan from agronomy team readies Stadium Course for PLAYERS

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is in impeccable condition for this year's PLAYERS Championship.

May. 11, 2011
By Michael Curet, Special to PGATOUR.COM

The PGA TOUR Agronomy team has seen what cold weather can do to a golf course. Even though the Stadium Course held up last year despite a harsh winter before the 2010 PLAYERS, perhaps they had seen enough.

It was time to put in a plan of action just in case old man winter came calling again like he did in December 2010 when the course was closed for five days due to severe cold weather.

TPC Sawgrass course superintendent Tom Vlach and his crew took a bit of a scientific approach and, along with full PGA TOUR support, developed a plan after last year's PLAYERS that has worked to near perfection.

"When the golf tournament went from a March date with overseeded cool-season grasses to the May date in 2007 with all Bermuda, a warm-season grass, with no-overseeding, suddenly you are exposed to the winters." said TPC Sawgrass General Manager Bill Hughes. "We got nailed in that winter of 2009. The soil temperature needs to be around 65 degrees before you start growing grass. We didn't receive a 65-degree reading until about three weeks before THE PLAYERS in 2010. The window for aggressively growing grass was very limited. The team did an astronomical job for what they were given and afterwards we knew something had to be done."

The multi-step plan included:

1. A shade study

Results of a two-year PGA TOUR shade study at TPC Sawgrass speak volumes. After mapping the course by GPS, a computer model of the height and spread of every tree on the golf course was set up revealing how much light every green was receiving daily.

"The study takes the emotion out of cutting down a tree and turns it back into science," says Vlach. "We identified a lot of key problem areas. We took out shade trees around the greens on No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 6, and No. 10. It takes eight full sunlight hours to be able to grow grass. By identifying each tree and putting it into a computer model, we can tell if a tree is impacting a green and if we take it out, how much sunlight we will gain." Vlach said that the difference without the trees is so subtle, the average fan may not even notice."

2. A 10 percent reduction in play and golf cart traffic limited to cart path only, which started Nov. 1, 2010

"Reducing the play on the course was one of the first things we talked about," said Hughes. "Everybody bought into it. Our resort partners, to their credit, understand the importance of this event to our success and their success. We reduced any kind of golf cart traffic on the grass. That eliminated all the compaction. Golf carts really do a significant amount of damage to golf courses."

3. Black tarps on all greens

The tarps are scientifically engineered, allowing moisture to come through, and are placed on the green whenever the temperatures sink below 38 degrees. Five times during the winter of 2009-10, the tarps remained on the greens all day long when the temperature did not rise above 45 degrees. Sunrays hitting a dark surface effectively warmed the green surfaces on those cold days.

4. Black sand used as a top dressing on greens

"I learned about it from a staff member who had seen it at a South Florida course," said Vlach. "It is actually white sand dyed black, drawing the heat in. We set up plots and conducted different tests with black, white and green sand. We then took temperature readings with infrared guns. The white sand was colder because it reflected the sun. The black sand actually raised the soil temperature by four degrees. I think you'll see a lot more golf courses using this. It's fantastic!"

5. Heaters

Perhaps the most drastic measure that can provide the quickest results are the heaters. After testing one heater on No. 13 in 2009 with excellent results, heaters were installed under the greens on No. 1, No. 4, No. 9, No. 10, No. 17 and the putting green. By the time the 2012 PLAYERS rolls around, all greens on the course will be heated.

"We can raise the temperatures significantly," said Vlach. "You can see the steam coming out of the drain lines in the lakes and if its 40 degrees at night, we have the capability of warming them up to 130 or 140 degrees if we wanted every 10 feet apart under the greens. We'd also mow the greens, collect clipping yields in our buckets, measure it, know the volume and compare it to a heated green versus a non-heated green. A heated green would get three times the amount of clippings."

Even Augusta does not have heaters on every hole, according to Vlach, who says the number of courses that do, at least in the United States, is small. "Our club makes good revenue in the winter months," he added, "so for us it's important. We have all this traffic and if the winter is cold, the grass is not growing. Now, we'll be fully protected."

It's highly possible that the combination of the shade study, tarps, black sand and heaters have resulted in potentially an 11-degree difference in the temperature of the soil, according to Hughes. "You might have bought yourself four to six weeks of growing grass which makes all the difference in the world," he said.

PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Agronomy Cal Roth praises Vlach for his vision. "It's all about results for Tom, and the results here have been great," said Roth. "He charts things daily and tracks everything. The goal is to keep the grass actively growing. Somehow, we're way ahead of the game than we were last year. It's been a learning process, but each year we're picking up new things. I can tell you that I've never seen the course look this good -- especially in May."

Vlach, who also blogs and has a twitter account to keep followers informed on the course, has come a long way since raking bunkers and filling divots when he started working for now-retired TPC Sawgrass superintendent Fred Klauk. Later earning a degree from University of Wisconsin in soil science, he reunited with Klauk as his assistant at THE PLAYERS in 2008 before working his first solo PLAYERS in 2009 after taking over for Klauk as superintendent.

"Tom has embraced technology and the golf course science," said Hughes. "I'm so excited and proud of this team, the collaboration from the commissioner's office, agronomy, to PGA TOUR competitions, to my team at TPC Sawgrass, and the 100 plus gentlemen I have down there, and the volunteers. It does come at a cost, but it is working."

Vlach expects the golfers to notice the difference this week. "I think they'll see the lush green color in areas we've never had grass before," he said. "This is why I do what I do. It's instant gratification. You can see the results of what you're doing."

"People have been around this property almost every day that it has existed, from Commissioner Beman to Commissioner Finchem to members of the senior executive team, Hughes said. "And nobody has ever seen this golf course in as good of shape this many weeks out in front before a tournament as it is right now. There's not a whole lot you can do to make this golf course any better than it is. It's in the hands of mother nature now."