Golf Course Maintenance

Rose Hill Golf Club • Bluffton, South Carolina

When IGM took on full golf course maintenance and management of Rose Hill Golf Club in Bluffton, SC, they knew it would be a challenge with promise. Though located in a scenic area, the golf course had been neglected for some time, and its restoration was IGM’s top priority. Mike Kuhn, an IGM employee of 15 years, was brought in as General Manager to lead the turnaround.

Initial course restoration was slowed by heavy rainfall that identified significant drainage issues. In addition, equipment had not been maintained; and weeds, disease, and mole crickets were out of control. While the golf course had to be closed to correct these issues, Kuhn said “basic maintenance alone made a big improvement and appropriately using weed control, fertilizer, and irrigation helped even more.”

The course re-opened shortly after IGM took over, and the focus has continued to be on sound agronomic practices. A golf course demands specific knowledge of soil, turf, irrigation, turf products, climate, and more to thrive, and IGM delivers that expertise. “When we started here, we trained the maintenance crew in our practices to break any bad habits and ensure they bought-in to IGM’s vision,” said Kuhn.

In addition to basic mowing and watering, more extensive maintenance processes implemented at Rose Hill include:

• Verticutting, which is short for mowing greens vertically instead of horizontally. It’s actually a 4-step process, which you can read in more detail here.
• Rolling the greens, or smoothing them, three times a week, after mowing.
• Aerification of the entire course and the greens, which are separate multi-step processes, and are explained further here.
• Soil testing and developing sound fertility programs.
• Reducing weed populations.

The results have been dramatic, and Club members are enjoying the improvements in the golf course’s playability, as well as its appearance.

Kuhn says “It’s not only golfers who are pleased, but residents who border the course have commented on the huge improvements they see.” 

In addition, Rose Hill Golf Club tied for second place in the Community Choice Awards Best of Bluffton 2024 in the Public Golf Course category.

IGM provides complete golf course maintenance and management services in markets across the U.S. The company is committed to agronomic excellence and environmentally conscious methods and products. To request a consult, please contact Greg Plotner, Executive Vice President, 407-589-7200. Additional information may be obtained by visiting IGM’s website at golfmaintenance.com.

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