From the June 2016 issue of GCM magazine:
Applicator and Primo effects on the persistence of painted water hazard and boundary lines
Using bulk paint combined with Primo to mark hazards and boundary lines may have some advantages for superintendents.
Red lateral water hazard lines two weeks after application to bermudagrass in Citra, Fla. Left to right: Backpack applicator with Primo included, backpack applicator, aerosol applicator. Arrows indicate the representative painted line for each treatment.
Photos by Jack Fry
Jack D. Fry, Ph.D., and Jason K. Kruse, Ph.D.
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The Rules of Golf (3) provides definitions for golf course water hazards and boundary lines that must be marked in order for a golfer to play by the Rules. Stakes are commonly used to define boundaries during general play, and stakes and painted lines are employed for important tournaments.
More than 80% of superintendents surveyed used paint to mark water hazard lines on their golf courses at some time during the year (1). Shots are typically played over water hazards during play of the hole, and these water hazards are designated with yellow stakes or lines. A lateral water hazard — which must be marked with red stakes or lines — is a water hazard that lies on the perimeter of the hole being played and is situated so that it is not possible to drop a ball behind the hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1b in the Rules of Golf (3). Out-of-bounds areas — marked with white stakes or lines — are areas beyond the boundaries of the course, or areas defined as out of bounds within the course boundaries.
Nearly 80% of golf course superintendents surveyed were involved in marking hazards on their golf courses (1). Proper course marking requires a significant commitment of financial resources for stakes and paint. Golf courses that routinely paint water hazard and out-of-bounds lines require additional labor to apply the paint during the season, and this too can be costly.
†Lines were painted on April 29 in Florida on Tifway bermudagrass, and on Aug. 13 in Kansas on Midiron bermudagrass. For each treatment, paint solution was applied at a ratio of 2:1 (water:paint) at a level of 10.1 gallons/1,000 square feet (0.41 liter/square meter) to create a line 5 feet long × 0.17 foot wide (1.5 meters × 0.05 meter). Primo (active ingredient trinexapac-ethyl) was applied at 1 fluid ounce/1,000 square feet (0.3 millimeter/square meter) for treatments in which it was included.
‡Paint color intensity was rated on a 0 to 9 scale, where 0 = no visible sign of a painted line; 2 = minimum level of intensity that would allow golfers to proceed according to the Rules of Golf ; and 9 = brightest, most intense color.
§WAT, weeks after treatment.
//Means followed by the same letter in a column are not significantly different from each other.
Table 1. Paint applicator and Primo effects on persistence of yellow water hazard lines on bermudagrass in Citra, Fla., and Manhattan, Kan., in 2013.
A common practice of sports turf managers, who must frequently mark playing surfaces with white paint, is to mix a plant growth regulator, such as Primo (trinexapac-ethyl, Syngenta), with the paint in order to extend the visibility of the painted line (2). Reducing the growth rate of the turf canopy results in the removal of less paint during mowing and, therefore, increased longevity of paint visibility. The potential for Primo to assist in extending the visibility of water hazard and out-of-bounds lines on golf courses has not yet been reported.
Most often, paint in aerosol cans is used to mark water hazards and out-of-bounds areas on golf courses. Some paint applicators, however, may allow for the inclusion of Primo. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate three paint applicators and the use of Primo for their influence on persistence of lines used for marking golf course water hazards and out-of-bounds areas on bermudagrass.
Site descriptions and management
Identical experiments were conducted at the G.C. Horn Turfgrass Laboratory, University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit, Citra, Fla., and the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center, Manhattan, Kan. Paint colors evaluated were yellow (water hazard), red (lateral water hazard) and white (out of bounds). Each paint color was considered a different experiment. In each experiment, treatments were: 1) aerosol paint applied with a hand-held applicator (Pioneer Athletics); 2) paint applied with a backpack applicator (Pioneer Shurflo ProPack, Pioneer Athletics); 3) paint mixed with Primo and applied with a backpack applicator; 4) paint applied with a sports field line applicator (Graco sports field striping machine); 5) paint mixed with Primo and applied with a sports field line applicator; and 6) untreated.
