Golf Grass: An Analysis of Different Golfing Grasses
A Study in Grass: Golfs Playing Surfaces Analysed
Golf Grass: Not just your normal lawn
Golf is probably one of the most relaxing, satisfying and family-friendly games to play.
That’s because golf courses provide an ambience to relax and play the game surrounded by a beautiful course, family and friends.
Naturally, everyone wants to play the best game possible and test their skills, but sometimes golf can be affected by unexpected factors.
Did you know that there are different types of golf grass? More importantly, these different grasses can actually affect your gameplay.
As any player will tell you, the techniques and circumstances need to be right for a player to be able to play a perfect game.
One of the key components required for a great golf game is a good golf course.
Apart from a vast expanse of land, the course further requires an appropriate type of grass.
However, this can’t be just any type of grass. A lot of thought and consideration goes into choosing the right turf, as golf grass types are extremely different from the synthetic turfs we purchase at home.
If you’re a beginner, or you’re simply unfamiliar with the types of golf grass and their importance, we will explain everything you need to know about golf grass.
You will learn the very basics about golf courses, the type of golf grasses that exist, how to spot them and how each type of grass affects your game.
Why are there different types of golf grass?
You may be wondering, why can’t golf courses just use the grass that we plant on our lawn as turf grass? What’s the difference? Why are there different types of golf grass in the first place?
There are several reasons why!
The grass needs to be tough
In your yard or lawn, you may be careful not to overstep some spots, or even if you’re not, the yards in general will get a limited amount of foot traffic
However, the turf grass on golf courses receives much heavier foot traffic.
That’s why it is important that the turf uses tough grass that can withstand heavy foot traffic without breaking down.
The golf grass needs to be resilient
At home, you can let your grass grow a bit, especially if it was damaged and needs to survive.
However, turf grass needs to survive when cut very low daily, as it needs to provide golfers with better-golfing turf.
That’s why the turf grass needs to be super resilient and strong.
Most importantly, the grass must withstand different weather conditions
All golf courses experience different weather conditions and climates.
More so, even the same golf course will experience different temperatures throughout the year. That’s why the most important factor in choosing the grass for golf turf is the weather conditions in the region.
The grass needs to stand still and tall when the low/high temperature hits, and it needs to be adequate for a very specific region.
This is the main reason why different types of grass are used in different regions.
To sum it up, the key factors are:
The region’s climate
The location it was planted, and on what (be it greens, tee box or fairway)
How fast the grass will grow
How strong it is
How quickly it can self-repair
How much traffic it can withstand
Every golf course designer must take these factors into consideration when choosing the grass for a golf course.
Knowing this, now it is time that we take a closer look at the different types of golf grass, where they are used and why.
Most importantly, how can these golf grasses affect your game?
The Main Types of Golf Course Grass
Just like with home grasses, the first major divide for golf grass is between artificial turf grass and natural turf grass.
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass is one of the most popular grasses, used due to its survival against harsh conditions.
Bermuda grass is a warm-season grass. Therefore, it is typically used in warm areas where there are drought-like conditions, high humidity and extreme heat. These conditions can be difficult for other types of grass.
In addition, Bermuda grass has a really fast recovery rate.
Bermuda grass is one of the most used grasses in the USA, especially in the south.
Specific examples of golf courses with this grass are:
TPC Scottsdale – the host of Waste Management Phoenix Open
Waialae Country Club – the host of the Sony Open
Honda Classic – the PGA National
However, the more Bermuda grass grows, the more grain it shows. Moreover, as a very lush type of grass, it can grow extremely thick which may become an issue for the players.
Even though it is pleasing and appealing to the eye, it does require proper maintenance, and the green keepers need to mow this grass very short to create the ideal conditions for golf.
Bermuda grass can’t withstand low winter temperatures below freezing.
It might tolerate rainfall and mild winters for a while, but below-freezing temperatures lead to discolouration and the stems and leaves slowly die.
