A SubAir system is an underground system used by high-end golf courses such as Augusta National and 2025 PGA Championship venue Quail Hollow (generally on the greens) to regulate moisture levels and provide aeration and heat control, allowing greens teams to maintain green condition, regardless of the weather conditions.
According to SubAir, their systems provide “aeration, moisture removal and root zone temperature control in order to create an optimal subsurface growing environment for deep-rooted, resilient, healthy green grass.”
In rainy conditions, the SubAir system can remove water from the playing surface, drying greens far more quickly than they would dry naturally.
When it's drier, the SubAir system is equally useful, as it can be used in pressure mode to deliver air to the root system below greens, encouraging growth. For the most part, this is what the SubAir system will do – create an optimal growing environment.
But when the heavens open, it’s an invaluable system for getting play underway again as quickly as possible.
How Does A SubAir System Work?
One of the beauties of a SubAir system is that it can be installed into the existing drain system of a USGA specification green. That means there won't be a significant impact in terms of excavation and rebuilding work if a club decides to go ahead with the installation.
Once in place, a vault containing a blower unit is installed at the greenside which can be set electronically to function either in moisture removal or pressure mode.
But how does it work? Well, in the former mode, water and air are sucked through the turf by the blower – water goes into the drainage system and away through the natural drain routes of the greens while air is sucked into the vault and then above ground.
In pressure mode, air is pushed up through the soil to optimise growing conditions with aeration and temperature control. Greenkeepers can monitor levels of moisture, aeration and temperature, allowing them to set the unit to function accordingly.
Are Greens That Use The SubAir System Heated?
Sort of. A SubAir system can be used to control temperatures in the root zones which can help to extend the growing season beyond normal seasonal variations. The pressure mode of a Sub Air system can also be used to cool the root zone when it's particularly hot.
By moderating moisture, temperatures and aeration levels effectively, the root zone will be healthier and the grass more resilient. That will create a more consistent, smoother playing surface. Another benefit is that turf will also recover more quickly if it is subject to heavy traffic.
As well as Augusta National and Quail Hollow, some other well-known courses use the SubAir system, including Wentworth, Adare Manor, East Lake, Colonial and Sentosa. It's not just for golf courses either, with SubAir used at a number of sports stadia around the globe.
