[Brian_Gracely]

Anyone have any experience adding areas of "native grasses" to their courses?  By "native", I mean the long stuff that we've recently seen in pictures at Bandon Trails or Cuscowilla or other minimalist courses.

I ask because it's being proposed for several areas at Raleigh CC (almost 100% bermuda today, except greens) and I'm wondering how successful something like this can be.  Any trouble-areas that we should defnitely avoid?  Any tips for success?

[RJ_Daley]

Well, I guess I'll continue to beat the dead horse I have presented on my Rough Grass Management thread.

Of course I am not a turf manager, but I can comment on inclusions in new design or introduction of previous design native areas that I have seen from a layman's point of view.

It seems to me that designing such areas in naturally down wind of prevailing wind and irrigation placement is crucial.  Placing these areas in low areas where fertility will migrate by surface run-off is asking for a headache.  

I think one needs to have a plan as to what the response will be if and when circumstances cause the planned rough area to become unplayable.  What will you do in response to an excessively wet season that lights up the rough with excessive broadleaf plants?  Are there natural conditions that will work against native grass plant dominance over broadleafs?  

Most of the comment on the other thread is to let mother nature take care of the native areas.  I'm sorry, but I don't fully agree.  It is ideal to say that water and fert will be witheld and that will promote reasonable playing conditions.  Climates are vastly different.  Even the birds crap out different seeds by region.  Typical native prairie and grasses in Wisconsin are mighty different from native prairie in Kansas or Georgia or Raleigh.  

Even in western states there is a heck of a lot of differnce in how the native land supports various plants and favors certain ones over others.  I recently noted (whether the observation is incidental or relates to the actual science of the difference) that the native grasses and plants in their composition appears vastly different just from the North Platte area of Nebraska and Sand Hills region around there, to the native I saw about 150 miles away in Holyoke CO.  It seems to me there is a whole lot more Yucca in CO.  How that yucca promulgates itself, left to mother nature, and how much of it comprises the rough seems to be a pretty big factor in my view.  That same variation of plants composition from the Sand Hills I have seen in NE, differs a great deal from the plants in the rough in South Dakota at Sutton Bay.

What courses near you have successful native areas?  What do the do or with hold from management to promote success?  If there are none, maybe that is your answer.

[Craig Sweet]

I would offer that fertilizer "run off", or migration, is nearly a non issue these days. Most supers use small amounts (compared to say 30 years ago) and the ferts. stay put. If the crew is careful when laying the fert. down (broadcasting or using drop spreaders) it should not wind up in the natural areas in any meaningful amounts.

RJ, native plants have a natural occuring range that is based on many factors. Here in Montana you can drive 100 miles and lose 5" of annual precip. and have a desert plant community. Or, you can go up 2000ft in elevation and gain 10" of precip. and have lush green fescues.

So yeah, natural or native plants are relative to where you are. If done properly these natural areas will pretty much take care of themselves compared to the bent grass on your putting greens.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

We've pulled it all from the Kiawah courses.  While it may give a rough-edged look, it added a substantial amount of time to rounds with people losing balls in it...  We'd rather have better pace of play than a manfactured "natural" look...

[Brian_Gracely]

Thanks for the comments so far.  

Our "restoration architect" is just now starting to show the membership some of his plans.  From what I understand so far, the idea behind the native grasses is to limit the amount of area that needs to be maintained, and in some areas, to add challenge to the hole (don't get me started on why I think this is a mistake )

And to Dick Daley's point about the native grasses of this area, I honestly can't think of ANY course I've played that has those grasses except for maybe the monkey (love) grass at Pinehurst or the stuff they planted down at Tobacco Road.

[Don_Mahaffey]

Brian,
My advice is two fold, first, be sure you want to do it in the first place. It sounds cool, but the first time the club pres looses a ball in an area that used to be close cut turf you can be sure he will not be happy. I would just be very sure that adding native grass areas is something the membership will support over the long haul.

