{"id":15547033,"date":"2024-08-16T02:22:08","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T06:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golf.com\/?post_type=article&p=15547033"},"modified":"2024-08-20T10:35:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T14:35:56","slug":"death-valley-golf-turf-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/golf.com\/lifestyle\/death-valley-golf-turf-maintenance\/","title":{"rendered":"How this course survives in one of the hottest spots on earth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maintaining a golf course can be tough in any context. But try tending turf in the hottest, driest spot in North America, on the lowest-elevation layout in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby Alford is the assistant superintendent at Furnace Creek Golf Course<\/a>, in Death Valley, Calif., where the property bottoms out at 214 feet below sea level and summertime temperatures routinely crack 120 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked him how those searing conditions affect course upkeep, and how he and his crew manage to keep their cool. To hear more from Alford, check out the video accompanying this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to know about H20<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Furnace Creek is a literal oasis<\/a>. It sits on ancient springs that supply what Alford describes as \u201cpretty much unlimited water.\u201d Not that he\u2019d ever want to waste it, which means the sprinkler heads<\/a> go off when the sun is up. In a lot of places, irrigating turf at night is considered a no-no, as moist conditions, left to linger, invite disease and other problems. It\u2019s a different story at Furnace Creek, where most irrigation happens after dark: 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. is prime time to water, Alford says. \u201cIt\u2019s just not an issue for us because the water doesn\u2019t stick around for long.\u201d Sometimes, he and his team spot-water during the day. \u201cBut to water in the day you almost have to water twice as long for it to do its job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which turf can take it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler alert: not a cool-season grass. Alford and his team have tried a bunch of turf varietals<\/a>. At times, he says, he feels they\u2019ve been sold a bill of goods. \u201cA lot of the grasses that companies have suggested we use, they all sprout good,\u201d Alford says. \u201cBut then about two weeks later, they start to die.\u201d Nothing they\u2019ve tried tops the two strains they\u2019ve come to rely on: common Bermuda on the tees, fairways and in the rough, and Tifway 419 Bermuda on the greens. \u201cWe\u2019ll have times when the lowest temperature at night is 101 degrees, and the grass never has a chance to cool off. Bermuda is the only one that can stand it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n \"furnace
\n Furnace Creek sits more than 200 feet below sea level. <\/span>\n \n Leo Sens<\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Mellower mowing patterns<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mowing is reduced from every day to every other day, which minimizes wear and tear in a stressful season. It also gives time for the grass to grow, a key to turf resilience. The longer and lusher the leaf blades, Alford says, the better the grass can endure the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human limitations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To protect its guests, Furnace Creek<\/a> restricts tee times in the summer. If you want to play 18, you have to start before mid-morning. The course takes similar precautions with its staff, bumping shifts earlier in the morning (they start at 4 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m) and cutting off the work day at noon. Regular breaks are encouraged, and if the temperatures near 120 degrees, outdoor work is called off and everyone is brought inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Machine vs. nature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Extreme heat can be hard on engines and batteries, among other maintenance parts.\u00a0The remedy is to treat machines as you treat people, Alford says. Provide lots of liquids \u2014\u00a0or coolant \u2014\u00a0and allow for frequent breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley, Calif., temps routinely run well into the triple digits. Here’s how the crew beats the heat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15547172,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-08-16T06:22:15Z","apple_news_api_id":"8baaa9aa-e9a4-4050-b1bc-73675f989bb7","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-08-16T06:22:15Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ai6qpqumkQFCxvHNnX5ibtw","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[40],"tags":[61987],"class_list":["post-15547033","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-supersecrets"],"acf":{"tee_time_button_status":false,"wsum-gated-content":false,"wsotp_enable_one_time_payment":false,"ad_meta":false,"article_template":"standard-video","featured_image_caption":"","featured_image_credits":"","art_author":[{"ID":14045818,"post_author":"235","post_date":"2016-10-09 13:44:40","post_date_gmt":"2016-10-09 17:44:40","post_content":"","post_title":"Josh Sens","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"josh-sens","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-01 10:29:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-01 15:29:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.golf.com\/?post_type=golf_person&p=14045818","menu_order":0,"post_type":"contributor","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"art_source":"None","parone_video":[6260611316111863],"brightcove_video_id":"","show_slider":true,"parone_video_playlist":"63-golf-com-super-secrets"},"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow this course survives in one of the hottest spots on earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley, Calif., temps routinely run well into the triple digits. 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