Five Ways Invasive Weeds & Plants Can Ruin Your Golf Course
Posted on: 12 March 2015
A golf course is not only about having challenging and fun holes; it's about the beauty and pristine nature along the way. An ideal golf course features lush green fairways, easy access for golfers, and gorgeous water views that can also play as hole hazards. When weeds overtake these elements, it can ruin both the visual and playing experience. Sometimes a janitor or grounds crew isn't enough.
When the following five problems escalate on your course, commercial weed control companies may be needed. These companies can help fix the problems and prevent them from occurring again.
Turf Weed
The largest areas of the golf course that you should focus on are the fairways. When weeds grows through the soil, it can create a hindrance known as turf weed. Not only does this create natural obstacles for the golf balls, but these invasive weeds are taking away natural resources from the green turf that you want to enjoy.
A treatment on turf weed will help kill off any of the existing weed. Additional treatments will seep into the soil to prevent new weeds from going. This type of treatment is usually a one appointment process with a possible follow-up. The rest of the season can remain weed free.
Invasive Tree Weeds
Courses are typically split up or bordered by beautiful trees. When weeds grow up on trees, it can be harmful to the health of the tree and take away from beautiful views. These problems can occur in spring when trees first bloom or in the fall when trees start to change colors.
One of the more common tree weeds is known as the oriental bittersweet. This plant can grow quickly and wrap around the tree's trunk and branches. Commercial weed control professionals can help eliminate the rapidly growing tree weeds and allow your natural trees to thrive on the course. Along with the management of weeds, new trees can be planted along the course.
Walkway Weeds
As golfers go between holes, head to the clubhouse, or arrive in the parking lot, they want the walkways to be as smooth as possible. Golf cleats can easily get caught in weeds and become an annoyance. This is why it's important to have professionals remove walkway weeds that you have growing.
Not only do walkway weeds create a walking hazard, but they take away from the visual scenery of a course. The weeds that push through can cause cracks or small holes on paved walkways. The longer they are left untreated, the worse they can become.
Bunkers
The white sand found in bunkers naturally helps prevent weed growth, but low maintenance weeds can still manage to push through and create problems. If weeds are visible in a bunker, they can hide ball locations and create shot interference for golfers. Weed control specialists can test the quality of your sand. In some cases, the sand may get upgraded to help prevent weeds from pushing through.
In other cases, the sand may be treated for weeds. They will be killed off and treated just like the turf weeds. Sands can normally attract hotter temperatures, so slightly different treatments or remedies will be considered.
Water Weeds
A pristine pond or lake can become a great viewing point on a golf course. When water weeds take over a pond, it can quickly change that view to a dirty or swampy area. Just like ground weeds, professional weeding companies have specific tactics to handle all types of water weeds. This will help eliminate the weeds, keep the water area clear, and prevent growth in the future.
When a golfer looks into the pond, the only thing they will find is a collection of lost golf balls.
Contact a weed specialist with any of your concerns or to find out more about their services. Many companies can offer free estimates for your golf course.
Share