A DECADE OF PILING IT ONHas fairway topdressing worked?by LARRY GILHULY

ISN'TIT INTERESTING how someideas come under attack due to theconcept of being different from the

industry norm? Putting green rolling,spikeless alternatives, and Paa annuaseed come to mind. Going back a fewdecades, sand topdressing was in thesame category.

Over the past four decades, good-quality sand has proven to be very help-ful when used on soil-based greens,tees, collars, and aprons. Many times,when the correctly sized sand hasbeen used following aeration and whenlightly topdressed, the need for recon-struction has been completely elimi-nated. Improvements have includedfirmer and smoother surfaces, deeperroots, enhanced winter playing condi-tions' and increased green speed. Thereis little question that the use of high-quality sand has been an unqualifiedsuccess. Now comes the question!Why, after all the success that has beenachieved through sand topdressing inthese areas, was the concept of top-dressing fairways thought of as one ofthe most lavish wastes of money and

foolish ideas to hit golf course mainte-nance in the late 1980s? Why do manystill feel the same way?

Let's step back and take a look at thistopic to answer the basic question: Hasfairway topdressing worked, and is itsomething I should do for my course?

Historical Perspective

Sand has been the tonic for wet con-ditions for centuries. Golf developedon the sandy links of Scotland, despiteweather that would put EI Nino toshame. After finding that sand madefor good golf, the concept of sand usenaturally spread to greens, collars, andaprons at courses that were not blessedwith excellent natural drainage. Sanduse in the U.S. did not gain momentum

tl until player use increased along withexpectation levels. As demands forimproved playing conditions continuedto rise, it became obvious that coreaeration alone was not enough. High-quality sand became the choice tobegin firming surfaces and extendingplaying conditions far beyond what

was possible before sand topdressing.In many cases, these same soil-basedgreens remain due to decades (severalinches) of light topdressing and sandingfollowing aeration.

Based on the success observed ongreens, it was natural to assume thatsimilar results could be expected onreasonably drained tees. Thus, a com-mon practice viewed at virtually everygolf course was regular aeration fol-lowed by sand topdressing to fill theholes. At the same time, this programmixed sand with the organic materialand raised the profile above the less-than-desirable soils. In some cases, thesame light sanding used for greens waspracticed with very positive results ontees. Let's face it, without the use ofsand and divot mixes on teeing sur-faces, most of the golfers in Americawould be playing from mats or dirt!

Having learned the benefits of sandand aeration on the greens, collars, andtees, the next step in the sand trailnaturally led to the green aprons. It isat this point that fairway topdressingtruly began to take shape.

Before considering a fairway topdressing program, make sure your drainage is adequate!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999 1

Earthworm activity gradually declines as more sand is added. The soil sample on theleft was taken from the rough area five yards away from the soil sample on the right.Note the difference between one year and five years of sand topdressing.

Apron TopdressingTry this simple test sometime when

you are with a group of golf coursesuperintendents. In order, the ques-tions are:

• Do you aerify your aprons in thespring and fall at least 10-15 yards infront of the greens? (Regardless ofbudget, the answer should be yes.)

• Do you top dress to fill the holesfollowing the aeration process? (Again,the answer should be yes.)

• Finally, do you lightly top dress theaprons at the same time you lightly top-dress the greens? (The answer shouldagain be yes, but the chances are veryhigh that the response will be no!)

During the past two years, this lastquestion has been asked at more than100 golf courses, with only three golfcourse superintendents practicing thevery necessary program of frequentand light sanding on the aprons. Thinkabout it from the players' perspective.The greens are firm, the hole locationis forward, and the wind is blowing intoyour face. Looks like a low bump-and-run shot is in order. Unfortunately, theapron has not received regular top-dressing, so the shot hits the exact de-

2 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

sired location and stops immediately!One up for a very unhappy player witha justifiable complaint! Regardless ofyour budget, this portion of fairwaytopdressing should be practiced byevery golf course superintendent toprovide consistent and dry conditionsfor one of the most important portionsof the golf course - green aprons.

