Golf course maintenance glossary

The terms superintendents use every day, defined in plain English — from GDD and PULA to stimp, topdressing, and tank mixes. Each definition says what it is and why it matters on the course.

Updated 2026-10-27

Agronomy and turf science

• GDD (growing degree days) — a running total of heat accumulation that tracks how far along the turf and the pests are. More reliable than the calendar for timing applications and growth regulation. TurfDog tracks GDD alongside your application records.
• Evapotranspiration (ET) — the water lost from soil and turf to the air. The number that tells you how much irrigation replaces what the day took out.
• Soil moisture / VWC — volumetric water content, the percentage of water in the soil profile, read by sensors like POGO and Spiio that integrate with TurfDog.
• Salinity / EC — electrical conductivity as a measure of salts in the soil. High salts stress turf and change how you water and flush.
• Residual protection — the window after an application during which the chemistry still protects the turf. TurfDog's residual-protection clock shows which areas are covered and which have come open.
• Disease window — weather conditions (heat, humidity, leaf wetness) that favor a specific disease. TurfDog's AI disease forecasting flags them on Club.
• PGR (plant growth regulator) — chemistry that slows vertical growth to reduce mowing and improve density. Timing by GDD is standard practice.
• Wetting agent — a product that helps water move into and through the soil profile evenly, fighting localized dry spot.
• Localized dry spot (LDS) — hydrophobic patches that repel water even when surrounding turf is wet.
• Firmness — how hard the playing surface is, measured with tools like the SpecConnect-connected devices; a key tournament metric.

Mowing and cultural practices

• HOC (height of cut) — the height the mower is set to, usually in thousandths of an inch for greens. TurfDog keeps HOC on the area record so machines inherit it.
• Stimp — green speed measured with a stimpmeter, in feet. 'The greens are running 11' means a ball rolled 11 feet.
• Topdressing — spreading a thin layer of sand on the surface to smooth it, manage thatch, and firm it up.
• Verticutting — vertical mowing that cuts into the canopy to control thatch and grain.
• Aerification (aeration) — pulling cores or punching holes to relieve compaction and manage thatch. The most disruptive and most necessary cultural practice.
• Overseeding — seeding into existing turf, common on warm-season courses going into winter dormancy.
• Rolling — smoothing and firming the green with a roller, often used to gain speed without lowering HOC.
• Grooming — light vertical cutting to stand up leaf blades before mowing.
• Double cut — mowing the same surface twice, usually in two directions, for tournament conditions.

Applications and compliance

• SDS (Safety Data Sheet) — the standardized hazard document for every chemical product. Employees must have access; TurfDog finds them automatically and publishes a public SDS page per course.
• Product label — the legal document on the jug: rates, sites, PPE, restrictions. The label is the law.
• PULA (Pesticide Use Limitation Area) — EPA geographic restrictions for endangered species protection, published in monthly bulletins. TurfDog alerts you when one touches your course.
• Tank mix — more than one product combined in a single spray pass. Compatibility and rates matter; records should capture the whole mix.
• Spray log / application record — the legal record of what was applied, where, when, by whom, and at what rate. State rules vary on fields and retention.
• REI (restricted entry interval) — the time after an application before workers can re-enter without PPE.
• Calibration — verifying the sprayer actually delivers the rate the dial says. Bad calibration wastes product or burns turf.
• No-spray zone — a buffer where applications are restricted, often near water.

Course setup and operations

• Pin sheet — the daily sheet showing each hole's cup location, handed to golfers and staff. TurfDog prints 1x, 2x, and 4x layouts and publishes to a golfer embed.
• Slope map — a contour map of a green used to place pins on fair ground. TurfDog integrates Strackaline green surveys.
• Hole location / pin placement — where the cup is cut today, rotated to spread wear and vary difficulty.
• Job board — the day's assignments made visible to the crew. TurfDog's job board runs on a shop TV and crew phones.
• Shift schedule — who works which hours; the structure assignments hang on.
• Pre-use checklist — the operator's equipment check before a machine goes out. TurfDog tracks them per machine.
• Purchase order (PO) — the approved commitment to buy, matched against the invoice later. TurfDog issues POs with PDF export.
• Statement reconciliation — matching the vendor's monthly statement against your invoices and POs. Bingo does this on Club.
• Budget vs actual — the running comparison of spending against the budget lines. TurfDog codes applications, labor, and invoices to areas and budget lines automatically.

Technology terms

• AI assistant — software that answers questions and does tasks in plain language. Bingo is TurfDog's, built into every plan.
• Bingo Credits — the daily allowance of AI messages per plan: 3 on Crew, 75 on Superintendent, unlimited on Club.
• GPS pin placement — walking to the planned cup location with live phone GPS guidance instead of pacing off the sheet.
• TV display board — the public, no-login view of the job board for the shop television.
• Executive view — the multi-course dashboard for organizations running several properties.
• Two-way SMS — texting the crew from the system and getting data back by text, on the record.