Golf courses require specialized turfgrasses to meet the high demands of the sport. Unlike a typical lawn, the grass on a golf course must withstand constant foot and cart traffic while simultaneously providing an extremely consistent and precise playing surface. This unique environment necessitates turf that can tolerate ultra-low mowing heights and recover quickly from damage like divots, making the choice of grass species a deliberate agronomic decision.
Grasses Engineered for Putting Greens
The putting green is the most meticulously maintained area of a golf course, demanding a turf with the finest texture and greatest density to ensure a true ball roll. Two primary species dominate this space: Creeping Bentgrass and ultradwarf Bermudagrass. Creeping Bentgrass, a cool-season variety, is favored for its ability to be mown to a fraction of an inch, creating a dense, velvety surface with an upright growth habit. Cultivars like ‘V8’ and ‘Penncross’ are commonly used for their excellent shoot density and low-cut tolerance.
In contrast, the warm-season ultradwarf Bermudagrasses, such as ‘TifEagle’ and ‘MiniVerde,’ are staples in hotter climates for their resilience to heat and drought. These newer cultivars have a finer leaf blade and higher shoot count than older Bermudas, allowing them to be cut extremely low. The distinction between these two grass types often determines the putting experience, specifically concerning “speed” and “grain.”
Bermudagrass, with its prostrate, stoloniferous growth, tends to create more noticeable grain, which can slow a putt rolling “into the grain” and speed up a putt rolling “with the grain.” Creeping Bentgrass, possessing a more upright growth habit, typically provides a more uniform, “grain-free” roll. While Bentgrass is historically known for the fastest and truest putting surfaces, modern ultradwarf Bermudagrasses can rival this speed when properly maintained.
Turf Selection for Fairways and Tees
Fairways and tees are the main arteries of the course, and the turf selection here prioritizes durability and recuperative capacity over the ultra-fine texture of a green. In cool-season regions, Kentucky Bluegrass is a popular choice for its extensive network of underground stems, called rhizomes, which grant it an outstanding ability to self-repair after damage like divots. Perennial Ryegrass is often mixed with Kentucky Bluegrass in these regions because of its rapid germination rate, allowing for quick establishment and repair. Fine Fescues, known for their slender blades and tolerance of lower-input management, are frequently utilized in outer fairway areas or in links-style course designs.
In warm-season zones, Common Bermudagrass is the most prevalent choice for its superior heat tolerance and aggressive growth via surface runners, or stolons. This aggressive growth allows it to recover quickly from the heavy wear of golf carts and iron shots. Zoysia grass is another warm-season option that forms a dense, cushioned surface, which is highly regarded for its excellent traffic tolerance, making it ideal for high-wear areas like tee boxes.
The Role of Climate: Warm-Season vs. Cool-Season Grasses
The fundamental factor dictating which grass is used is climate, which divides turfgrasses into two major physiological groups: cool-season and warm-season. Cool-season grasses, which include Bentgrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Fescue, utilize the C3 photosynthetic pathway. This gives them an optimal growth temperature range between 60°F and 75°F. These grasses thrive in the northern latitudes and perform best during spring and fall, often struggling during intense summer heat.
Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, are significantly more efficient in high temperatures, with an optimal growth range between 80°F and 95°F. This provides superior heat and drought tolerance, making them the standard for the southern states, but they turn brown and go dormant once cold temperatures hit. The “Transition Zone,” a challenging band across the central United States, experiences summers too hot for cool-season turf and winters too cold for warm-season turf to thrive consistently. In this zone, courses must often choose between the two or use a strategy like overseeding, where a cool-season grass like Perennial Ryegrass is temporarily planted over dormant Bermudagrass for winter play.