The Brooklandwood racecourse turf

The Club House Turn at the 2000 Queen's Cup

Every spring either during the race day or shortly thereafter, I'm asked about our turf and how we get it so thick and lush, green and weed free. Many say our turf (turf type tall fescue) is better than most people's backyards.  Well the truth is we set aside and invest over $35,000 annually in turf improvements because healthy, lively turf and the ground underneath the turf (otherwise known as going) make for safer racing for both athletes - the horses and the jockeys. It's a team effort and it's a never ending job on everyone's part. Here are a few hints we're learned along the way.

First, TruGreen is a true partner and much of the credit of our healthy, lively, weed free turf goes to the staff at TruGreen in Charlotte. We've partnered with TruGreen since the very start of the Queen's Cup Steeplechase in 1995 when we asked for their help with our original racecourse we leased down in southern Union County.  TruGreen has Brooklandwood on their year-round plan treating the soil three times in the spring and twice during the fall. Bottom line - If you have thick, healthy grass, you'll almost never need to treat for weeds. TruGreen's GM Rick Balser and their turf supervisor Josh Jackson are dedicated to making Brooklandwood one of the best and safest racecourse on the circuit.

The Aerway aerator

Second, we aerate the turf with an Aerway aerator at least three times a year. The Aerway has deep, tough tines and with heavy weight on top, is able to push through and break-up the red clay sub-soils thus allowing air to get down to the root level where the health of turf begins. Aerating also helps cutting through the thatch which can build-up over time which if not kept in check, promotes disease.

Third, make sure your turf's soil is well balanced. Our red clays here in the Piedmont region of North Carolina is naturally acidic and testing your soil at least every three years gives you a gauge of when it's time to lime the soils. Too low or high in PH and you're throwing expensive fertilizer down the drain. Test your soils composition regularly. It's cheap and easy to do.

Fourth, we constantly cut the racecourse turf and do not allow it to get much above 5" in height. You've heard it before but keeping your blades sharp and cutting the grass with regularity with a high tip speed grooming mower makes all the difference in the world and allowing thatch to slowly build up keeping the soil and roots cool and moist. Ideally, you never want to cut more than 1" off the top which keeps the grass from clumping which can kill grass. When the spring weather breaks, it's not unusual that we're out there cutting the racecourse in late February or early March cutting off the damaged leaf tips which tells the grass it's time to come out of hibernation. Cutting your turf regularly is not only healthy for promoting thick grass but it also stresses the grass, in a good way, throwing energy down to the roots. Having direct sunlight on the racecourse all day and year-round helps move air and keeps down disease.

Looking up the stretch 4 weeks before race day

Fifth and finally, it's important to keep an eye out for disease and critters that are constantly attacking your turf. We've had several years of army worms, various kinds of grubs and sometimes both pests all at the same time decimating our turf. Usually, these critters attack in mid-to-late August and into September. We've had such a significant problem with grubs that we now spray MERIT as a preventative measure in early July when the June beetles and chafers are at full swing.

There are a number of other weekly and monthly chores we do during the course of the year, but these are the key elements to building successful, healthy turf with deep roots.