Since February 1, 2018, Head Greenkeeper Anders Linnet has been responsible for course management at Kokkedal Golf Club. Together with his team, he works to deliver optimal playing conditions while maintaining a strong commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable turf management.
One of the turf health challenges at Kokkedal — as on many golf courses — is Dollar spot.
In this video, Anders shares his experience managing Dollar spot pressure and explains why TourTurf® STA Sports Turf Acidifier has become a part of their strategy.
At Kokkedal Golf Club, the greens are tightly managed and show minimal visible Dollar Spot.
The primary challenge appears on tees and approaches, where chemical control options are unavailable.
Dollar spot is such a difficult challenge because it thrives exactly under the conditions required for high-quality playing surfaces: low mowing heights, low nitrogen input, frequent irrigation, and plant stress.
The pathogen causing Dollar spot (Clarireedia spp.) attacks leaf tissue, creating small, sunken, straw-coloured patches that quickly disrupt surface uniformity on greens and fairways, directly affecting ball roll and aesthetics. Its ability to produce abundant mycelium and survive in thatch allows it to spread rapidly during warm days and cool, humid nights—especially when turf is under nutritional or moisture stress.
As Anders explains: “We have especially been challenged on our tees, and once the pressure starts there, it’s quite difficult to stop. Once it starts, it develops quite fast. You have a very short time to react, and it’s quite difficult to predict where it will appear.”
With fewer fungicide options available and increasing concerns about resistance development, reliance on chemical solutions alone is no longer sustainable. Cultural practices like balanced nutrition, improved air movement, dew removal and increasing plant resiliency have become central to modern disease management.
It is a big challenge to prevent Dollar spot since the outbreaks are very difficult to predict. All the available cultural practices have to be applied regularly to make turf as strong as possible before any disease outbreaks.
At Kokkedal Golf Club, Dollar spot is monitored closely. The period typically runs from early July through August.
Reducing environmental impact is a priority at Kokkedal Golf Club. To support this goal, the club:
Uses electric mowing robots to reduce CO₂ emissions
Applies fungicides only when a defined threshold is reached
Follows strict Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles
Anders uses a simple analogy: “If I have a cold, I don’t just take penicillin. We don’t do that on the greens either.”
In some cases, if a disease such as Fusarium primarily affects Poa annua — considered undesirable on greens — the decision may be not to intervene at all.
As Anders notes: “If it only affects my weed grasses, then it’s more than welcome.”
This pragmatic, threshold-based approach allows the club to reduce pesticide use while maintaining playing quality.
To support turf resilience under stress conditions such as heat, drought, and disease pressure, Kokkedal integrates TourTurf® STA into their program.
TourTurf® STA is formulated to enhance plant resilience through:
High natural bioactive content
Carbon and amino acids
Fulvic acids
Aromatic plant extracts
Polyphenols known for antioxidant properties
When used regularly, STA also contributes to gradual acidification of the soil profile (product pH: 2), which can support nutrient availability and plant performance in appropriate rootzone conditions.
Anders has observed measurable differences on tees: “The attacks we’ve had on tees this year compared to last year have been absolutely minimal while we’ve been using STA.”
Dollar spot remains one of the most challenging diseases in modern turf management — particularly with reduced pesticide availability. The team at Kokkedal Golf Club demonstrates that proactive monitoring, applying IPM principles, and focusing on plant resiliency can significantly reduce disease impact.