The greens at Quail Hollow Golf Course at Percy Quin State Park are giving golfers smoother playing conditions after a recent renovation.
The greens were shut down for five weeks on Sept. 9 for the repairs. Cutouts in front of the greens were used for individuals to golf during that time period. The greens were reopened about three weeks ago.
Golf course superintendent Chad White said the bad spots on the greens were cut out and new sod was laid. He said the bad spots were around the edges of every green were caused by the overuse of a herbicide.
“It essentially killed the outside edge of the grass everywhere that was overlapped, so we came around, cut out those bad spots, put in the proper mixture of sand and peat moss and then put in new sod on top of it,” he said.
White has been in the golf course superintendent for a year and said he noticed issues not long after he took his position.
Quail Hollow Golf Professional Jeff Trecost has been in his position since Jan. 1 and was pleased with the results.
“I think from the golf part of it you have a customer base that is excited to have an actual golf course with grass on the greens now,” he said. “The playability has been increased. It’s enhanced the golf course tremendously as far as the aesthetics and how it plays now, so the golfers have been very excited. The response has been very positive and they’re happy to be back on the greens.”
While the conditions have improved, White said the greens will be even better in the spring of 2018.
“Right now, the sod is laid in and not completely grown in because it’s done in the fall,” he said. “By next summer or the spring of ’18, it will be grown in completely.”
White also said he does not expect to have similar issues in the future.
“I know that the areas that were sodded were better than they were before because they have a better mixture of sand and peat moss underneath them,” he said. “In the long run, those will probably be the healthiest spots on the greens. We maintain it every day.”
