benefits (and problems) of bermuda grass on fairways

[astavrides]

I played a course in lower Delaware last week that had bermuda fairways.  The grass was still dormant at this time of year and the tournament was played lift, clean, and place. The guy in the pro shop told me that the benefit of Bermuda was in maintenance--no cutting or dressing (pesticides etc) required.  I would guess that the downside (other than the dormancy 5 or so months of the year) is that the ball probably doesnt run as well, nor sit up on the grass as well.
Is this a fair rendering of the pros and cons of bermuda fairways?
Thanks.

[RT]

Cynodon in Delaware?

[Craig Van Egmond]

Alex,

      As RT points out that's pretty far north for bermuda grass, that could be the problem right there.      Generally bermuda is found in the warmer southern states like Florida and Texas.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

As someone residing in predominantly Bermuda country, I will offer my 10 pence worth.

Yes the dormancy period is rather extended, basically november to mid may..but once it has arrived, the ball can sit up nicley and the fairways made to run rather well...you can certainly have firm fast bermuda fairways.
As a grass it has the amazing ability to repair itself, so in the growing season, divots dont remain that way very long...just kick them in and next week they are gone.
It also creates some great penal rough..without requiring much height to be penal.

[Craig Sweet]

"As a grass it has the amazing ability to repair itself, so in the growing season, divots dont remain that way very long...just kick them in and next week they are gone."

Well yeah, the only thing that might grow faster is kudzu.  

[Steve Lang]

 

down here in se tx, it doesn't start growing well until root zone stays above ~65°F..

[Bill_McBride]

Here on the Gulf Coast, when the Bermuda is at its thinnest in deep winter, the golf course never plays any faster.  When the poa  overseed is cut down tight, the course is fast as lightning.  In those conditions, the typical short game club of choice is the Texas wedge.  The turf is tight and it's a lot easier to get a putter tracking.  I would much prefer to play on this surface than on over-irrigated zoyzia or other grasses kept too wet.

[astavrides]

Steve,
They told me that it has the ground has to be 55F or higher to grow at their course in DE.

Bill,
I know what you mean about dormant Bermuda playing firm and fast in winter. Can it also play firm and fast in summer in your region when it isnt dormant?

On this course I played, it wasnt that way.  Maybe they were starting to water it since it maybe was about to come out of dormancy?  But it also wasnt a full carpet of dormant bermuda--it was sparse, almost looked diseased.  I hadnt seen anything like it before.  

[Steve Okula]

It doesn't surprise me that some one is trying bermuda in Delaware.

Delaware is squarely in the transition zone, the hardest place to manage turf in North America. The cold winters are less than ideal for bermudagrass, but the hot, humid, summers  are perfect for fungal diseases, that put a real hurt on the cool-season grasses like bentgrass, ryegrass, or bluegrass.
Fungicides may control the disease, but only at a huge cost, especially for large areas like fairways.

Add to that the infestations of summer weeds like crabgrass and crowfoot, the odd infestation of insects like grubs and cutworms, not to mention heat and dorught stress and wilting, and I can appreciate that it is an advantage to have dormant, brown  bermuda turf in the winter in order to get some sleep in the summer.