Having a private lawn can be a great advantage for golf courses. While preparing the field for golf, the first thing that pops into mind is what type of grass is used on golf courses. Grass grown in is a significant consideration because it dramatically affects the overall golf experience.
Since there are a lot of thoughts for choosing the right grass, it is really confusing to select the right turf. Before deciding on one type, check out these grass variations. It will help to plant the right grass on golf courses.
How to choose the right type of grass?
Grasses in the golf clubs help to create green fairways, putting greens and roughs. Before picking grass type, consider these facts:
- Weather
The coverage of grasses is different in the specific climate. All the grasses can be put under two categories: cool and warm-season grasses. You need to consider the climate of your area and pick one of the grass types. In perfect weather conditions, the grass becomes greener.
- Soil Type
You need to consider whether the soil of the lawn is compatible with the grass or not. Some grass types have deep roots and they preserve moisture better. So they won’t have any problem growing well in poor drainage soils.
Some grass can grow well in acidic soils when others do better in alkaline or neutral soils. In this case, you have to test soil pH and other grades before planting grass. Soil type decides an extended period of grass flourishing.
- Tolerance
Check the tolerance level of the chosen golf course grass. Consider the withstand factors like drought, heat, shade, foot traffic, etc. Moreover, it is important how quickly it self repairs.
- Lawn usage
There are different sections in a golf course. Each section requires particular grass. For example, some grasses are great for fairways and greens. Moreover, soft grasses are not an ideal choice for a busy yard. So the grass choice will be different according to the lawn usage.
What Type Of Grass Is Used On Golf Courses?
You can see artificial turf in many golf courses. It provides great advantages like they don’t need any time for growing and require little maintenance. But nothing can beat the texture of a natural lawn. So natural grass is more preferable for golf courses.
Professional golf clubs are observed by highly trained and skilled turf experts. If you select the exact type of grass, you can get the same carpet-like result on your residential lawn. Most varieties of grass used on golf courses can easily be available to anyone.
Bermuda Grass On Golf Courses
Bermuda is the most used grass variety used in golf courses. It is a popular grass because of its hearty, thick, and lush characteristics. It is a warm-season grass, durable, and can withstand most conditions. In a warm-tropical climate, you can enjoy a green lawn all year long. Bermuda grows better in spring when the climate is warm and it is also a great time for seeds.
Bermuda grass is very drought resistant making it ideal for southern climates where water conservation is necessary. It is greener in the spring and greenest during hot summer months. The grass can tolerate a little bit of shade but does a good job in fully exposed to the sun. That’s why this versatile grass has a wide appeal.
Moreover, this grass can grow in most soil types. It is even a popular option in coastal regions where the soil tends to be salty. There is less maintenance required. Light watering is enough for young and establishing grass. After growing 2 inches high, you can mow them with a sharp blade.
Bentgrass Grass On Golf Courses
After Bermuda, bentgrass is the second most popular grass on golf courses. This type of grass is used in fairway greens. It offers a dense and thick appearance and has a great tolerance for a lot of traffic. If you are opting for deep green, velvety, and dense greens, then bent will be excellent.
Bentgrass is a cool-season luxury grass and has a lower heat tolerance consistency. It will thrive in the Northwest areas as well as the Pacific Northwest and Midwest. This type needs a little water to stay green and saves a lot of money on irrigation. Another great advantage is you can mow them short without any fear of scalping the green.
Rye Grass On Golf Courses
If you opt for a fine texture of your lawn, then ryegrass is the most popular one. It provides a smooth texture and is great for both fairway and roughs in golf courses due to its hard wearing quality. A properly fertilized field offers an awesome deep green color and withstands high traffic.
Rye is a cool-season grass and perfect for coastal climates. It has less tolerance shade and needs the sun for full flourishing. There are many varieties of ryegrass. Perennial variety doesn’t self-spread, so it requires more work to spread. On the other hand, annual ryegrass is a quickly established grass but it dies in freezing temperatures. Still, you can see annual ryegrass stay green all year-round in the Southern US.
Rye feels soft to the touch and has a fine appearance. Mow grass between 1.5 to 2.5 inches to maintain a lush look. Rye lawn needs to be water regularly about 6 to 12 inches.
Zoysia Grass On Golf Courses
Zoysia is a type of warm-season grass containing light to medium green color. It is a stiff type and grows more slowly than other types. It smoothly fills in gaps making it a durable choice for fairway traffic. Resulting in a dense carpet-like lawn and suitable for heavy usage. But many inpatient landlords avoid this type because of this feature.
Zoysia is highly tolerant of hot weather and drought resistant which is an ideal choice for Southern states. In winter, it gets dormant but it quickly picks up the green color at the start of spring. However, zoysia will thrive with deep water. It is a decent option for golf courses because of its low-maintenance, hardwearing, drought-resistant, and high tolerance characteristics.
Poa Annua Grass On Golf Courses
Poa annua is not as popular as other types in the list but golf course owners on the West coast extremely love this type. It is less durable than others and most residential lawn owners avoid its invasive species.
However, poa annua is a famous type for West coast golf courses. The breathtaking green color is the only reason to pick this type of grass. There is a disadvantage of this grass: the lawn required hand watering. It ensures the grass gets enough water and its beauty. Because it has shallow roots and can be a problem in low rainfall areas.
This is a low-growing grass and is considered turfgrass. It grows better with green color in temperate regions.
FAQs About Type of Grass is Used on Golf Courses
How to take care of a golf course lawn?
After planting the right type of grass, you need to ensure proper maintenance of the lawn. You need to ensure enough watering, irrigation, and mowing.
Most landowners mistakenly overwater the lawns that impact the lawn. So it is important to water deeply but not over moisture.
What do golf courses use to keep the grass green?
Golf course lawns are fertilized regularly. When grass receives adequate nutrients, they look greener and beautiful. Most of the time, a proper amount of potassium and nitrogen is used on the golf courses. This makes the grass strong and helps to withstand extreme temperatures and heavy traffic.
How do I make my lawn look like a golf course?
If you have a green lawn, you can turn it into a golf course by mowing. Landowners use reel mowers to cut the blades of grass cleanly. But it is not ideal to cut the grass too short. You can maintain one or two inches of height of the grass. Moreover, you have to fertilize the grass regularly for a beautiful green color.
Is Fescue grass ideal for golf courses?
Classified fine fescue grass is ideal for golf courses. It is cool-season grass and has a great shade tolerance. Who have a tight budget, fescue is an ideal choice because it saves money. It is low-maintenance grass.
What type of turf is used on fairways?
For fairways, people typically use bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, colonial, and bentgrass. But ryegrass is more popular for roughs and fairways. For hard-wearing ability is the main reason to choose it. Also, it provides a smooth texture.
Final Words
When preparing your lawn for golf courses it is fundamental to choose the right type of grass. It is a great feeling to see the long green of the lawn. We have listed the top 5 grass types used on the golf courses. You can choose one of them according to your area’s climate condition.
Besides, after picking the suitable type of grass, you need to assume the proper maintenance strategies. Lawn care maintenance makes the lawn green with success. You need a lawnmower to make the lawn a beautiful look.