Whispy Fescue

[Phil Benedict]

I was reading a Merion thread and one of the posts talked about how penal the fescue can be there, severely punishing shots that are just a little bit off line.  I hate this kind of grass because it overly penal even if you are lucky enough to find your ball.

Whispy fescue is another matter.  It looks just as good; doesn't increase lost balls; and allows for recovery.  Unfortunately, most of the fescue I've seen is of the more penal variety.  The best example of whispy fescue I've played in recent years was at New Haven Country Club.

Is it hard to grow fescue that is tall and thin (sounds like Maria Sharapova) where you can find and play your ball?

[Jordan Wall]

Phil,

In Ran's profile of Maidstone, there is note of how the fescue type grass (outside the fairways) looks thick but the ball is easily findable when hit into it.

[Rich Goodale]

Phil

In the UK it depends on the weather.  Last year when it was hot and dry all sumnmer, the rough (fescue and otherwise) was thin and wispy (think Hoylake).  This year, where there was not a summer (at least yet) the rough has been thick and gnarly (think Carnoustie).

The former condition usually prevails, but unless Al Gore fixes something--and soon!--the latter condition seems to be becoming endemic.

Rich

[Tom_Doak]

If the soils are sandy, fescue can be remarkably thin and still provide a good surface.  But, on more fertile soils, people tend to seed at a heavy rate because they don't want dirt showing and erosion potential, and then it will get thick and nasty.

[Rich Goodale]

He can play that 1-iron like a ringin' the bell.

Tommy be good!

[Jason Topp]

Is it hard to grow fescue that is tall and thin (sounds like Maria Sharapova) where you can find and play your ball?

Windsong Farm outside of Minneapolis has been trying very hard to get this right.  I'm not sure how successful they have been because I have usually played there late or early in the season.

[Phil Benedict]

If the soils are sandy, fescue can be remarkably thin and still provide a good surface.  But, on more fertile soils, people tend to seed at a heavy rate because they don't want dirt showing and erosion potential, and then it will get thick and nasty.

Tom,

As a critic of lost ball hazards, do you resist developer entreaties to have fescue all over the place?

[Ray Richard]

Fescues require very limited amounts of water and no fertilizer.

 St Andrews uses a very limited amount of fertilizer on their fescues.They are by nature a grass that grows in a bunch or a clump.

If you have a pure fescue rough you can find your ball quickly.

If you try to over manage them then they become a safe haven for native ryegrass and weeds. Frequently they get overspray from irrigation water and then they become a mess, at which point you need to cut them flush and redirect your irrigation system.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Using top soil with just a 25mm covering can also help give a
thin sward, this can be achieved by hand around bunker faces, but its hard to do over larger areas and the deeper soils will produce patchy/ cabbage type vegatation amongst thin areas. Sowing with straight chewings fescue will produce a relative low growing plant; Ihave tried Golden oatgrass inout of play areas although I could not really make it work it just got invaded by other non desireable things. I have not tried this but was considering not top soiling the areas around the bunker faces and surrounds and then turfing with ' turf grown to be used on a green' ie high in chewings fescue... anyone any experience?