The management of golf course turf is dedicated to creating smooth and predictable playing surfaces. Selecting the correct type of grass is the foundational decision for any course, as it directly impacts the speed of the greens, the firmness of the fairways, and the overall playability of the course. This selection process is driven not by preference, but by the precise environmental conditions and the specific functional requirements of each area. Turfgrass managers, known as superintendents, must choose varieties that can withstand extreme wear, tolerate ultra-low mowing heights, and thrive in the specific regional climate.
Warm-Season and Cool-Season Turf Categories
Grass species are categorized based on the climate they prefer, which dictates their use on a golf course. Cool-season grasses, such as Creeping Bentgrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Fescue, perform best where air temperatures average between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They maintain their color and active growth throughout the spring and fall, but struggle during high summer heat and humidity.
Warm-season grasses, including Bermuda grass, Zoysia, and Seashore Paspalum, are best suited for regions with high heat, achieving optimum growth when temperatures are consistently between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. These varieties are highly tolerant of drought and heat stress, offering resilience in southern latitudes and tropical environments. However, they become inactive and turn brown, entering dormancy when soil temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The course’s geographic location determines which of these two categories forms the base turf for the property.
Specialized Grasses for Course Areas
Putting Greens
Putting greens require specialized turf because they must allow for ultra-low mowing (often below 0.125 inches) to ensure a smooth and rapid ball roll. In cooler climates, Creeping Bentgrass is the standard, favored for its fine leaf texture and ability to form a dense, uniform canopy at these extremely short heights. In warmer regions, hybrid Bermuda grasses or Seashore Paspalum are utilized, as they can tolerate the high heat while still being maintained for fast putting surfaces.
Fairways and Tee Boxes
Fairways and tee boxes demand turf that is durable and recovers quickly from constant foot traffic and divots. Warm-season courses often use common Bermuda grass or Zoysia grass for fairways because their aggressive growth habit allows them to repair damage rapidly. Zoysia is valued for its resilience and ability to grow in transitional climates that experience both warm summers and cold winters. In cool-season areas, fairways commonly feature blends of Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass, which provide good wear tolerance and a dense lie for the ball.
Roughs
The rough areas are planted with varieties that require less intensive maintenance and water. Tall Fescue is a common choice for cool-season roughs due to its deep root system, which offers good drought resistance. In warm-season environments, the rough is simply a taller, less manicured version of the common Bermuda grass used on the fairways. These coarser grasses slow the ball and create a more challenging shot.
Managing Seasonal Transitions
The difference in temperature tolerance creates a management challenge for courses in the transitional zone, where both warm and cool weather extremes occur. Warm-season grasses, like Bermuda, stop growing and lose their green color in the fall when temperatures drop, leading to dormant, brown turf. To ensure continuous playability and a green appearance through the winter, superintendents employ a practice called “overseeding.”
Overseeding involves planting a temporary layer of cool-season grass, most commonly Perennial Ryegrass, directly into the dormant warm-season turf. This annual grass germinates quickly and thrives in cooler temperatures, creating a green surface that protects the dormant grass from wear. As the weather warms in the late spring, the Ryegrass dies off, completing the transition back to the active warm-season turf. This process allows courses to maintain a high-quality playing surface year-round.