Paint application
†Lines were painted on April 29 in Florida on Tifway bermudagrass, and on Aug. 13 in Kansas on Midiron bermudagrass. For each treatment, paint solution was applied at a ratio of 2:1 (water:paint) at a level of 10.1 gallons/1,000 square feet (0.41 liter/square meter) to create a line 5 feet long × 0.17 foot wide (1.5 meters × 0.05 meter). Primo (active ingredient trinexapac-ethyl) was applied at 1 fluid ounce/1,000 square feet (0.3 millimeter/square meter) for treatments in which it was included.
‡Paint color intensity was rated on a 0 to 9 scale, where 0 = no visible sign of a painted line; 2 = minimum level of intensity that would allow golfers to proceed according to the Rules of Golf ; and 9 = brightest, most intense color.
§WAT, weeks after treatment.
//Means followed by the same letter in a column are not significantly different from each other.
Table 2. Applicator and Primo effects on persistence of red lateral water hazard lines on bermudagrass in Citra, Fla., and Manhattan, Kan., in 2013.
Paint was applied as a single line, 5 feet (1.5 meters) long by 0.17 to 0.25 feet (0.05 to 0.76 meter) wide. For each applicator, the spray nozzle’s height above the turf varied to create the desired line width, but ranged from 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm). Two-foot-wide (0.6-meter-wide) alleys separated paint lines in each direction. Treatments were arranged in a randomized, complete-block design with four replicates. Aerosol paint was Pioneer Max (Pioneer Athletics) in the colors Yellow Gold, Red and Brilliant White. Paint applied with the backpack and sports field line applicators was concentrated Brite Stripe with Halogen 2000 in Yellow, Red and White (Pioneer Athletics). Following label mixing instructions, a 2:1 (water:paint) dilution was used for turf application.
With all applicators, 1.1 fluid ounces (32.5 milliliters) of paint solution was applied over the length of the 5-foot line (10.1 gallons/1,000 square feet [0.41 liter/square meter]), and the speed of each applicator was adjusted to allow for this. For the aerosol applicator and backpack sprayer, the speed of application was approximately 2 mph (3.2 kph). For the bulk applicator, the sprayer nozzle was held by hand, and the speed of movement of the nozzle was about 3 mph (4.8 kph). For treatments 3 and 5, 0.135 fluid ounce/gallon (1 milliliter/liter) of Primo (active ingredient trinexapac-ethyl) was included in the water:paint mixture, which resulted in a Primo application level of 1 fluid ounce/1,000 square feet (0.3 milliliter/square meter).
Sites and management
In Citra, Fla., lines were painted starting at 10 a.m. on April 29, 2013. Turf was Tifway bermudagrass growing on a fine sandy loam soil. The mean high air temperature during this period was 84 F (29 C), and the mean low was 61 F (16 C). Irrigation was applied as needed (usually two or three days weekly) to supplement rainfall and prevent wilt; 2.1 inches (5.3 cm) of rainfall occurred between application and the end of the study. Turf was mowed once weekly at a 3-inch (7.6-cm) height with a rotary mower, and received 1 pound of nitrogen/1,000 square feet (4.88 grams/square meter) from urea (46-0-0) on Sept. 18, 2012 (the previous fall) and May 5, 2013.
In Manhattan, Kan., lines were painted starting at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2013. Turf was Midiron bermudagrass growing on a silty clay loam soil. The mean high air temperature during this period was 88 F (31 C), and the mean low was 64 F (18 C). Rainfall total was 3.95 inches (10 cm) during the study period, but only 0.06 inch (0.15 cm) had fallen before Sept. 5. Therefore, on Sept. 5, 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water was applied via overhead irrigation to prevent drought stress and ensure bermudagrass growth. Mowing in Manhattan was done once weekly at a 3-inch height using a riding rotary mower. Turf received 1 pound of nitrogen/1,000 square feet from urea in mid-June.