Second, and this is the hard part, you have to be patient. Native grasslands didn't evolve within a few months and your native areas wont either. If you push them to hard they will be a jungle. Expect your new native areas to take two or three seasons before they begin to look and play as you imagine. My experience is most don't have the patience to let the areas transition back to wild, native areas. Native means no management! Maybe at the most a guy with a back pack sprayer spot spraying noxious weeds, other then that try and stay out as the areas evolve and keep carts out of them! If you even think golf carts will end up in your new native areas then don't even bother trying to make the change. One thing most native grasses can't handle is cart traffic. Carts knock down the desirable grasses and disrupt the soil surface encouraging weeds to germinate. Think it all the way through, nothing worse then wasting the time and money to transition to native grass only to transition back to turf in a few years.

[Brian_Gracely]

Don,

Thanks for the advice, and most of your guidance matches my concerns.  I believe the real reason this is being proposed is because these new minimalist courses are getting so much press and our club owner is seeking to get our course more highly ranked.  I know, I know....it's not the right reasons to be doing anything.  

It's going to be interesting to see what happens.  I really can't see the membership liking this, as it's hard enough to find balls in bermuda rough.  

[Craig Sweet]

Here is a link to the USGA site on turf management. Just scroll down to the section on bunkers and rough and you'll find two articles about native and natural areas.

http://www.usga.org/turf/articles/management/golf_course_management.html

It could be your club owner is looking at reducing his maintinence costs?

[Steve Lang]

 

Here's an example that can be cited as a disaster,..

The Woodlands CC & Resort Panther Trails (aka, original WCC front 9+, North Course, Pines) 2002 renovation by Roy Case.   Ostensibly done to improve drainage, redo the green complexes, reconfigure some holes, reduce maintenance costs...  IMHO the native grasses part was a real fiasco.. i.e.,

1) you don't take a manicured looking course and turn it rustic, it doesn't fit and the neighbors went ballistic with what they found in their back yards

2) you can't cover it up (weeds etc) with 20,000 lbs of wild flower seed,

3) the lost balls (and ball hunters) slowed play horribly,

4) the new animal habitat brought the good, the bad and the ugly i.e., birds, bunnies, other 4-legged ones and preditors like snakes etc..

5)  the first thing folks would ask is how many ball you lost or found versus your score!

6)  the horrible look and airborne stuff resulting from when you chop it down due to overgrowth or going back to simple grassed rough areas..

I HOPE YOU DON"T GO THERE!!!

[Jeff_Mingay]

The addition of "native grass areas" has been very successful at a course I'm working at currently. Actually, the superintendent introduced these areas before we became involved with a renovation project.

These areas really cut down on mowing time, for one. Previously, this particular course was mown wall-to-wall. I'm not sure how many acres of "native areas" have been introduced, but mowing has been substantially reduced as a result.

These areas are generally well-placed (in other words, there hasn't been a lot of complaining about lost balls), and they add some nice texture to an otherwise "green" landscape.

Moreover, the local conservation authority looks highly upon them.

[Jim Thompson]

Brian,

We are very happy with our various native wetland and prairie areas.  I would however offer two caveats.  

The first is to inform the customer base of your final intention as some stands / varieties may take a few years to reach the beautiful stage.  Most native grasses and varieties do not require fert or irrigation and only begin to grow above ground once they are fully established relative to root depth.  So in the "grow-in" stage you may literally be looking at weeds, particularly if the area you are converting has water or has unused nutrients.  The exception being wetland areas that need to be burnt off then seeded with native wet species.

The second would be to avoid the temptation to pursue a mono-stand.  Use various grass types and to maximize color and pop through out the season and recognize that not everything you want and plant will grow.  Its the just part of the native God decides what grows here picture.


As for maintenance; in the first years you may find yourself mowing at various heights and times of year to minimize seed heads from unwanted invasive plant materials like thistle.  Second selective and planned burning is a part of successful native management in most cases and you’d best make sure that the smoke and what not are ok with the neighbors.  Timely burning and proper annual mowing can eliminate and/or drastically reduce the presents of undesirable critters as well.

