TPC Las Vegas mows over the competition when it comes to having perfect greens

LAS VEGAS -- TPC Las Vegas' Golf Course Superintendent, Kim Wood, offers expert tips and tricks on how to maintain a perfect putting green.

Greens can be fast or slow, have divots or be perfectly smooth but TPC Las Vegas maintains perfection on its vital surfaces. TPC Las Vegas outlines key guidelines on how to reach putting green excellence.

* Greens should be aerated two to three times per year to aid in relieving compaction, increasing oxygen to the roots and continuing the flow of water. At this time, it is important to fill the aerification hole with sand that is consistent to the material from which the greens are constructed.

* During the growing season, it is essential to seed the greens in order to renovate the area. This process called “topdressing” helps maintain the smoothness and firmness of the green.

* Irrigation should be done infrequently but deep into the root in order to keep that area quenched and leave the surface dry to improve playability and prevent disease.

* Greens are to be verticut using a machine equipped with blades that reach vertically into the turf to cut through lateral stems and dislodge thatch. Verticut greens provide a firmer surface and promote new growth of individual plants.

* Slow release fertilizers or small doses of nitrate fertilizers are recommended to minimize or eliminate a fast growth rate. Plant growth regulators are also available, as it is difficult to maintain a fast putting surface if the grass grows too quickly.

TPC Las Vegas is located at 9851 Canyon Run Drive. For more information call 1.888.321.5725 or go to the TPC Las Vegas Web site, www.tpc.com/lasvegas.

TPC Las Vegas is a 7,080-yard, par-71 golf course and was designed by Architect Bobby Weed and player consultant Raymond Floyd in 1996. As a host of PGA TOUR events and the Champions Tour in past years, TPC Las Vegas offers a stern test of golfing skills along with stunning vistas. In 2007, TPC Las Vegas was voted “Best Desert Course” by Vegas Golfer Magazine and was also named “Best Golf Course” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.