Golf courses use different grasses, depending on climate, durability, traffic tolerance and the appearance landscapers would like the course to have. For the golfer, different grasses will affect the way you play the game. If the course is smooth with thick, low-mowed grass, which is optimal, the ball will glide over the grass, giving you more control. Many times cold season grasses are used for over-seeding during winter months in warmer climates. This gives the course the benefit of these grasses, as the cold climate varieties can withstand the weather better.
Bentgrass
Used primarily for tees, greens and fairways, this cold climate grass is used in the Northeast and Midwest. It is not used in warmer climates, where it does not fare so well. Bent grass (also known as bent) has very thin blades that grow very densely. When cut very short, this allows the golfball to glide over it. It acts almost like a solid surface. Make sure you don't put too much strength behind your club or you will see your ball go flying past the tee. If you want your lawn to look as lush as a golf course, plant bent grass.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass wins favor at many Midwest and Northeastern links as it greens up to a dark blue-green color very early in the spring. This means you can get out and play on superior greens earlier.
Bedazzled, a new hybrid that has exhibited better color, has been adopted by golf courses for its disease resistance and slow growth. Older varieties of this grass were susceptible to disease, with traffic tolerance that left a lot to be desired. These problems left golfers complaining about course surfaces. The hybrids have addressed these problems and are making a comeback on golf courses.
Ryegrass
Golf courses feature another winter grass, rye grass, primarily in the cooler climates in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Although ryegrass does not tolerate warmer climates, it is used in such areas to over-seed other grasses during the winter. It offers the golf course a greener and more attractive appearance.
Cold climate golf courses like it for its tolerance to low mowing, which means they can mow less often. It's ability to grow upright provides the golfer with a nice, even playing field. Ryegrass creates a dark green, finely textured course.
The downfall is that a disease, gray leaf spot, has become a real problem with ryegrass, leaving an unsightly course that golfers are less likely to want to play on. However, an Oregon-grown perennial hybrid has exhibited a disease resistance that may enable a comeback of this grass on golf courses.
About The Author
Karen Ellis has been a full-time writer since 2006. She is an expert crafter, with more than 30 years of experience in knitting, chrocheting, quilting, sewing, scrapbooking and other arts. She is an expert gardener, with lifelong experience. Ellis has taken many classes in these subjects and taught classes, as well.
