Managment Dynamics Associated with Sand Capped Fairways.

As golf course irrigation water quality continues to decline, sand capping fairways has become an increasingly utilized practice in new construction and renovation of golf courses.  However, limited research has addressed sand cap construction characteristics on subsequent turf performance, especially as it relates to irrigation management or drought resistance.  Field observations of these systems suggest that the majority of turf rooting occurs within the sand cap, with restricted rooting into subsoil depths. Thus, turf tolerance to and recovery from drought may be negatively impacted in these systems. This 3-yr field study is evaluating various sand capping depth treatments (0= topdressed only, 5, 10, and 20 cm) and subsoil texture (sandy loam topsoil vs. heavy clay) effects on resultant Tifway bermudagrass fairway quality/performance, root profile distribution, water holding capacity, accumulation of salts in sand cap and subsoil, and irrigation frequency requirements. Results to date indicate delayed establishment can be expected under the deeper placement depths. Once established, similar turf performance across all capping depths has been observed, regardless of 1 vs. 2 day per week irrigation frequency.  While the sand cap allows for rapid flushing of salts and drainage of excess water, nutrient and water availablility within the underlying subsoil appears critical to sustaining the health of performance the system.