To Mulch or not to Mulch...

[odysseus81]

What is everyone's opinion on whether or not to mulch fairways of heavily wooded courses?

We are considering it for a local course and were looking for some feedback.

[medicinalfunk]

i find it annoying, personally, because i play in sandals and i prefer a dirt or grass fairway. but it's okay on some holes, having a mulched fairway every now and then can give a hole personality. i wouldn't like it on every single hole though, but having it around all the baskets is always a nice touch in my mind

[SAxDrc]

I don't think I've seen a mulch fairway before, but considering how much I absolutely hate mulch tee pads, I would say don't do it.

[MDethCKR]

Sometimes there aren't any other options. If the sun don't shine...grass is out, so what else would you use?

[bhuff]

Ours is just dirt and some pine needles from the pine trees. But it is just worn in from play, no mulch or anything.

[SAxDrc]

Ours is just dirt and some pine needles from the pine trees. But it is just worn in from play, no mulch or anything.

yeah same here

[captain jack]

I'm not sure what type of material you are considering, but, if you are using bark, be aware that it rots and breaks down with moisture, turning black and getting really slippery, so its not the best choice for fairways in the long term.

[tallpaul]

I just read the info that began this thread in the courses section. Three Putt put lots of things in a nut shell. Discers will like it in the long run; as anything is better than mud and eroded fairways....We have a local course that has been mulched heavily for years. Most mulch I've ever seen; every year. In the case of this course; it is largely due to hilly; eroded; wooded fairways. Has been very helpful there. However, as Three Putt also pointed out; this is a very labor intensive process; and the parks director responsible for the installation of the mulch recently retired. The club always did a percentage of the mulch work. Now, they must do it all; and if your club is like most; there are a few who end up doing all the work. As a result, it seems to take longer and longer to get the work done these days. The core group has kind of burnt out on doing it. Take this into consideration when beginning this program, and attempt to set some kind of standard for participation right up front.

[tallpaul]

Also, especially in hill situations; or even sloped earth in one direction....keep in mind that the mulch is going to be washed in a certain direction by water run off. Therefore, it will save much installation work and upkeep if you build something up to contain the mulch run off. This will be labor intensive in early stages of the project; but will save much time and effort down the line.

[jdawg24]

Definitely mulch it -- much better than the alternative, erosion/dirt. A local course around here in atlanta (east roswell park) has an agreement with local tree companies that they can dump all the mulch they want on the course. That's been going on for a couple of years and has really helped break-in the course. Mulch wears in well as it breaks down .... the sunnier areas of that heavily wooded course are turning into grass now; the others are like soft padded fairways. At any rate it looks a million times better than an eroded dirt path.

[billnchristy]

Also places like Alexander and the 2 new holes at Crooked Creek solved the problem by using the cut down trees that form the fairway as mulch.

[odysseus81]

This is good stuff guys...keep it coming.

[1978]

Here is the thing. Mulch doesn't stop the problem of erosion just slows it down. So either way, rebar or stake in cedars or landscape timbers to channel water off the fairway. The sooner the better, it is harder to replace soil than it is to prevent it from washing away.

Second. If you mulch, you have to keep mulching to build up a "pad" of new soil. Once and done doesn't last. I would suggest a total course mulching twice a year in badly worn areas. Mulch on the pad is annoying I agree.

[Three Putt]

I just think of it more as a land management issue than a disc golf issue. The specific areas I'm assuming we were talking about were the wooded holes on the new course in Lion's Club Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=3961). On those holes no grass is going to grow. Once you start tromping through those areas, you will compact the soil. When it gets wet, it will get muddy and torn up. You will get erosion, ruts, exposed roots, etc. Mulch will give you a protective cover in those areas that will protect the landscape. Mulch also chokes out some weeds (think poison ivy) at least for a while after it is spread. In the case of Lion's Club, they have just cut down over 100 trees to create the course, so that is 100+ trees that are no longer absorbing the moisture on the property and might make the site a little swampier (or not, it just depends) and mulch goes a long way toward making a wet course playable quicker.

On the other hand, they are messy. They are labor intensive. They are a constant expense because they will break down and need to be spread every year.