Factors to Address BeforeTopdressing Fairways

There is no question that sand top-dressing has been beneficial for greens,,collars, tees, and aprons. In Ireland, thePacific Northwest, and other portionsof the U.S., the program of regularfairway topdressing has proven verybeneficial when dealing with poor soils,wet weather, and less-than-desirabledrainage. Therefore, expanding theacreage to include fairways and in-playroughs will improve every golf coursein every climatic zone with every typeof turf. Right? Wrong! It is criticallyimportant to understand that just be-cause this program has been used withsuccess in different areas of the countrydoes not guarantee success in yourlocale. Before embarking on the fair-

way topdressing journey, the follow-ing questions need to be addressed todetermine if fairway topdressing is foryour facility:

• Does your soil currently provideadequate drainage? It would be amistake and a waste of funds to startfairway topdressing if your golf coursealready has a high-quality soil thatdrains well during the wettest portionof the year.

• Have the fairways received regu-lar aeration to remove thatch and in-corporate soil back into the thatch?If the soil is of good quality, it shouldbe incorporated back into the surfaceafter regular aeration. If soil is not re-turned, excess thatch is created, leadingto soft conditions during wetter monthsand the belief that sanding is necessary.If thatch is the main issue, increaseaeration, vertical mow, and don't wastevaluable funds on fairway topdressing.

• Have the fairways been deepaerified? Deep aeration is anothermethod used to avoid the cost andother negatives associated with fair-way topdressing. The combination ofregular and deep aeration can beeffective enough on certain soils tominimize the need for topdressing ifpermeable soil exists below the zoneimpacted by the deep-tine aerifier. It isfar less expensive to deep aerify firstand then observe the results during thewet months, rather than immediatelystarting a fairway sanding program if itis not necessary.

• Have problems with trees beenaddressed? Many golf courses simplysuffer from too many trees on thesouth side that cast shadows on east!west fairways. In some cases, thesimple removal of trees may be all thatis necessary to improve firmness. If thetrees remain, then fairway topdressinghas proven successful in modifyingthese locations.

• Has adequate in-ground drainagebeen installed? This is the one keyarea that must be addressed beforeconsidering fairway topdressing. Ifadequate surface and subsurface drain-age is in place and the golf coursestill suffers from excess moistureretention during the wet months, andall of the preceding factors have beenaddressed - congratulations, you havebecome a very good candidate for afairway topdressing program.

Fairway TopdressingDo's and Don'ts

Fairway topdressing can producesignificantly improved playing condi-

Table 1Topdressing Quantities

8.5 yards/acre = 116" application17.0 yards/acre = lfs" application26.0 yards/acre = ~6" application34.0 yards/acre =~" application

Approximate time of application: 25 yards applied/hour

200-233 yards/golf course = 116" application400-466 yards/golf course = lfs \I application600-700 yards/golf course = ~6" application800-933 yards/golf course =~" application

tions earlier in the spring, later in thefall, and during the winter, dependingupon your climatic location. It cannotguarantee dry conditions and will notreplace the need for adequate subsur-face drainage. It is a program, however,that requires following certain stan-dards to achieve positive results whileavoiding pitfalls. The following list ofdo's and don'ts provides the basicswhen considering this program.

Do:• Use the right equipment• Use the right sand• Apply light rates at frequent

intervals• Include the roughs and green

surrounds• Remove the aeration cores• Cover the irrigation heads or

blow off• Add extra fairway reels and

bedknives• Demonstrate the program• Consider an outside contractor• Educate the pro shop and ...• COMMUNICATE!

Don't:• Apply sand during warm

weather• Forget to overlap with the

machine• Apply Monday and Tuesday

only• Stop aeration• Neglect raising irrigation heads• Overapply sand• Topdress in conjunction with

greens aeration• Start without a final goal• Forget to take before and after

photos• Forget that subsurface drainage

is first• STARr IF YOU ARE

ALREADY DRY!• Do use the right equipment. The

greatest change that has occurred infairway topdressing programs duringthe past decade has been the upgradingof topdressing equipment. In the late1980s, large-volume drop spreaderswere introduced that carried largevolumes of sand, yet were restricted to5'- to 6'-wide spreading patterns. Daysand weeks of heavy sanding gaveresults, but players rapidly tired of thenever-ending existence of sand onfairway playing surfaces. With theintroduction of large-volume spinspreaders, sand can now be appliedat lighter rates, more frequently, andwith far less disruption for players. Donot commit to this program without alarge-volume spin spreader. Also, many

of these units are replacing single-function dump trucks due to unitversatility. The ability to rapidly filltopdressers when sanding greens, filldrainage lines with drain rock, and fillbunkers when adding bunker sandmakes this unit a very wise investmentfor every golf course operation.

