Grasses that grow on courses

[Jack_Marr]

Can someone explain these to me? What grasses have what "properties"?

Do some not grow in colder climates or in particular soil types etc...

I remember I was in Mt Juliet last year a while before the American Express. They were going to narrow the fairways to make it a little bit more difficult. They idea was just to let the grass grow at the edges of the fairways, but tournament officials said they couldn't as the pros were used to hitting out of rough that was a particular grass variety - not the one on the fairways...

[RJ_Daley]

Jack, turf is a great big subject, and like TEPaul says, there is room in it for everyone...

There are several ways to characterise growth habits of turf.  First, warm season and cool season grasses.  i.e. bermuda's VS bentgrasses, fescues, blues,  and the transitional Zoyzias.

But, more in line with your question is growth habits in leaf blades and rooting.  There are those that are stoleniferous, or rizomatic (meaning heavy rooting and tiller spreading anatomy where growth of leafs keep cropping up out of spreading tillers) and bunch like, meaning rooting that goes straight down off of one main root and grows the leafs in small bunches straight up (more or less)   Then there is the leaf textures, which can range from fine to coarse with upright to laid down habits.   Obviously, that all effects the how the ball sets up upon or among those turf leafs blades and is effected by the height of the cut of those leafs.  The really agressive rizome and stolen growth turf must be core aerated and sliced in some fashion or they become a thatch fest of puffiness.

A good book for the basics is James Beard's, "Turf Management for Golf Courses".

[Jack_Marr]

I like the green stuff.

On a kind of separate note, I think course conditioning over this side of the pond has improved enormously over the last 10 yrs. Maybe this is due to greater knowlege of turf etc.

[A_Clay_Man]

Isn't it dichotomous to want narrower fairways and then state that the pros aren't use to hitting out of a certain type of grass.

Do they want it more difficult? I'd say they want it easier?

Narrowing fairways for difficulties sake, may be one of the biggest oxymorons in golf. That and "safely on."