By Ray Hunt, Agrovista Amenity
I speak with turf managers regularly, and one topic that always comes up is how to deliver consistent, true, and pacey putting surfaces. It’s not a new conversation—but it’s still an essential one.
During my years as a golf course manager, I worked on a variety of greens: links courses for county and R&A events, and USGA-spec resort courses hosting European Tour players—all while trying to keep members, visitors, and commercial golf customers happy. Despite the differences in venue and pressure, my approach to delivering fast, true greens remained remarkably similar.
Culture First: The Foundation of Fast Greens
Consistency in green speed shouldn’t come at the expense of plant health. I always found that solid cultural practices formed the base of dependable playing surfaces—across all greens.
Nutrient input has to be finely tuned—based on soil analysis, yes, but also the lived-in knowledge a greenkeeper gains from being out on the surfaces every day. Growth surges during the day inevitably lead to a slower roll and patchier pace, not to mention long-term issues like excess thatch.
Regular surface and sub-surface aeration - particularly with the efficient, low-disruption kit we now have access to - keeps roots happy and healthy and improves both surface characteristics and recovery.
Timing and Technique Over Aggressive Cuts
One key lesson I learned was not to rely on extreme height-of-cut reductions to generate speed. A one-off, low morning mow, especially in damp conditions, rarely delivered consistent surfaces across the full day.
Instead, I shifted my focus to frequency and direction of cut. Adding a second daily cut—ideally around midday—transformed the consistency of afternoon and evening golf. When done with one machine per nine, it became a manageable part of the routine. Where a midday cut wasn’t feasible, a double cut in the morning often did the job.
That second cut was always against the grain of the first. This technique removed nap, stood the grass up, and noticeably reduced drag—resulting in a truer, faster ball roll. Over a week or a month, this consistent effort created a measurable improvement in surface quality.
I used this method successfully even when prepping greens with different constructions and sward compositions—old push-ups, modern USGA, and sand/soil blends—all judged more than acceptable by touring professionals.
Modern Support: Where Attraxor Comes In
Today, we also have the advantage of advanced plant growth regulators like Attraxor, an innovative solution for maintaining consistent putting surfaces.
Unlike Trinexapac-ethyl, Attraxor is activated in the spray tank and not by temperature. This makes it effective within four hours of application—removing the uncertainty and delay associated with temperature-reliant PGRs. Turf managers can now regulate growth with real confidence.
Even better, Attraxor allows for earlier-season application, limiting the seedhead production of annual meadow grass by hitting the plant at the crucial boot stage. This leads to visibly smoother, more even surfaces—especially at a time of year when different grass species are growing at wildly inconsistent rates.
The results speak for themselves: increased speed and trueness, fewer fluctuations in playing quality, and less reliance on ultra-low cuts to get there. The cultural methods I’ve discussed work hand-in-hand with Attraxor, and the combination offers a sustainable way to deliver top-quality greens without compromise.
A Sustainable Standard
We’ve moved on from the days of chasing speed at any cost. It’s not just about short-term tournament prep anymore—it’s about maintaining that standard day in and day out, throughout the year, without damaging the long-term health of the greens.
Consistency, pace, and trueness are achievable—through cultural discipline, clever planning, and modern tools like Attraxor. It's a sustainable model that works across all course types and conditions, delivering for players and greenkeepers alike.
Discover more about Attraxor with Agrovista Amenity - Attraxor - Plant growth regulator - Agrovista Amenity