Putting Greens Are Painted

Last week the putting greens at The Ford Plantation were painted.  Painting the greens adds aesthetic beauty during the winter months when the bermudagrass is in dormancy.  The process requires two people and takes roughly 2-3 days to complete.  This is the first year The Ford Plantation has seen an entirely green golf course during the winter months.

 

Figure 1. Brooks Riddle feathering in paint on the putting green.

Figure 2. Left:Painted; Right, before painting 

Along with enhancing the aesthetics of the turf, painting greens has an agronomic benefit by increasing the temperature of the soil.  Research conducted at Clemson University in 2007 (Figure 3) showed that a painted green increases the temperature of the soil by three degrees compared to an unpainted surface.  Similar to covering our front nine greens, painting allows us to obtain higher soil temperatures which is something we strive for.

Figure 3. Soil temperatures taken at a depth of 3 inches on March 25, 2007. Left, painted; Middle, over-seeded; and Right, no over-seeding or painting (Courtesy of Clemson University).