Data were collected on color intensity of each painted line on the day of application (April 29 in Florida and Aug. 13 in Kansas) and weekly thereafter until five weeks after treatment in Florida (June 3) and six weeks after treatment in Kansas (Sept. 24). Data in tables are presented for zero, one, two and four weeks after treatment. Color intensity was rated on a 0 to 9 scale, where 0 is no visible sign of a painted line; 2 is the minimum level of intensity that would allow golfers to proceed according to the Rules of Golf; and 9 is the brightest, most intense color. The number of weeks for the color intensity of each treatment to receive a rating of ≤ 2 was also determined.
Yellow water hazard lines
In Florida, yellow paint applied with the sports field line applicator, with or without Primo, had lower color intensity ratings immediately after application than paint applied with other applicators (Table 1). At one week after treatment, paint applied with the aerosol sprayer or backpack + Primo had higher visual intensity than other treatments. At two weeks after treatment, paint applied with the backpack + Primo had higher color intensity than paint applied using other treatments. By three weeks after treatment, all lines had a visual intensity < 2 (data not shown), and no lines were evident by four weeks after treatment. The number of weeks to a rating of ≤ 2 was greatest for the backpack + Primo (3.0 weeks), but that was not different from the aerosol.
In Kansas, the highest visual color intensity immediately after application of yellow paint was observed with the aerosol and backpack + Primo (Table 1). These treatments and the sports field line applicator + Primo had higher visual color intensity at one and two weeks after treatment compared with other treatments. At four weeks after treatment, only turf painted with yellow aerosol paint had a color intensity rating ≥ 2. The number of weeks to a rating of ≤ 2 was greatest for the backpack + Primo, aerosol, and sports field line applicator + Primo.
Red lateral water hazard lines
†Lines were painted on April 29 in Florida on Tifway bermudagrass, and on Aug. 13 in Kansas on Midiron bermudagrass. For each treatment, paint solution was applied at a ratio of 2:1 (water:paint) at a level of 10.1 gallons/1,000 square feet (0.41 liter/square meter) to create a line 5 feet long × 0.17 foot wide (1.5 meters × 0.05 meter). Primo (active ingredient trinexapac-ethyl) was applied at 1 fluid ounce/1,000 square feet (0.3 millimeter/square meter) for treatments in which it was included.
‡Paint color intensity was rated on a 0 to 9 scale, where 0 = no visible sign of a painted line; 2 = minimum level of intensity that would allow golfers to proceed according to the Rules of Golf ; and 9 = brightest, most intense color.
§WAT, weeks after treatment.
//Means followed by the same letter in a column are not significantly different from each other.
Table 3. Paint applicator and Primo effects on persistence of white out-of-bounds lines on bermudagrass in Citra, Fla., and Manhattan, Kan., in 2013.
Color intensity of red paint applied with the aerosol in Florida was lower than the intensity from other applicator treatments on the day of application (Table 2, Figure 2).
Red paint applied with the backpack or sports field line applicator and combined with Primo consistently had the highest visual intensity through four weeks after treatment. All application methods maintained a color intensity rating ≥ 2 for at least four weeks, except the aerosol, which dropped below a rating of 2 after two weeks.
In Kansas, red paint applied with the backpack applicator had lower color intensity than other applicator treatments immediately after application (Table 2). Highest red color intensity at two weeks after treatment was with the backpack + Primo, sports field line applicator, and sports field line applicator + Primo. At four weeks after treatment, only bermudagrass painted with the backpack + Primo had a color intensity rating of ≥ 2. The number of weeks to a rating of ≤ 2 was lower for the aerosol (3.8 weeks) than for other treatments (≥ 4.8 weeks).
White out-of-bounds lines
White paint applied with the sports field line applicator, with or without Primo, had the lowest visual intensity rating immediately after application in Florida, and paint applied with the aerosol applicator had the highest (Table 3). At two and four weeks after treatment, white paint applied with the backpack applicator + Primo had higher visual intensity than all other treatments. The longest time to a color intensity rating of ≤ 2 occurred with the backpack + Primo (4.8 weeks), but the length of time was not statistically different from that of the sports field line applicator + Primo (4.3 weeks).
In Kansas, white paint applied with the aerosol or backpack + Primo had the highest visual color intensity immediately after application on Aug. 13, and these two treatments had the highest color ratings through four weeks after treatment (Sept. 10). The backpack + Primo (4.8 weeks) and aerosol (4.5 weeks) required the longest period to reach an intensity rating of ≤ 2.
