Types of Golf Grass
If you’ve ever played a game of golf or even been near a golf course, the first thing that stands out to you visually is the beauty of the grass. A well maintained golf course is carpeted with a smooth, rolling cut of fairway grass and cautiously manicured putting greens that the most determined owner could only dream of for his/her turf. The truth is, taking care of a course is a huge work for the grounds crew but it all starts with one of a few types of golf grass which are preferred for golf course construction.
Types of Golf Grass
Zoysia
It’s a low growing, creeping grass which is a bit spiky to walk on barefoot; however, it makes a great golf course grass. This heat resistant grass is grown right through Southeast Asia and is common in hot areas. It has the flexibility to grow farther into the north than several other warm weather grasses. Zoysia is commonly used on athletic fields, such as softball and baseball fields and on golf courses. It has a high acceptance for wear, but the harm done during soccer or football games makes it hard to repair, making it less admired for those applications.
Bent Grass
Regardless of its high maintenance requirements, the beauty of bent grass makes it one of the most popular grasses used on golf courses. Those gently inclined greens are usually covered with a sod version of bent grass. This grass has a deep green color and produces very slim touch blades of grass which can be cut very low and creep into a thick mat. Bent grass comes in three varieties, including colonial, creeping and velvet. Both velvet and creeping bent is used on golf courses frequently. Creeping bent grass is the most popular in the US for home putting greens and golf courses.
Bermuda
This grass is known as the sports turf of the south. This species is a popular golf course grass which thrives in tropical and subtropical areas all over the world. The characteristics of golf grass are such that it would continue to grow even when temperature reaches down to 34 degrees Fahrenheit. If the average temperature right through the day continues below around 50 degrees, Bermuda would stop growing and would start to turn brown.
Even though, this is the most widely used golf course grass in the US, it’s considered an upsetting weed in several parts of the world. Bermuda is known to creep into cotton, sugar and corn fields as well as vineyards. In countries such as India, where Bermuda is less enviable, the grass has been dubbed as devil’s grass.
Kentucky Bluegrass
This is a very low maintenance and cool climate grass. The minimum height requirement (2 to 3 inches) and coarse texture of the grass means it’s limited for use on fairways and is rough on a golf course. This grass grows very well in the shade, which makes it is enviable for golf courses which have many trees. It constantly requires moist soil and frequent fertilization which helps it remain lush green throughout the year.
The golf training programs are mostly conducted on these types of grasses.
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