40 JUSTIN OLMSTEAD INSIGHT Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time on a number of golf course renovation and construction sites. Each project, no matter how different in scale or style, has reinforced the same simple lesson: soil determines how well a golf course performs long after the final grow-in. It influences how surfaces drain, how turf roots, how playable features behave and how consistently the course plays from day to day. This perspective began to take shape during a visit to Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana in 2024. Walking the rebuilt greens with the superintendent and discussing the rootzone specifications, it became clear that soil decisions made during construction play a direct role in how design intent holds up over time. That experience has since informed how I view renovation and newbuild projects, shaping how I think about the role soil plays in preserving architectural intent long after construction. Many architects, builders and superintendents already understand that drainage plans, shaping work and turf selection are critical elements of success. But the soil itself – what it is made of, how it behaves and how it supports turf – should be a focus early on in the planning stage. Soil is the foundation of nearly everything that happens above it. When performing well, it strengthens the design. When it struggles, problems surface gradually and can affect playability, maintenance and long-term integrity of the soil. Even the best projects face familiar challenges related to the rootzone. Whether working with native soils, imported mixes or a combination of both, the following issues appear again and again: drainage limitations, compaction, low nutrient availability and moisture inconsistency. These challenges extend beyond agronomy and directly affect how design features perform. Greens constructed with organic amendments may infiltrate well soon after construction but will slow considerably as the organics break down. Fairways designed to encourage the ground game can lose their intended bounce and roll if moisture levels fluctuate. Even subtle contouring can lose its intended impact if the underlying soil conditions change. These limitations highlight why greater attention to rootzone performance is becoming an increasingly important consideration in modern course construction and renovation. The correct rootzone can protect an architect’s vision and deliver top-class playing surfaces. Built to last
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