Infilrooter: Multifunctional Apparatus to Measure Water Infiltration, Compaction, and Playability of Manicured Grass Sports Surfaces

Compaction of manicured grass surfaces such as golf and bowling greens and tennis lawns is a progressive and inevitable process caused by high player numbers and maintenance machines. For the health of the grass, compaction can be minimized by timeous aeration techniques. The objective of this case study was to describe a benchmarking concept using water infiltration rate to assess surface compaction of sports turfs and consequently the need for aeration. A simplified and low‐cost apparatus, termed the Infilrooter, enabled both the measurement of water infiltration and subsequent withdrawal of a core sample for investigating the root‐soil‐grass systems. Both an infiltrometer and core sampler are well‐known concepts, but their functional combination, as in the Infilrooter, is novel and has no known previous application in grass management to assess compaction. A suitable range of infiltration rates between 100 and 1000 mm h −1 was observed on healthy manicured grass sports surfaces. Infiltration rates <100 mm h −1 were indicative of surface compaction and poor root development. A corollary to the Infilrooter case study established the relationship between water infiltration rate and stimpmeter readings (speed of green) as a useful index to gauge the playability of grass sports surfaces.