The science of preparing a PGA golf course

The science of golf course grass

What does it take to grow golf course grass worthy of a PGA Championship? FOX 4 meteorologist Kylie Capps went to Frisco to learn about the preparation for the Women's PGA Championship.

DALLAS - The KPMG Women's PGA Championship will make its Texas debut at Field Ranch East in Frisco in just a couple of weeks.

But what goes into making sure the course is ready for a major championship?

What they're saying:

Roger Meier is the Senior Director of Golf Maintenance Operations for the PGA of America and PGA Frisco.

He said when it comes to maintaining the 600 acres at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, planning is everything.

"As we ramp up towards the championship, we solicit volunteers from all across the country," Meier said. "We lean on other turfgrass professionals to assist us that week. Our team could grow as big as 95-100 depending on the time of year for the championship and what's going on and expectations for conditioning."

Forecasting the weather

Turbulent North Texas weather in late spring and early summer also play a big part in planning this event.

What they're saying:

"We're looking every day at weather forecasts and trying to understand what's happening because it dictates everything we do day in and day out," Meier said.

Meier and his team aren't just looking at the weather, they're tracking moisture in the ground as well.

"We look at evapotranspiration rates, how fast water's leaving the ground. We collect so much data here onsite with our team," Meier said. "We're looking at moisture meters, moisture sensors. We've got sensors in the ground monitoring different areas of the ground that are subsurface."

Severe weather

Planning for North Texas weather also means planning for the aftermath of severe weather.

Meier said the course's construction considered just that and with careful planning, the course is designed to drain properly after a severe weather event.

A challenging course

What they're saying:

 "It's going to be a very challenging golf course from a design standpoint - green complexes are tricky," Meier said.

The course isn't the only thing that will challenge the golfers. Weather will play a factor too.

"It's going to be the wind. I think if the wind is blowing, which it typically always does out here, it's going to pose a challenge for the players," Meier said.

The 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship makes its Texas debut at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco, June 19-22. Tickets for the event are available here.