Agronomists play a crucial role in golf tournaments, using advanced tools and techniques to ensure greens are ready for competition at the Principal Charity Classic.

Preparing the Golf Course

Preparing the golf course for the Principal Charity Classic requires a team effort, with agronomists playing a key role in balancing playability and turf health. Most agronomists focus on improving farming methods, but they also contribute to golf courses by ensuring the surface is ready for tournaments.

Competition agronomist Mike Crawford explained the tools and techniques used to achieve optimal conditions. Crawford uses a moisture meter to measure the volume content of moisture in the greens, detect dryness and determine whether specific areas need adjustments.

“The goal is to provide firm and fast conditions for competition in the Principal Charity Classic,” Crawford said. He also uses a Stimpmeter to measure green speed for golf balls in various directions and a firmness meter developed by the USGA.

The firmness meter is a ball with a lot of sensors that connects to Bluetooth and transmits information collected in one spot to a phone. The numbers then indicate firmness or softness. Crawford and his team also set goals ahead of time for mowing heights to ensure the greens meet competition standards.

Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.