(2021)
This best practice guide outlines sustainable management strategies for parkland golf greens across Great Britain and Ireland in response to tightening pesticide legislation, climate change, and increasing player expectations. Produced as part of The R&A’s Golf Course 2030 programme, the handbook promotes Integrated Turf Management (ITM) as a holistic framework combining cultural, biological, and strategic chemical approaches.
Chapters address key topics such as reducing dependence on fungicides and insecticides, managing common pests (leatherjackets, chafer grubs, nematodes, earthworms), disease control (with emphasis on microdochium patch and anthracnose), and weed suppression. The guide also recommends improving turf species composition—favouring bentgrass over annual meadow-grass—through better light, drainage, and sward management.
Drawing on STRI’s long-term agronomic data, the manual presents measurable targets for cutting heights, surface moisture, firmness, and organic matter content to optimize putting performance and turf resilience. It highlights the role of nutrition, plant growth regulators, irrigation practices, and sustainable biodiversity management to reduce chemical inputs while maintaining year-round playability. The handbook provides practical, actionable guidance for course managers to adapt under changing environmental and regulatory pressures.
