11 questions that will test your golf-course maintenance IQ

Three months ago in this space, we tested your turf-care knowledge with a pop quiz. But because golf-course maintenance, like golf, is and an ongoing education, here’s another series of exam questions. Scroll down for the answer key.

1. A ferrule is…

a. A wild tee shot

b. A putt that horseshoes out

c. A mower blade

d. The notched end of a flagstick

2. The Double Freaky refers to…

a. A secret handshake between superintendents

b. A dance maintenance workers do at the end of a long day

c. A moving pattern employed at Augusta National

d. The sequel to ‘Freaky Friday.’

3. Agrostis stolonifera is another name for…

a. Creeping bentgrass

b. An ancient Roman agronomic practice

c. Organic fertilizer

d. A flowering weed

4. A ‘farmer’s cut’ is superintendent-speak for…

a. A low-maintenance hairstyle

b. A dark and light green fairway mowing pattern

c. A dark and light green tee box mowing pattern

d. A tightly mown green

5. When superintendents speak of ‘summer patch’, they’re talking about…

a. The bald spot on their head they wish they didn’t have

b. A goatee

c. August vacation

d. A warm-weather fungus

6. A Clegg Hammer is a tool used for…

a. Smoothing greens

b. Measuring turf firmness

c. Installing on-course signage

d. Restarting a stalled engine

7. Those frothy dots you sometimes see on fairways are composed of…

a. Fertilizer

b. Pesticides

c. Shaving cream

d. Soap and water

8. The purpose of those frothy dots is to…

a. Feed the turf

b. Mark areas that have already been sprayed

c. Kill bugs

d. Prep the grass for mowing

9. A green built to USGA specs features all of the following underground except…

a. A 4-inch gravel layer

b. Drainage pipes

c. A 12-inch sand mix layer

d. Buried hopes and dreams

10. GUR stands for…

a. Greens in regulation

b. Greens under repair

c. Ground under repair

d. Game under review

11. Superintendents often joke that you can tell which house in the neighborhood belongs to a super because…

a. There is golf paraphernalia everywhere

b. The yard is perfectly kept

c. The yard is badly neglected

d. The owner is always working and never home

Answer key: 1. d 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. d 6. b 7. d 8. b 9. d 10. c 11. c

0-3 correct: You should never be allowed near a lawnmower

4-6 correct: You know your bentgrass from your Bermuda

7-8 correct: There’s a job for you at your local home and garden store

9 or more correct: You’re an Einstein of agronomy

Josh Sens

Golf.com Contributor

A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.