Have plenty of patience!  Explain the goal to the customer and explain the timeline so they can have as much patience as possible as well.  Native areas are not for those with a need for instant gratification.

We used a native specialist and have eight different custom mixes on our sight each specific to soil type, sun, water, etc.  Avoid the “wild flowers” for forbs where possible, the result is more natural and over the long term a better bang for the buck!

Cheers!

JT

[RJ_Daley]

congrats on what sounds like a comprehensive and detailed plan at Angels Crossing, that you brought to fruition Jim.

[TEPaul]

Brian:

I've no real idea what the overall "look" of your course and it's area is but up here in the Northeast on many of our courses the idea and inclusion of "native areas" (fescue and mix) has been a virtual disaster on some courses and clubs. It was basically responsible for a membership revolution on an otherwise excellent restoration at Aronimink.

We considered it in our restoration, as Gil Hanse proposed it in basically "off play" areas but the committee turned down the idea rather quickly. In restrospect I think that decision was a good one.

We, at first, thought the fact that those areas would not have to be mowed was a good thing but our superintendent convinced us that really wouldn't be a cost saving seeing as what would probably have to be done to establish fescue native areas properly over time and then maintain them properly.

But my feeling about some of the courses up here in the Northeast is many of them are basically of the "parkland" style of architecture and that very interesting "look", type and style of golf course does not look right and is in no way traditional with fescue rough native areas.

I was absolutely astounded to see an entire photo book at NGLA with photos that must have been 80-90 years old of a golf course, probably in England (although it may have been in the States) that was the classic "Parkland" look and how extensive the mown areas were! (They seemed to go on forever through the trees and allees and the thought certainly occured to me how and with what they actually mowed all that area that long ago).

I like "native areas" in some locals and on some types and styles of golf course but in the classic "parkland" style course, in my opinion, it should never be used and not the least reason being it just looks completely out of place in that particular overall setting!

[SL_Solow]

We began our program at Briarwood more than 20 years ago and have expanded it over the years.  Our greenkeeper viewed native plantings as a way to naturalize the course while reducing maintenance.  We are fortunate to have as a member an individual involved in prarie restoration who consulted on the types of grasses.  They are generally out of play and add beauty and "texture" to the course.  An added benefit is that they create habitat for smaller animals which helps draw other types to the area.  Thus in the Chicago urban area we have created a 170 acre mini ecosystem complete with deer, fo, coyote, red tailed hawks. a predatory owl, heron, egret etc.  So much for the negative effect of golf on the environment.  I would further emphasize making sure you become educated on the types of plantings best suited to your area and the proper placement and treatment of the grasses once planted.

[Jeff_McDowell]

In the MN area, I think the Chaska Town Course has used natives well. At this course they used truly native plants, not unmowed fescues. The grasses get anwhere from 3 to 7 feet tall, and are completely unplayable. The flowers bloom in spring and summer, and the grasses turn a beautiful red in the fall.

They work hard at maintaining the prairie by burning it every spring. This work is getting easier, because the plants are dense enough to get a good fire going. This wasn't the case in the beginning.

I think the biggest reason prairie works in Chaska, is that large areas are set aside as prairie. There is probably a three acre area between three holes that is all prairie. I don't think it would work as well with smaller areas dispersed throughout the course.

[Doug Siebert]

5)  the first thing folks would ask is how many ball you lost or found versus your score!

6)  the horrible look and airborne stuff resulting from when you chop it down due to overgrowth or going back to simple grassed rough areas..

5) Sounds like Muirfield...

6) If it is truly native grass, you shouldn't be "chopping it down", you burn it!  My home course has a number of areas of longer grass, which is just the regular bluegrass/rye rough allowed to grow unhindered.  There is also one area of a few acres of true native prairie grass that grows to about 6-8 feet tall just like it did here 200 years ago.  It is burnt off each fall, which is how native prairie areas are supposed to be managed (kills weeds & any trees wanting to spring up, but the prairie grasses regrow without additional seeding required)

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()