So from a land management point of view, it comes down to a balance of what they do to protect your resource (the park land) VS the cost and can you live with the consequences of the damage that will occur if you don't spend the money. In the case of Lions Club Park, the land is basically flat. That will help if you decide not to mulch as the runoff might not be as damaging. If the wooded holes were on a slope I'd stomp my feet and throw a hissy-fit to convince people that it needs mulch, but it's flat so it might not be a huge issue. It also is a "disc golf only" area of the park, another reason you might decide not to mulch. Disc golfers don't seem to mind ruts and exposed roots as much as the general public.

As I said in the other thread, this only goes for holes in the woods where nothing is growing on the ground. If you already have grass there mulch makes no sense (other than you don't have to mow mulch.)

As far as disc golf goes, some players like them and some players don't for a variety of reasons. I kind of like mulch around the baskets because it slows down my disc and I can fire my approach shots in harder. Other players think that is a "cheat" and it just makes the course easier. Some players like to throw hyzer skip approaches, and that is hard to do on mulch. So from the disc golf end it just depends on the player. I don't think you will ever make everyone happy. I'd worry more about what makes sense from a land management point of view.

[Three Putt]

Mulch on the pad is annoying I agree.Mulch is like the D- tee pad surface. It is slippery when wet AND it is loose and slides around under your feet. At least mud dries out into dirt and it OK; mulch is bad when it is wet AND when it is dry. Anybody who is using mulch as a tee surface really has not thought the whole idea through very well.

The same condition kinda/sorta occurs in fairways. Why it is not such a big deal is that most courses are par 3's and you can usually make a "stand and deliver" shot on that 2nd shot. If the hole is a legit par 4, mulch could be a problem as far as footing goes on the run-up for your 2nd shot. However, most holes in the woods tend to be shorter, technical holes. On a long, tightly wooded par 4 or 5 I'd probably find better things than mulch to complain about. ;)

[Sadjo]

We've been asking the city and the park department in Seneca, SC for mulch for one of our courses. They've said they would dump mulch and the club would work on spreading it on the course. Problem is the city crews have never followed through.

We've been cutting down dead trees and moving them to line the down side of the fairways. When it rains the trees start catch the silt and now the fairways are getting flatter and some have started grow grass.

We'd like to add mulch to some of those areas to help the process along but that hasn't happened yet.

[superberry]

Mulch will break down and turn to dirt, very quicly depending on the type. After it is laid down, it will smother all grass, small plants, weeds, which may be growing and keeping the forest floor together. Once you mulch, you have to keep doing it, or you'll just have dirst anyway. Seems like too much hassle to me and not my preference. If someone else is spreading it down, providing it for free, and will do it every other year, then go right ahead and mulch. Otherwise embrace the naturalist and minimalist style.

[Billipo]

Mulch has over the years improved some very poor soil at our course. Primarily on sloped wet areas and high traffic wooded areas. Some places we have even got grass to grow after the mulch broke down which we could have never done with the original soil.

We get ours free from the county. They place the tree grindings in the parking lot and the disc golfers and park maintenance spread the stuff each year. expect to spread often.

[Jukeshoe]

I have played a few courses that have mulch, although none that appear to need mulch (i.e., erosion, etc.)

My opinion is that it is less than stellar. If it were for the long-term good of the course, I'd find a way to live with it.

[MooseT]

Thanks guys for your input.... To provide some specific history, i as the Disc Golf committee chair am trying to balance the needs and desires of those playing with the needs of our park committee who is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance. As it was already mentioned, this course was cut into a cedar stand, therefore SEVERAL HUNDRED (I think between 500 and 600) trees have been cleared to accommodate the fairways. The local utility company will be providing a dump truck load of mulch per week starting very soon. At this point, we plan to begin with the trails between the fairways. The committee seems split at this time, but has voted in the short run to avoid putting the mulch on the fairways. On the other hand, i have been talking with our Park committee chair and he would prefer to be able to mulch it all, especially since we have the supply of mulch and equipment to haul and spread it.

I agree with Three Put, that it depends on the disc golfer... therefore, I am looking for input which I can use in future discussions moving forward.

This is GREAT stuff!! Keep it up!!

I just got done walking the course with one of the guys who will be responsible for maintaining the course. A lot of the "trouble areas" are on the paths. Therefore, mulching the paths will provide some definition and take care of some of the wet areas. This will take plenty of mulch in the short run, so I have some time before we have to once again address the fairways. There is hope that many of the wooded fairways may grow fescue. I guess we will see. If not, we can address moving forward.

[wolito]

Only for erosion purposes where grass is impractical. It can also be a bit slippery if throwing a shot form the fairway.