Widespread drought conditions put stress on more than the turf at many courses.

MANY GOLFERS have been searching out their superintendents over recent months. They're anxious to know what's happened to their courses, many of which, especially in the midwest, northeast and mid-Atlantic areas of the country, have taken quite a beating.

But if there was ever a good time to support your golf course superintendent, this summer was it. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the problems that hit this summer were beyond the control of the superintendent.

The combination of searing daytime sun, high nighttime temperatures and the general lack of rainfall -- one course reported 27 straight days without rain and 26 of 90-plus degrees -- contributed to widespread turf loss on courses.

Losses were most pronounced on courses with high percentages of Poa annua turf. Wrote Bob Brame, director of the USGA Green Section's North-Central Region, in a letter to many clubs in his area: "It is an established agronomic fact that Poa annua is the one golf course turfgrass which is least tolerant of summer heat, winter cold and ice stress. These inherent weaknesses of Poa annua were seen during the winter of 1993-94 along the east coast and now, during the summer of 1995, here."

"There are times," added Stan Zontek, director of the Green Section's Mid-Atlantic Region, "when Poa annua presents one of the best playing surfaces on putting greens. However, there are times, like this summer, when you wish you had never heard of Poa annua.

"Once grass becomes stressed and weakened, disease problems begin," he continued. "A number of funguses also contributed to the decline of Poa annua despite preventative fungicide programs. Root decline was also severe due to high soil temperatures. Quite literally, Poa annua was under many different stresses, and the accumulated effects resulted in turf loss on greens as well as fairways this summer."

Courses suffering from drought conditions were forced to adopt some temporary, draconian measures. Some actually lowered the height of some of their highest rough areas for fear of fires starting. Smokers were cautioned to take extreme care in lighting and disposing of cigarettes and cigars on the course, and other courses restricted the use of carts to paths only or away from browned-out, heavily trafficked areas.

Courses with greater amounts of bentgrass turf fared better. So did well-built greens and courses with good irrigation and drainage systems, although these facilities were not exempt from the deleterious effects of the summer, only impacted to a lesser degree.

How can the turf be restored? Several options are available, usually starting with a comprehensive reseeding program. Improving drainage and irrigation systems, where necessary, would provide a boost as well; looking at it from another perspective, enhancing these areas now, when the opportunity presents itself, could prove beneficial for decades. A course might also consider increasing the amount of bentgrass on its greens, which in turn would enable them to better endure the extremes of winter cold and summer heat.

And you could try to do the impossible -- change the weather.

-- Marty Parkes