Visual appearance of red lateral water hazard lines painted on Tifway bermudagrass in Citra, Fla., on April 29, 2013. The backpack and sports field line applicator treatments were made with or without Primo.
Photo by Jack Fry
Applicator selection, Primo and cost
Aerosol paint has been the standard for marking water hazard and out-of-bounds lines on golf courses. We hypothesized that applying paint in bulk with backpack or sports field line applicators and combining the paint solution with Primo would produce lines that would persist longer than those created with an aerosol applicator. Sports turf managers have used Primo with bulk paint applicators to extend persistence of white field lines for some time (2). However, with the yellow paint used for water hazard lines, no treatment resulted in line persistence (that is, a color intensity > 2) longer than that produced by the aerosol application in this study.
In both Florida and Kansas, using a backpack or sports field line applicator to apply red marking paint (with or without Primo) for lateral water hazards resulted in greater line color intensity and persistence compared with using aerosol paint. Lines painted with either bulk applicator lasted about a week longer than lines painted with the aerosol before reaching an intensity of ≤ 2 in Kansas; the lines persisted at least two weeks longer before reaching a rating of ≤ 2 in Florida.
With white out-of-bounds paint, the benefit of using the paint mixture with Primo resulted in a more intense, longer-persisting line in Florida beginning at two weeks after treatment, but this was not observed in Kansas. On average, white lines applied with the backpack + Primo lasted about five days longer before reaching a rating of ≤ 2 in Florida.
Longevity of painted lines was likely influenced by a number of factors, including chemistry of the mixture, environmental conditions (rainfall, sunlight and temperature), and turfgrass growth. Longer persistence of white and yellow lines in Kansas was likely due, in part, to slower bermudagrass growth arising from drier soil conditions. The soil became so dry that irrigation was required on Sept. 2 to prevent bermudagrass wilt. In Florida, rainfall was supplemented more frequently with irrigation, and bermudagrass growth continued throughout the experiment.
At the time this was written, applying lines with the aerosol paint using the methods we outlined would cost about $6.51 to $8.50/1,000 linear feet (304.8 meters), depending on the amount purchased. Applying the bulk paint with the backpack or sports field line applicator would cost from $5.30 to $8.90/1,000 linear feet, depending on quantity purchased, without inclusion of Primo. Adding Primo at 1 fluid ounce per gallon would add about $0.30/1,000 linear feet.
Turf managers should also consider recycling and cleanup issues related to paint use. Aerosol paint comes in cans that should be recycled after use. Bulk paint comes in larger containers, some of which can be refilled after use. However, unlike aerosol applicators, the bulk applicators must be cleaned.
The potential to increase the persistence of painted lines with bulk applicators (backpack or sports field line applicators), as demonstrated with red and white paints, coupled with a similar or lesser cost of paint, may make purchase of bulk paint and use of a backpack or sports field line applicator attractive alternatives for golf course superintendents.
Funding
The authors appreciate contributions from the Kansas Turfgrass Foundation (Manhattan, Kan.) that helped sponsor this experiment.
Acknowledgments
Thanks are also extended to Cole Thompson, Ph.D., and Kenton Peterson, Ph.D., for their assistance with the experiments in Kansas and data analysis. This manuscript is contribution No. 14-343-J of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
The information in this paper was previously published as “Applicator and Primo effects on the persistence of painted golf course water hazard and out-of-bounds lines on bermudagrass” by Jack D. Fry and Jason K. Kruse in Applied Turfgrass Science 2014 11:1; doi: 10.2134/ATS-2014-0037-RS. This material is used by permission of the Crop Science Society of America Inc., Madison, Wis.
Literature cited
- Fry, J.D. 2013. The Rules of Golf and the superintendent. Golf Course Management 81:80-84.
- Goatley, M. Do PGRs fit your sports field program? 1997. SportsTURF 13(7):28, 32-33.
- United States Golf Association. 2011. Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status 2012-2015. USGA, Far Hills, N.J.
Jack D. Fry is a professor in the Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources and Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., and Jason K. Kruse is an associate professor in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.