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For superintendents and turf crews

Biochar for golf courses: save water, hold fertilizer, grow healthier turf

Georgia Wood Char biochar is a carbon-rich soil amendment you mix into your normal top-dress sand at about 2% by volume. It holds up to 5.6 times its weight in water and keeps nutrients in the root zone, so courses report up to 50% water savings, less fertilizer lost to runoff, and denser, more resilient turf. Same equipment, same routine.

Made inCommerce, Georgia
CertificationISCC PLUS Certificate Holder
ProcessLicensed Biochar Now kiln technology
Request a course quoteGolf brochure (PDF)
50%

Up to 50% water savings reported on treated turf

Study p. 1, 3
5.6×

Holds up to 5.6 times its weight in water

Study p. 2 · Podcast 00:53
2%

Mix rate by volume in top-dress sand

Podcast 02:13, 09:23
3→1

Waterings a week at one California course

Study p. 3

What it does on your course

Water, fertilizer, turf, ponds: one material, every part of the course

Georgia Wood Char makes its biochar on the same licensed Biochar Now kiln technology behind the golf and turf study, from clean waste wood in Commerce, Georgia. References point to the study (page numbers) and to Scott’s podcast (YouTube chapter start times).

Waterings per week, one California course
Golf & turf study, p. 3
3 / wkUntreated1 / wkWith biochar

  1. Water: up to 50% savings

    Biochar holds up to 5.6 times its weight in water and releases it to the roots. Courses report up to 50% water savings; at one California course the untreated area needed watering 3 times a week while the biochar section needed it once. Scott puts it simply: fewer peaks and valleys between irrigation cycles.

    Study p. 1–3 · Podcast 00:53, 02:13

  2. Fertilizer: keep what you pay for

    Nutrients bind to the biochar instead of washing into ponds, so roots can reach them over time. In independent lab tests the biochar removed 99.8% of phosphorus and 89.7% of ammonia from nutrient-rich water, and the study reports nutrient reductions of over 50% in some cases. It can also help reduce fertilizer and chemical inputs by turning them into more of a slow release.

    Study p. 3, 5 · Podcast 13:19

  3. Healthier, denser turf

    The porous structure gives soil microbes a place to live (Scott calls it a “microbe condo”). Microbes break down the bound nutrients and roots feed more efficiently, so you get a more robust root system and greener, hardier turf. Lab tests showed a 110% biomass increase at 90 days.

    Study p. 3 · Podcast 07:24

  4. Greens and tee boxes

    Mix the sand-sized grade into your top-dress at 2% by volume after aerating. It is almost identical in size and shape to the sand, so ball roll is unaffected. Scott expects superintendents to feel it first here, where traffic is heaviest; tee boxes make an easy first test plot.

    Podcast 02:13, 08:27 · Golf Q&A

  5. Fairways

    The medium grade works well in fairways, especially where water collects and runs off toward catch ponds. Because roots spread sideways, coverage evens out as you add applications over several aeration cycles.

    Podcast 04:36, 10:34

  6. Ponds and runoff

    Put medium-grade biochar in socks and float them in irrigation ponds, or set them where runoff flows in, like small dams. Nutrients bind to the char; later you can spread that char back on the fairways so the turf gets the nutrients back. Scott calls it a full circle.

    Podcast 04:36, 05:55

  7. Downstream, too

    When a pond overflows in heavy rain, that water goes on to your neighbors. Cleaner water in your reservoirs means cleaner water leaving the course, a benefit for the community and the course’s public image.

    Podcast 17:05

How to apply

Fits the top-dress routine you already run

From Scott’s walkthrough on the podcast (chapters 02:13, 09:23 and 10:34).

  1. Aerate or plug first

    Most crews plug about an inch to an inch and a half deep. The goal is biochar in the root zone, not sitting on the surface.

  2. Work out your sand volume

    Use your area and plug diameter to calculate how much top-dress sand you will put down.

  3. Blend in 2% biochar by volume

    That is the threshold where benefits start. Going higher will not hurt anything. Mix it thoroughly.

  4. Top-dress and drag in

    Same equipment, same pass. Drag it into the plugs so the biochar ends up an inch or two below the surface.

  5. Repeat over a few aeration cycles

    On an existing course, offset your plugs each time; three or four years of applications gets the whole area consistent. New builds can blend it in once.

Podcast

Hear it from Scott

Georgia Wood Char founder Scott Ledford talks golf courses with host Al Levy on the Georgia Wood Char Podcast. Quotes are from the episode, each marked with the YouTube chapter it comes from, lightly edited only to remove repeated words.