• Do use the right sand. If it iswithin your budget, and a sand thatfalls within USGA recommendationscan be found, topdress with this sand!Topdressing with sand that is toocoarse has resulted in conditions thatare too droughty. Sands that haveexcess fines are even worse and simplydo not address the excess moistureissue. Even if the cost of the sandmeans less area can be topdressed,choose the right sand!

• Do apply light rates at frequentintervals. The rates of sand appliedwhile topdressing fairways are muchhigher than the light and frequent ratesapplied to greens and aprons. At thesame time, the frequency is not thesame; however, applying very heavyamounts in the spring and fall isgenerally not appreciated by theplayers. For this reason, applicationsas light as 116" to lfs" (see Table 1) areapplied during the growing season ona 4- to 6-week schedule. The springand fall applications can be higher (1'l6"to ~") and generally are completed inconjunction with open-core aeration.As with the greens, the goal is to matchthe growth rate of the fairways withthe sand applications to create a con-sistent sand profile without layers. Ayearly total of at least ~-%" of sand isthe normal goal of a fairway top-dressing program.

The accompanying table offersgeneral amounts of sand required fortopdressing selected areas on a typical

I

golf course. It does not include everyfairway and rough, and the actualamount of sand is slightly less in theturf canopy. For example, if the fair-way and rough areas selected fortopdressing are 30 acres in size, itshould take 810 yards of sand to com-plete the application at the lfs" rate.Based on the 25-yards/hour applica-tion rate, the sand should be appliedin 4-4.5 days with one large-volumetopdresser.

• Do include the roughs and greensurrounds, especially in the trafficareas. An interesting thing happenedwhen golf courses started fairway top-dressing without including the roughs.Power carts couldn't reach the drierfairways without doing damage to theroughs! Make sure to topdress theroughs on the cart path side of fair-ways and to the tree lines, if possible.

• Do remove the aeration cores.This is one of the greatest negativeswith fairway topdressing since incor-porating soil (especially silt and clay)back into the sand is counterproduc-tive. Modifying the Cushman Core-Harvester (USGA Green SectionRecord, May/June 1997, "Fake Left,Throw Right") remains the bestapproach to this issue.

• Do cover the irrigation heads oruse a blower to remove excess sand.The abrasive nature of sand can dosignificant damage to the irrigationheads.

• Do add extra reels and bedknivesto the inventory. The hard edges ofthe sand particles can literally tear thefine cutting quality of a fairway mowerto shreds!

• Do demonstrate the program.This can be accomplished at every golfcourse with the smallest budget. Selecta small area (aprons are generally an

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excellent choice, as is a par-3 fairway)and begin regular sand applicationswith your existing equipment. Thesmaller the equipment, the smaller thearea. In this manner, those who set thebudget can view the positives andnegatives and make a more informeddecision.

• Do consider an outside contrac-tor. While this concept may not beavailable in your area, outside contrac-tors have proven very popular in thePacific Northwest. As with any con-tractual program, the positive aspects,which include not using the existingstaff and thereby removing labor fromregular golf course maintenance, notbuying expensive equipment, and hav-ing two or three topdressers applyingsand at one time to complete theoperation in one day, are very attractiveto many golf course superintendentsand players alike.

• Do let the pro shop and coursepersonnel know exactly when, where,and why fairway topdressing is beingconducted. The folks behind the proshop counter can be your best ally oryour worst enemy when it comes tofairway topdressing. Always keep thelines of communication open so theycan adequately explain to the playersthe purpose of the program.

• Do communicate, communicate,communicate! Newsletters, photo-graphs, one-on-one conversations,Green Committee meetings, and play-ing golf with different players are allexamples of getting the word out aboutthe program. Players generally don'tlike sand applications; however, if theyare informed, the acceptance level willbe much higher.

Just as there are many do's, there arejust as many don'ts. Some of theseinclude:

• Don't apply sand during warmweather. Warm weather provides morethan enough stress to the turf. Don'tcompound the problem with sand.

