When it comes to maintaining golf courses, the type of grass used is crucial for both performance and aesthetics. Each grass variety has unique circumstances that suit specific climates, play styles, and maintenances levels.
In the UK, where the climate can be varied and challenging, understanding the differences among these grasses is essential for course managers and players.
From the fine smooth surfaces of Bent grass, to the more resilient Fescue, and even the warm climate grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia. This guide will explore the main types of golf grass, their ideal growth conditions, characteristics and maintenance
Whether you’re a greenkeeper, a player or simply a grass enthusiast, knowing these types will help you appreciate the nuances of golf course management.
Bent Grass (Agrostis)
Best For: Cooler climates (common in the UK and Northern Europe)
Characteristics: Bent grass is highly regarded for its fine texture and dense, smooth surface, making it ideal for putting greens. Its ability to withstand very low mowing heights allows for fast, true ball roll, which is essential.
It thrives in the UK’s cool, moist climate but can struggle in overly hot or dry conditions. It is highly sensitive to stress and can quickly succumb to diseases.
Maintenance: High Maintenance – Constant attention is required to stay healthy and maintain a quality playing surface. Regular mowing at very low heights (often daily during peak seasons) is necessary to maintain its fine texture.
Irrigation must be carefully managed, as Bent grass needs consistent moisture but it’s also prone to root diseases in overly wet conditions. Aeration, verticutting, and topdressing are essential to prevent thatch build-up, and the grass is highly susceptible to pests and fungal diseases, requiring vigilant monitoring and treatments.
Fescue (Festuca)
Best For: Cooler climates (commonly found on traditional UK Links Courses)
Characteristics: Fescue is synonymous with traditional links golf, especially on classic UK courses. It thrives in cool, coastal climates and is well-suited to the sandy, well-drained soils commonly found near the sea.
Fescue has a fine texture and grows in more natural, wispy manner, making it ideal for rough areas where a wild, rugged look is desired. On fairways, it creates a firm, fast surface that encourages the ground game, a hallmark of links-style golf. Fescue is incredibly hardy and can tolerate drought better than many other grasses.
It is also notably able to thrive in nutrient-poor soils, making it a perfect choice for low-maintenance areas.
Maintenance: Low Maintenance – Fescue is one of the most low-maintenance grasses used on golf course, requiring minimal inputs. It is drought-tolerant, meaning it can go long periods without supplement irrigation, relying on natural rainfall to stay healthy.
This grass is also adapted to to thrive in poor, sandy soil, needing little to no fertilisation to main fertilisation to maintain its vigor. Fescue does not require frequent mowing, especially in rough areas where it is often left to grow longer, contributing to the links-style look. Although it thrives in tough conditions, Fescue’s main drawback is its lower wear tolerance, it’s best suited for areas that don’t receive heavy traffic.
Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
Best For: Cooler, temperate climates (Popular for over seeding and fairways in the UK)
Characteristics: Perennial ryegrass is a versatile and durable grass species, widely used across UK golf courses for both fairways and roughs. Its fast germination and establishment makes it ideal for over seeding, particularly in the autumn and winter months when maintaining green coverage is essential.
Ryegrass produces a dense playing surface that can withstand heavy foot traffic, making it perfect for high-traffic areas such as fairways, tees, and walkways. It offers excellent recovery from wear, ensuring that the course remains playable and attractive even after tournament or periods of intense use.
Ryegrass also provides a bright green colour, giving the course a visually appealing look year-round. However, it requires consistent care to maintain its resilience, as it can be prone to disease in damp, cool conditions common in the UK.
Maintenance: Moderate – Ryegrass requires regular mowing to maintain a playable height, especially during peak growing seasons. It thrives in the UK’s cool, wet climate, but adequate drainage is important to prevent waterlogging, which can lead to fungal diseases such as red thread or rust.
Over seeding with ryegrass in the autumn helps repair any damage caused by summer play, ensuring strong growth in the following spring.
Irrigation may be necessary during dry periods, though ryegrass is relatively tolerant of cooler, wetter conditions. Fertilisation helps maintain its vibrant colour and durability, but it needs to be balanced to avoid excessive growth or disease pressure.
Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon)
Best For: Warmer microclimates or experimental settings (less common in the UK)
Characteristics: Bermuda grass is a warm-season grass that thrives in hot, sunny conditions, making it more common in tropical and subtropical regions. In the UK, it is rarely used due to the cooler climates, but it can be experimented with in well-heated or southern areas during particularly warm summers.
Bermuda grass is highly prized for its toughness and resilience, known for its ability to withstand extreme heat, drought, and heavy foot traffic, It establishes quickly and forms a dense, mat-like surface, which makes it excellent for tees, fairways, and even some rough areas where a firm surface is desired. However, in the UK’s cooler, wetter conditions, Bermuda grass can struggle and go dormant when temperatures drop, requiring careful management and supplemental care to maintain its health.
Maintenance: High in UK Setting – Bermuda grass requires plenty of sunlight and warmth to thrive, which can be a challenge in the UK’s temperate climate. It needs regular, frequent mowing to maintain its optimal height, especially during its active growing periods in the summer.
Water management is crucial, as Bermuda is drought-tolerant but requires deep, infrequent watering to encourage strong root growth.
In the cooler months, particularly in autumn and winter, Bermuda grass will need careful management, including over seeding with cool-season grasses like ryegrass to keep surfaces green and playable. Fertilisation and pest management are also necessary to keep it healthy, particularly if its stressed by cooler temperatures.
Zoysia Grass (Zoysia spp)
Best For: Warmer, temperate climates (less common in the UK)
Characteristics: Zoysia grass is a warm-season grass known for its dense growth and durability. Although more commonly found in warmer regions, it has been successfully used in some southern UK courses where summer temperatures are higher.
Zoysia is highly adaptable and forms a thick, carpet-like surface, making it ideal for fairways and tee boxes where a firm, resilient playing surface is needed. It’s prized for its slow growth and ability to tolerate both drought and foot traffic, which reduces the need for frequent mowing. Zoysia grass has a medium-to-coarse texture and can develop a beautiful, lush green appearance during the warmer months. However, like Bermuda grass, it can struggle in the UK’s cooler climate and may go dormant and turn brown during the colder months.
Maintenance: Moderate to high – Zoysia requires careful management to thrive in the UK’s climate. It grow’s slowly, which reduces the need for frequent mowing, but it also means it’s slow to recover from damage.
During the warm summer months, Zoysia performs well with minimal watering due to its drought resistance. However, it needs full sun to maintain its vigor and will thin out in shaded areas. In the colder months, Zoysia grass tends to go dormant and may require overseeding with a cool season grass like ryegrass to maintain green coverage. Fertilisation and pest management are important, especially to prevent diseases like Zoysia patch, which can occur in the cooler, damp UK climate.
Selecting the right type of grass for golf courses is fundamental to ensuring optimal playing conditions and aesthetic appeal. Each grass variety discussed – from the finely textured Bentgrass to the handy Fescue, and the warm-season Bermuda and Zoysia – offers distinct advantages and challenges suited to specific climates and course management styles.
For golf course managers, understanding these grasses’ unique characteristics, growth requirements, and maintenance needs is essential for creating a thriving golfing environment. By choosing the appropriate grass types, courses can enhance not only their playability but also their overall beauty.
Whether you’re a dedicated player, a greenkeeper, or simply a grass enthusiast, appreciating the nuances of these grass varieties deepens your understanding of the game and its landscape.
Ultimately, informed decisions about grass selection and management can lead to an exception golfing experience for all.