Georgia Wood Char Podcast

Biochar for Golf Courses: Less Water, Less Fertilizer, Better Turf

Full episode · 21:58Watch on YouTube: Biochar for Golf Courses: Less Water, Less Fertilizer, Better Turf

  • Every time it rains or every time you irrigate, you’re conserving water.Scott Ledford · 00:53 Water and nutrients
  • It’s going to roll the same as it will be rolling across the sand.Scott Ledford · 08:27 Rolls like sand
  • I call it a little microbe condo in the soil.Scott Ledford · 07:24 Roots and microbes
  • Cleaning up one thing and benefiting something else is pretty good stuff.Scott Ledford · 04:36 Fairways and catch ponds
  • If you’re able to increase that water quality in your reservoirs, then you’re benefiting your neighbors.Scott Ledford · 17:05 Clean water downstream

The evidence

Research behind it

The turf study behind our licensed process, plus independent lake studies showing what biochar does for water quality.

Research50%

Golf & turf study

Up to 50% water savings, 5.6× water holding and independent nutrient tests, from the study behind our licensed process.

Research1.4 t

Silver Lake 2023

Biochar filters in drains captured about 1.4 tons of phosphorus in one season.

Research445

Brooks Lake 2023

Biochar filters on 445 docks and boatlifts, with early drops in algae pigment and dissolved solids.

Biochar for Golf Courses brochure

Four pages on cleaner ponds, irrigation efficiency and stewardship. Share it with your green committee.

Download PDF · 6.8 MB

Win, win, win

Good for the course, the neighbors and the environment

THE COURSE

Lower inputs, better surfaces

Less water and fertilizer lost, more of what you apply reaching the roots, and turf that holds up through hot, dry stretches.

THE NEIGHBORS

Cleaner water leaving the course

Nutrients caught on the course stay out of the creeks downstream. And neighbors notice when the sprinklers run less often.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Carbon locked in the ground

Biochar is a carbon-negative amendment made from waste wood that stores carbon in the soil long term. Georgia Wood Char is an ISCC PLUS Certificate Holder.

FAQ

Questions crews ask

See also particle grades.

Georgia Wood Char Podcast · Q&A

Biochar for Golf Courses: Where to Start and Why

Q&A · 5:06Watch on YouTube: Biochar for Golf Courses: Where to Start and Why

Watch the golf Q&A

Where should a golf course superintendent try biochar first? Scott Ledford, founder of Georgia Wood Char, says greens and tee boxes, because that's where traffic and compaction hit hardest.

More episodes and Shorts on the podcast page.

How much biochar do we mix into our top-dress?
About 2% by volume. For every 100 cubic yards of top-dress sand, mix in 2 cubic yards of biochar, blend thoroughly, and apply with your usual equipment. More than 2% will not hurt; 2% is where benefits start to show.
Will it change how our greens putt?
No. The sand-sized grade is almost identical in size and shape to top-dress sand, so the ball rolls the same.
Do we need new equipment?
No. You use the same top-dress equipment and the same routine. Aerate or plug first, put the blend down, and drag it in so the biochar sits in the root zone, an inch or two below the surface.
How soon will we see results?
Scott expects benefits to start showing in about a month, with improvements after the first application and enhanced root growth even late in the summer.
How many applications do we need?
On an existing course, the biochar goes into the plug holes, so most courses spread applications over several aeration cycles, often three or four years, until the whole area is consistent. On a new build you can blend it in once at construction.
How long does it last?
Biochar is very stable carbon. It does not wash out or break down like fertilizer, and it lasts thousands of years in the soil.
Which grade goes where?
The sand-sized grade for greens and tee boxes, the medium grade for fairways and pond socks. See the particle grades on our products page, or ask us to help you choose.
Can it help our irrigation ponds?
Yes. Medium-grade biochar in socks can float in ponds or sit where runoff enters, binding nutrients that feed algae. Ponds with very little water movement benefit from an aerator or fountain to keep water moving through the socks.
Does it change soil pH?
Scott says our biochar has very little ash, so it is not adjusting your pH. It is mostly carbon, a clean product.
How much does it cost?
We quote per course, based on area, plug size and depth, grade and delivery. Send us your details and we will scope it with you.

Get a course quote

Try it on a tee box this season

Quotes are scoped per course. Tell us a little about yours and we will come back with grade, quantity and delivery options.

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What to send

  • Course name and location
  • Areas to treat: greens, tees, fairways, ponds
  • Approximate area and your plug size and depth
  • Trial plot or full program, and timing
(706) 534-9895 Request a quote