USGA Green Section Record, December 04, 2015 The content in this preview is based on the last saved version of your email - any changes made to your email that have not been saved will not be shown in this preview. Golf in its Most Economical Form By Ty McClellan Water, money and time threaten modern-day golf. Not so for sand-green courses. $5 green fees to play all day. Fast pace of play. No irrigation. Greens that don't have a blade of grass on them, just oiled sand. Welcome to the world of sand-green golf. Once widespread in the early 1900s, sand-green courses still are fairly common in several Midwestern states. However, many golfers have never heard of them. In fact, many notable golf facilities in the U.S. began with sand greens only to later convert to grass greens. In a way, playing sand greens offers a look back to the origins of golf in the U.S. and other parts of the world before automatic irrigation, highly technical equipment and new, improved turfgrass varieties. Fittingly, sand-green golf has been described as "1950s golf at 1950s prices" (Golf World, 2004). Think sand-green golf is simply pasture golf? While occasionally true, sand-green courses - just like courses with grass greens - vary considerably in quality. Conditions also can vary widely due to time of year and regional site conditions. Some sand-green courses have rolling terrain in open environments with few trees and little separation between holes. Others have water features with plenty of trees. For example, at the nine-hole, sand-green Glasco Country Club in rural Kansas, there are a variety of par 3s, 4s and 5s, a tree- lined creek that comes into play on eight of the nine holes, and two dogleg par 4s (one left and one right). Some sand greens are flush with the ground; others are slightly elevated above grade. Sand greens generally are flat, but some have a little slope so players must still read the green and play some break. Read More USGA Golf's Use Of Water: Digital Collection Available in English, Spanish and Mandarin Updated as of 12/3/2015 Follow the link below to view the recently updated digital collections relating to the use of water on golf courses. Each digital collection includes supporting articles, a photo gallery and videos that provide additional, relevant information on the subject. The collections can be viewed online in a user-friendly digital magazine format, saved as a PDF or printed. We hope you find this new feature to be a useful resource. View The Updated "Golf's Use Of Water" Collections Now REGIONAL UPDATES The USGA Green Section is divided into four regions staffed by agronomists who work with golf facilities on care of the golf course. USGA agronomists provide regular regional updates outlining current issues and observations from the field. Be sure to view updates from multiple regions as featured ideas, techniques and solutions to problems often apply to other parts of the country. NORTHEAST REGION Identifying the factors that impact course conditions through a performance review will help identify where improvements are needed to meet playability targets. Read More SOUTHEAST REGION Do you get discouraged when you see sand topdressing on the putting greens at your course? Sand topdressing is an often misunderstood practice, but it is a practice that has profound positive impacts on putting green performance. Read More WEST REGION El Nino is expected to bring heavy rain to the West this winter. Will your golf course be ready? Read about five things golf courses can do to get ready for the rain. Read More CENTRAL REGION As the use of improved cultivars of bermudagrass spreads farther north, practices to improve winter survival become paramount. Although bermudagrass is a tough customer during the summer, sometimes it needs a little help to avoid winter injury. Read More IMPORTANT LINKS USGA Privacy Policy USGA Green Section Home Page USGA Staff Contact Information Course Consulting Service Information USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (TERO) Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications ©2015 by United States Golf Association® Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications USGA Green Section publications are made available through the courtesy of the United States Golf Association (USGA®). The reuse of these materials is authorized only if the following conditions are met in their entirety. This policy applies to all Green Section publications, including articles, videos, presentations, and webcasts. 1) Adherence to all components of our Conditions for Reuse policy. 2) Inclusion of the appropriate Reprint Permission Language. 3) Notification of your Intent To Reprint Content. The USGA Green Section Record (ISSN 2156-5813) is published biweekly via electronic mail by the United States Golf Association®. Golf House, Far Hills, NJ 07931 USGA Green Section 908.234.2300 Forward this email This email was sent to jmoore@usga.org by usgagreensectionrecord@usga.org | Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. USGA Green Section | P.O. Box 708 | Far Hills | NJ | 07931 http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/...E9cusFDlna9H1V-swdsO8_BjVRQqx0Ip8eZ2_RElOos-ZZ2Cz5y1VhNPsdvDswt7&id=preview[12/4/2015 11:25:52 AM]