SPRING INTO ACTION

How’s your lawn looking? Is it in need of rejuvenation? Does it need to be replaced? If so, you’ve come to the right place – and at the right time, too.

Turn your yard into course quality lawn.

Just about every golfer has something to say about the quality of the playing surfaces at their local golf club. Eavesdrop on any foursome and you’re bound to hear plenty of remarks about the condition of the fairways, greens and tees.

For many of us that conversation topic will, at some stage, develop into something more serious, as we begin to care more and more about the health of our own front and back lawns. If you have been in lockdown during the past few months, chances are those chipping practice sessions have finally taken their toll on your yard.

Now might be the time to fall in love with your lawn like PGA Tour players, Olympians and great mates Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith, who are borderline obsessed with their lawn handiwork.

Don’t be mistaken though, growing healthy turf is far from easy, no matter whether you’re starting from scratch or trying to improve what you’ve already got. Yep, owning and maintaining a thriving lawn involves plenty of knowledge, passion and commitment. But we, along with the likes of Leishman and Smith, think it’s absolutely worth it. So, where should you begin?

Well, spring just so happens to be the best place to start, so we decided to pick the brain of one of Australia’s best golf course superintendents – Nathan Bradbury – and one of the nation’s leading turf specialists – Lawn Solutions Australia – to help get you on your way.

Bradbury, superintendent at Sydney’s Eastlake Golf Club for the past 11 years, believes people need to be committed for the long run when it comes to growing high-quality lawns at home.

“The first question people need to ask themselves is, ‘am I willing to continue to maintain the lawn regularly?’ because turf needs ongoing maintenance being a living organism.

Once that answer is ‘yes’ the journey can begin,” said Bradbury, who recently won the Australian Sportsturf Managers Association Claude Crockford Award for excellence in environmental management at sports and recreation facilities.

“If the lawn has a weed issue, this needs to be addressed at the start of the growing season (spring) with a selective herbicide. Once weeds have been addressed the lawn can be aerated with a lawn corer, fertilised with a granular NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertiliser and top-dressed with a coarse sand. Then you need to maintain a good watering program to assist the lawn back to health.”

Bradbury, whose course conditioning and design work at Eastlake has seen it rise to No.52 in Golf Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking, also advises people to mow their lawns more frequently.

“Mowing the lawn on a regular basis is

critical,” explained Bradbury. “Allowing it to grow too much then cutting it too short puts the grass under a lot of stress. You should also water the lawn early in the morning during hot, humid periods, as warm nights and water can cause fungal issues. The use of wetting agents once a month will assist in utilising the water you apply to its full potential and will also mean less water needs to be applied.”

Bradbury was also quick to provide some vital ‘do nots’ and was eager to offer one final, major piece of advice, something that could ultimately be the difference between that lush grass of your dreams, or that patchy, disregarded lawn so many of us have become accustomed to.

“Don’t over fertilise and don’t over water – more isn’t best. Don’t mow in the heat of the day. And don’t be scared to ask questions from professionals, because there is actually a science behind growing healthy, consistent grass.”