How does golf turf differ from other grass?There is a lot of myth about golf turf. Many people believe that for it to look so good it must be heavily treated with toxic chemicals or given large doses of synthetic chemicals. The reality is very different. In fact it is in the golf courses’ interest to use grasses that thrive under golf maintenance practices. By using the best type of grass for the local conditions, courses can have healthy turf with little or sometimes no need for pesticides. In general the growing conditions for turf can be broken down into 2 distinct types: cool season and warm season. Generally cool season are places where winter temperatures go below freezing and frost is common in the ground. Warm season golf turf never or very rarely sees temperatures below freezing, but can withstand extremely high mid-day temperatures. Areas in between are considered transition zones where each type of turf has its own pros and cons and either could be selected. Transition zones are notoriously difficult area to grow turf since they get some taste of the cold winters and very hot summers so no turf is truly at home there. In cool season turf, the golf turf normally selected is creeping bentgrass. Through breeding programs they have been better and better cultivars (varieties) which can meet the specific needs in a certain area. The old standard is Penncross Creeping bentgrass, but many newer cultivars may work better in your area. Some are more resistant to certain diseases, others to drought etc. You will, however, want to stay away from the newest cultivars such as A-4, as they require a level of maintenance only a golf course with all its equipment and labour can provide it. Besides, since you will likely have less traffic than the average golf course, you will be able to baby your turf and should be able to get similar performance from many of the other varieties. Again, the most important aspect is to be sure you have given the turf the best conditions for survival: good air movement, lots of direct light, and well drained. While bentgrass is the turf usually seeded in most courses for the last 50 or more years, many older courses are maintaining a golf turf surface of Poa Annua or Annual Bluegrass. Better known as Poa, this has made some excellent putting surfaces, and as such many courses have decided to manage it rather than fight it. Poa is actually a weed grass that comes in naturally anytime closely maintained turf is weakened from disease or other problems. While it establishes itself easily, it’s problems included increased susceptibility to compaction, disease and ice as well as seadhead development which can leave a slightly bumpy putting surface. Its benefit though is huge natural seed production which means it will naturally re-establish itself after it suffers dieback. As far as warm season turf goes, the standard golf turf on greens is Bermudagrass. The cultivars often used on greens are dwarf Bermudagrasses and include Tifgreen and TifEagle among others. Another warm season turf used with success in some areas is Seashore Papalum. This is a species used at most courses in the Hawaiian Islands. Know enough about golf turf? Go back to Turf Maintenance.
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