Golf course superintendent’s knowledge of variability may be an overlooked and underutilized tool for precision turfgrass management (PTM). This case study used a qualitative GIS approach to explore 12 Minnesota golf course superintendent’s knowledge of soil moisture (percent volumetric water content) and turfgrass quality (normalized difference vegetation index) variability within fairways. Verbal responses and sketch maps from on-site initial interviews were used to gain understanding of participants’ spatial knowledge of both properties. Soil moisture and turfgrass quality were objectively measured from all fairways after initial interviews to generate interpolated maps via ordinary kriging, which were used later in follow-up interviews for each participant to verbally compare to their sketch maps. Questions about interpolated map value and barriers to adopting mapping technologies were also asked at that time. Follow-up interview transcripts underwent thematic analysis to identify reoccurring themes, and sketch maps were digitized into GIS for statistical comparison to interpolated maps. Golf course superintendents did have general knowledge of variability within their fairways that could be used for simplified PTM practices. Interpolated maps were valuable for identifying and quantifying small-scale variability for more exact PTM practices, confirming spatial knowledge, and providing detailed spatial information to new golf course superintendents or staff. Areas displaying variability in interpolated maps were not always important to golf course superintendents, so their spatial knowledge should be used with interpolated maps for further refinement of PTM practices. Barriers to adopting mapping technologies for PTM were mentioned, and several suggestions to increase adoption are provided.

中文翻译：

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高尔夫球场管理者对球道内变化的了解：精确草坪管理的工具

高尔夫球场管理者对可变性的了解可能是精确草坪管理 (PTM) 的一个被忽视和未充分利用的工具。本案例研究使用定性 GIS 方法来探索 12 位明尼苏达州高尔夫球场主管对球道内土壤水分（体积含水量百分比）和草坪质量（标准化差异植被指数）变异性的了解。来自现场初步访谈的口头回应和草图用于了解参与者对这两种属性的空间知识。在初始访谈后，从所有球道客观测量土壤湿度和草坪质量，以通过普通克里金法生成插值图，随后在后续访谈中用于每个参与者与他们的草图进行口头比较。当时还提出了有关插值地图价值和采用地图技术的障碍的问题。后续访谈笔录经过专题分析以确定重复出现的主题，并将草图数字化到 GIS 中，以便与插值地图进行统计比较。高尔夫球场主管确实对可用于简化 PTM 练习的球道内的可变性有所了解。插值地图对于识别和量化更精确的 PTM 实践的小尺度变异性、确认空间知识以及为新的高尔夫球场管理者或工作人员提供详细的空间信息非常有价值。内插地图中显示可变性的区域对于高尔夫球场管理者来说并不总是很重要，所以他们的空间知识应该与插值地图一起使用，以进一步完善 PTM 实践。提到了采用 PTM 映射技术的障碍，并提供了一些提高采用率的建议。