Take a close look at Merion's greens, fairways and bunkers. On this, a course rich in history and steeped in some of the sport's most remarkable moments, tradition meets technology and performance meets preservation. And it's all underground.
For the time-honored Walker Cup, September 12 and 13, 2009, at Merion Golf Club in
Conditions now leading up to the Walker Cup are much like they were back in August 2005 as Merion prepared to host the U.S. Amateur Men's Championship.
"Wet, hot and humid," says Shaffer. With 90 UgMO sensors in the soil on Merion's historic East Course, Shaffer is tapping into real-time data on subsurface temperature and moisture, along with recommended actions to keep his cool.
"What we've seen with UgMO's smart technology -- that we would not have known otherwise -- is that not all turf is created equal, even on the same course," Shaffer said. "Our back nine are healthy at a cool 74 degrees, but the front nine are climbing up to a dangerous 91 degrees during the day."
Shaffer is paying extra attention to the weaker nine, aerifying the greens to let them cool at night, running fans on them during the day, and scaling back on watering. In the past few weeks, UgMO has helped Merion bring subsurface moisture levels down from 30 percent or more, to less than 20 percent. By the start of play on September 12, they'll be as low as 10 percent, Shaffer and UgMO agronomists expect. That's a 50 to 70 percent reduction in water content.
"We're on track to achieve perfect championship playing conditions for the Walker Cup, without stressing the greens, and UgMO technology is what's getting us there," Shaffer said.
For more on Merion's use of UgMO sensors, visit an article on The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Web site.