Golf course turf management requires specialized grasses that differ drastically from typical residential lawns. The demands of the game, such as the need for a smooth, true roll on the greens and resilient surfaces on the fairways, necessitate specific turfgrass species. Standard lawn varieties are unsuitable for the extremely low cutting heights and intense traffic a golf course endures. Selecting the appropriate grass is a foundational decision for any course superintendent, balancing playability, environmental fit, and the grass’s ability to withstand constant grooming and wear.
The Fundamental Divide: Warm-Season vs. Cool-Season Grasses
The primary factor governing grass selection is the regional climate, which divides turfgrasses into two major categories: warm-season and cool-season. Cool-season grasses thrive in moderate temperatures, with peak growth occurring when soil temperatures range between 60°F and 75°F. These grasses are better adapted to cold winters and are the preferred choice for courses in the northern United States, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of the Northeast.
Warm-season grasses perform best in hot climates, with optimal growth temperatures ranging from 80°F to 95°F. These species tolerate extreme heat and drought, making them the staple for courses in the Southern states. While warm-season grasses go dormant and turn brown during cold winters, cool-season grasses often struggle in the intense heat of a Southern summer. The “transition zone” in the central United States presents a challenge, requiring superintendents to manage the stresses of both extreme heat and cold.
Precision Surfaces: Grasses Used on the Putting Green
The putting green demands the most specialized turf on the entire course, requiring a grass that can be mowed to a height of just 0.100 to 0.150 inches. This ultra-low cut is necessary to produce a smooth, fast, and consistent ball roll, which is the ultimate measure of a green’s quality. The two dominant grass types used for this purpose are Creeping Bentgrass and specific hybrid varieties of Bermuda Grass, dictated by the course’s climate.
Creeping Bentgrass is the premier cool-season choice, prized for its fine texture and dense growth habit, which allows it to tolerate the extreme stress of low mowing. Its ability to form a thick, upright canopy results in a smooth putting surface with minimal grain, preferred for its consistent speed and true roll. Though it requires intensive maintenance, including aggressive irrigation and cooling during summer heat, it remains the standard for greens in cooler regions.
In warm climates, hybrid Bermuda Grass varieties are utilized because of their heat tolerance and rapid recovery from injury. Newer, improved strains of Bermuda Grass have been bred to have a finer texture and a denser growth habit, allowing them to be mowed shorter than older varieties, producing faster greens. Unlike Bentgrass, Bermuda Grass exhibits a stronger grain—the direction the grass blades lean—and this can significantly influence the speed and break of a putt. Seashore Paspalum is an alternative warm-season grass popular for greens in coastal areas due to its high tolerance for salt in the soil and irrigation water.
Durability and Density: Grasses of the Fairways, Tees, and Roughs
The fairways, tees, and roughs require grasses that prioritize resilience, density, and recovery from the constant impact of golf shots and foot traffic. These grasses are maintained at a higher cut than the greens, typically between half an inch and an inch, reducing the intensity of maintenance while maintaining playability. In cool-season regions, Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass are common choices for fairways and roughs.
Kentucky Bluegrass is known for its hardy properties and excellent capacity for self-repair, allowing it to withstand heavy traffic and recover quickly from divots. Perennial Ryegrass is valued for its rapid germination, making it useful for quick repairs and for overseeding warm-season grasses in the south to maintain a green color through the winter dormancy period. Fine Fescues, which are drought-tolerant and require less maintenance, are often used in the rough or in naturalized areas, providing a thicker, more challenging lie.
Warm-season courses often use common or hybrid Bermuda Grass for the fairways and tees due to its durability and ability to thrive in high heat. Zoysia Grass is another popular warm-season choice, prized for its dense growth, exceptional wear tolerance, and ability to be cut low on fairways and tees. The density of Zoysia provides a firm surface that helps the ball sit up, making for a consistent strike. The rough on these courses is usually a longer version of the fairway grass or a more coarse variety of Bermuda Grass, adding difficulty to the recovery shot.