Why Golf Course Grass Looks So Perfect (2024)

FAQs

How do golf courses have perfect grass? ›

Specialized mowers are used to cut the grass at an optimal height, allowing it to grow densely and evenly. By combining these practices, golf courses create an environment where the grass thrives, providing golfers with a lush, green playing surface to enjoy.

To keep the grass so short on greens, special mowers are used. Golf course mowers are reel mowers, not rotary like most lawn mowers used at home. The reel spins and cuts the grass like a tight scissor cut. The cut height is set by adjusting the difference between the front and rear rollers.

Today, mowing and lightweight rolling are the primary practices used by superintendents to achieve smooth, fast greens. In the early days of golf, the height of the grass on putting greens was controlled naturally by the intense grazing of rabbits and sheep.

Bermuda grass is a type of warm-season grass that is commonly used on golf courses. It is known for its ability to tolerate and recover quickly from damage, such as heavy foot traffic and divots.

Deep roots help the grass stay strong, lush and green. Golf course turf receives adequate nutrients from regular fertilizing. Fertilizers typically contain a balance of potassium and nitrogen, which helps the grass stay strong, even when it's subjected to extreme temperature and heavy traffic.

High-quality turf is desirable on golf courses, and herbicides are an effective tool that has long been used to suppress weeds.

Most modern-day course owners prefer Bermuda Grass or Bentgrass on the greens. The combination of these two types of grass is used with a logic behind them. Bermuda Grass grows well in Southern climates, while for Northern Climates, Bentgrass is excellent.

They'd go up one side then turn around and go down other and then work your way out from there, but always going up the same half and always going back down the other half – this results in a light stripe on one side on half the fairways and a dark stripe on the other half of the fairway.”

Bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass and Poa annua are the most commonly managed turfgrasses on putting greens in the United States. A putting green can have more than 10,000 individual plants per square foot. This equates to more than 50 million plants on an average size putting green.

According to the Attorney General of New York Report, golf courses use about 50,000 pounds of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers each year, and they cause significant run-off from the 5.9 billion gallons of water they use (collectively) each year in the U.S. This combination of chemicals and water use contaminates ...

What do golf courses spray on their grass? ›

Sprayers are used to deliver precise rates of various products to putting green turf. Products typically range from ultra-light rates of fertilizer to highly specialized plant protectants that are needed to control specific turf diseases or injurious insect pests.

Creeping bentgrass was chosen because it forms a dense mat. This makes it easy to putt on. Another good reason that most golf courses use creeping bentgrass is because of its short mowing capabilities. Most golf course mow their greens at an 1/8" or less.

Bermuda grass provides a good rough that can function well, but doesn't offer the level of color contrast provided by other types of turf. However, Bermuda grass seed performs exceptionally well over other species when it's left dormant. Bermuda grass has higher nitrogen needs than other turfs.

While golfers hear a lot of discussion about courses with fast greens, they don't hear as much about all that goes into providing those conditions. Lower mowing heights, regular topdressing, verticutting and hand watering are just some of the practices involved in maintaining faster greens.