| The type of grass you play on affects your game. | | | | spin to the ball. Finding out what type of grass you?re |
| That?s especially true when it comes to putting, where | | | | playing on before starting, as I often say in my golf |
| the type of grass can dramatically affect your putts. | | | | lessons and golf tips, can save you strokes. |
| Knowledge of how the different types of grass affect | | | | It?s especially helpful to know the type of grass used |
| your game, gained through all your golf lessons, golf | | | | on the greens. Some of the turf grasses developed |
| tips and personal experience, can help lower golf | | | | specifically for greens make them fast, especially if the |
| scores and golf handicaps. | | | | greens are well kept. TifEagle, a Bermuda grass |
| Although every locale is different, there are grasses | | | | developed for putting greens, is a good example of a |
| that can be used on almost on any course. There are | | | | turf grass that can be made really fast and thrives |
| also grasses that can be used only in specific areas of | | | | under close mowing and heat. Greens made with |
| the United States, like the South. In addition, there are | | | | Tifdwarf are also fast but you can?t keep it at the |
| specialized varieties of grass developed specifically for | | | | same height as bentgrass for long before it begins to |
| putting greens. Known as cultivars, these varieties | | | | thin out. |
| require intensive maintenance and considerable | | | | Grass and the Grain of the Putting Green |
| pesticide and herbicide maintenance. | | | | Creeping bentgrass is the grass of choice for putting |
| Types of Grass | | | | greens in any climate in which it can be grown. |
| Bentgrass is a hardy, resilient type of grass. Brought to | | | | Bentgrass has very thin blades, which grow densely. It |
| the America from Europe, this perennial is used on | | | | can be mowed very closely, resulting in a felt-like |
| courses in the North, Northeast, and Midwest because | | | | smoothness to the putting surface. |
| it withstands cool temperatures. Creeping bentgrass is | | | | Hot, humid climates take a toll on bentgrass greens, so |
| ideal for greens, fairways, and tees. Colonial bentgrass | | | | putting quality declines as temperatures rise. Hybrid |
| is better suited for fairways than greens because it?s | | | | Bermuda grass is used for putting greens in warm, |
| not well adapted to lower mowing heights. | | | | humid regions. It tolerates heat well under low moving |
| Bermuda grass is a textured, fast repairing grass. | | | | heights. |
| Native to Southern Europe, it?s used on courses in the | | | | The key with any grass, as I?ve pointed out in my golf |
| South because it withstands heat. It adapts well to low | | | | lessons and golf tips, is determining which way the |
| mowing heights and is wearable. Bermuda grass is | | | | grain goes. The grain is the direction the blades are |
| used for tees, fairways, and greens. In the cooler part | | | | growing thanks to factors like, the direction of the |
| of the season, Bermuda grass is overseeded with | | | | setting sun, prevailing winds, and water drainage on the |
| perennial ryegrass, known for its rapid reestablishment, | | | | greens. Aside from these identifiers, you can find the |
| until the Bermuda grass recovers from the Winter. | | | | grain?s direction by locating the brown, sunburned side |
| Other types of grass found on golf courses are | | | | of the hole (due to exposed roots). That?s generally |
| Kentucky bluegrass, Zoysia, a warm season grass, | | | | the direction the grass is growing. |
| and Bahiagrass, a low maintenance grass used in | | | | The grain can affect your putting. Putts traveling |
| roughs. St. Augustine grass, native to the Wet Indies, | | | | down-grain will go at a much faster pace than putts hit |
| can?t be used as far North as Bermuda grass. Poa | | | | into the grain, and breaking putts will either be magnified |
| anna, a bluegrass that thrives in cool and damp | | | | or reduced by the grain. Applying this understanding of |
| conditions such as northern California, does well in hot | | | | grain while on the course will allow you to visualize the |
| and humid conditions but not in cold and freezing | | | | speed and direction of your putts more precisely, |
| temperatures. Pebble Beach, for example, has poa | | | | ultimately leading to lower scores and lower golf |
| anna greens. | | | | handicaps. |
| How Grass Affects Your Game | | | | Now, what I?ve just explained to you should help you |
| A course?s conditions, which include the type of grass | | | | understand how grass affects your game, but |
| used in the fairways, affects how you play. For | | | | experience is the best teacher. Be aware of the type |
| example, the grass affects how much spin you can | | | | of grass you?re playing on and keep track of how it |
| put on the ball. You can put more spin on shots hit | | | | affects your game. Knowing how the grass plays can |
| from Zoysia grass than Bermuda grass because the | | | | lower your scores. |
| ball sits up better. Bentgrass is also better for adding | | | | |