Bentgrass
Another highly-popular grass that is planted on many golf courses, Bentgrass is super short, thick, almost flat and mat-like.
This grass is ideal for regions with cool summers. Since this grass grows quite a short, it can be mowed even lower without risking damage to the grass.
The bonus part is, the lower the grass – the better the golfing experience!
Bentgrass is typically grown on fairways on golf courses and it can withstand heavy traffic. This grass can be found in coastal regions, mostly in the Northwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest and several Midwestern states.
Specific examples of golf courses with this grass are:
Royal St. George’s Golf Club – the host of the Open Championship
Muirfield Village - the host of the Memorial Tournament
Bentgrass can become relatively soft on peak summer days.
Also, when it gets parched, it starts showing signs of strain and turns slightly brown.
This may not necessarily have a bad effect on your game. As a matter of fact, some players would even argue that the Bentgrass is best for playing when it is slightly stressed.
Poa Annua Grass
Poa Annua grass is another very popular and common grass, as it has a remarkable, breathtaking colour.
Poa species are often considered invasive species, hence so many videos and instructions on how to control, reduce or remove Poa Annua from lawns.
This type of grass is also relatively slow compared to the previous two types. This grass has shallow roots so it can’t withstand low rainfall areas, as it requires more watering.
Moreover, the grass can be slow but also sticky, so it can’t be cut short and it’ll die if not maintained properly. Poa Annua does best in temperate climates.
Specific examples of golf courses with this grass are:
The Premier California Course Pebble Beach
Farmers Insurance Open –Torrey Pines North and South
Genesis Open - Riviera C.C.
Travelers Championship – TPC River Highlands (with bent combo)
It is often said that Poa Annua is the golf grass that golfers love to hate.
The golfers that are prone to making excuses love this grass as it can be the perfect scapegoat.
That’s because Poa Annua is a fast-growing grass, and the seed heads from the greens can potentially lead to late-day bumpiness. This may negatively affect the game.
Zoysia grass
What about places where the climate is too unpredictable and prone to drastic changes?
These are the places for Zoysia grass. Zoysia grass is a member of the Poa family. Specifically, this grass is characterised by its fine colour, standing up straight. It also has deep roots.
This grass requires much less watering compared to Bentgrass, making it more sustainable for maintenance.
It can withstand a lot of heat, as well as droughts, which makes it ideal for Southern and Transition regions. Zoysia grass is native to Southeast Asia and Australia.
Specific examples of golf courses with this grass are:
The Groove XXIII – the new Michael Jordan course
Hoiana Shores – stunning golf course on the coast of Vietnam near Hoi An – The City of Lanterns
Golfers love playing on this grass as the ball is teed up nicely on it.
Plus, as it is so stiff, this grass can handle a lot of foot traffic. However, it does have some disadvantages for the game too.
Sometimes, Zoysia grass can get a bit “sticky” and grab your ball mid-play, just when you are about to hit a perfect bump-and-run!
Another downfall of Zoysia grass is that it can be susceptible to diseases. Therefore, it requires protective applications which tend to be rather expensive.
This is the main reason why courses on tight budgets tend to avoid it.
Artificial golf grass: The outlier
Artificial golf grass is not the first choice for many golf courses, as it has a few more cons than pros.
However, let’s present both the good and the bad, so you can see for yourself.
Artificial golf grass pros:
It saves on watering or weeding
It can be more economical over the long haul, despite being expensive to install
It requires no mowing or similar maintenance
It resists stains from salt and pool (chlorinated) water
It is almost pest free
It always looks healthy and it can be used almost all the time
Artificial golf grass cons:
It’s expensive for both installation and repair
It costs a lot to replace
If you go with cheaper brands to lower the cost, you risk losing the “right feel” as sometimes artificial grass may not feel like real grass underfoot
It can absorb heat in warmer places or in high summer temperatures
It isn’t biodegradable or eco-friendly
It can let off gas, which may lead to potential health issues
It can still be vulnerable to certain damages
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