• Don't forget to overlap with themachine. The current large-volumetop dressers do not provide a consistentcoverage pattern that allows for sandapplications similar to a fertilizerspreader. For this reason, carefully viewthe unit in operation to determine howmuch overlap is necessary to achieve aconsistent application over the entirefairway.

• Don't apply sand on Mondaysand Tuesdays only. Wednesdays andThursdays deserve "equal" treatment.

• Don't neglect aeration. Aerationremoves thatch, relieves compaction,

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and creates avenues for root develop-ment, and still should be done in thespring and fall. Increase the sand appli-cation rates when the fairways areaerified.

• Don't forget to raise the irrigationheads. This is one of the other majornegatives with fairway topdressing thatmust be addressed periodically.

• Don't overapply sand. There isnothing that will stop this programfaster than heavy sand applications ona regular basis. Players simply do notlike heavy sand applications that cando damage to clubfaces and providetemporary lies that are semi-bunkers.Also, heavy sand applications canresult in layers of sand and organicmatter that can be counterproductiveto the consistency desired in the upperprofile.

• Don't top dress fairways at thesame time as green aeration. Playerscan take one major course disruption.Give them two and problems will ensue!

• Don't start without a final goal.Fairway topdressing is not a once-in-a-while proposition. It requires consis-tency to apply )!z-%" of sand in oneyear. It takes even more to reach a finalgoal of 4-6" over a 10-year period. Theamount of sand applied can be reducedwhen the goal is reached; however, theplayers must understand that this is along-term program.

• Don't forget to take ample beforeand after photographs. Make sure theplayers remember the bad old days aswell as the good.

• Don't forget that subsurface drain-age comes first. Drainage provides themethod for the bathtub to empty. Fair-way topdressing only deepens the tub!

• Don't start this program if thegolf course is already dry. Use youravailable funds for other priorities.

Positives and NegativesBased on personal observations dur-

ing the past decade at more than 100golf courses in the Pacific Northwest,Florida, Hawaii, and California, andobservations from fellow USGAagronomists, fairway topdressing hasbeen an overwhelming success whenused in an appropriate manner basedon climatic and soil conditions. Whilethe negatives include the cost for thesand, equipment, and labor, the re-moval of cores following aeration, theneed to raise irrigation heads, increasedfertilizer usage, damage to mowers, andmore stress in the summer, the positivessimply outweigh these negative factors.These positives include:

• Much drier fairways during thefall, winter, and spring months. Dur-ing the recent "wettest winter in his-tory" in the Pacific Northwest, golfcourses such as Sahalee CC (site ofthe 1998 PGA Championship) weremowing fairways and roughs all winterand spring. Ten years ago the mowersat Sahalee would have been idle forlong periods of time due to excessmoisture. Unmowable, unwalkable,and unplayable are not a pleasant com-bination for areas where golf is played12 months a year.

• Deeper roots. The profile photo inthis article displays a consistent obser-vation whereby the root system is veryactive below the sand/soil interface.Before fairway topdressing, the rootsdid not have the extra four inches ofsand and subsequent root mass. Somegolf course superintendents actuallyclaim to be using less water with fair-way topdressing; however, this is notthe normal situation.

• Less earthworm activity. Let's faceit. If you were an earthworm, wouldyou want to ingest soft particles of siltand clay to act as your "teeth" whengrinding up your food, or would youprefer the sharp and abrasive edges ofsand? Don't know about you, but I'd beinclined to move to a new neighbor-hood (the roughs) to get away fromthat stomach ache!

• Power cart use. This may not be apositive to some; however, firming thesurfaces allows power carts to be usedoff the cart paths more often.

• Winter mowing. In addition to theprevious example at Sahalee CC, golfcourses all over the Pacific Northwestreported similar results. Those thathave topdressed during the past decadewere able to mow. Those that didn't andare saddled with poor soil suffered withvery long fairways.

SummarySo, is this program for you? It de-

pends on your golf course, your budget,your goals, and your players. It hasworked in the Pacific Northwest andthroughout other areas of the worldwhen it is practiced in a consistentmanner. It may take a decade or moreto complete; however, piling it on maybe just what your aprons, fairways, androughs need for better year-round play.

LARRY GILHULY has been piling it on forthe USGA Green Section for the past 15years as the Director in both the Westernand Northwest Regions.