Green Surrounds / Grassing

[Mike Hendren]

Looking at today's AOTD one is struck by the different shade of the grass surrounding the greens.  This is fairly commonplace among newer courses (Whistling Straits, Wild Horse et al), but why?  When did this concept come into vogue and is it artificial (any more so than green, green grass)?

Do you like it?

Mike

[Bob_Huntley]

Mike.

Isn't it because the surrounds are turfed and the remainder is planted from seed?

[Mike Hendren]

Bob,

All I know about grass is that I have to mow 1.2 acres every week.  I was under the impression that a different grass or blend was used in many instances.

Mike

[Scott_Burroughs]

At Rustic, the green surrounds are a bent mix, the same as  the greens.  Rest of fairways are different grass.

[TEPaul]

Mike:

Excellent, excellent question. This is a subject that we're trying to address at my course. It seems sort of superfluous to have up to 3-4 different "cuts" and heights immediately surrounding putting surfaces plus it's a good question about the general artificialness of the look of it. I think it's just something that's become basically a look of the age although the super talks about mowing considerations, turning, whatever, and not coming too close to bunkering with machinery for one reason or another.

But the fact of the greenspace cut right up to the edges of bunkering on the sandbelt courses of Australia makes one wonder. I'm sure not crazy about the rough cut collars surrounding fairway bunkering either and I did a bit of research on that some months ago from old course photos and it seems that "look" was always a part of American architecture although the rough cut collars seemed to have been shorter in the old days. I like the idea of increasing the effectiveness and function of bunkering by letting balls into them more easily and I like the idea of close cuts around greenspace too as it produces more possibilities of club selection--more options in fact--always a good thing to increase in golf and architecture.

[Brad Swanson]

At WH the greens are bent, the apron/green surrounds are fescue, and the fairways are bluegrass.


Cheers,
Brad Swanson

[A_Clay_Man]

Talking stick north has the most beautiful carpet of low cut bermuda I have ever seen. Grant it, my exposure to Bermuda is extremely limited (thank god) but this was special. No rough, and perfection personified. The greens were a type of bermuda that was a darker green than the norm(?). There was only a slight difference in color not really noticeable from ones periphrial vision when approaching or chipping to those greens.

[Mike Hendren]

At WH the greens are bent, the apron/green surrounds are fescue, and the fairways are bluegrass.

Brad,

I suspected there were three grasses at WH, but was not sure.  The question is why?  Maintenance?  Playing characteristics?  Heaven forbid, asethetics?

Regards,

Mike

[Brad Swanson]

Mike,
   I'm guessing that fescue was chosen for the surrounds for both playing characteristics and maybe as a buffer to keep the bluegrass fairways away from the bentgrass greens (a wild guess there ).

Cheers,
Brad S.

[Pete Lavallee]

Mike;  

I think the green surrounds at Rustic Canyon are great for many reasons. I assure you that at ground level they appear very natural and are reminiscent of the links golf found in the UK; they make the rather average size greens at Rustic appear to be as large as ones at the Old Course. They help make the ground game part of golf here in So. Cal., where the ariel route is the only game in town. It lets golfers of lesser skill compete and keep up, by letting them land 20 yards short of the green and run on. It also lets them use the putter from as far as 20 yards off the green; although putting the ball close enough to actually make the next one is far from guaranteed. Many options are presented greenside, with the L-wedge usually the least desireable; I'll bet Moriarty and Naccarato have invested in one of those "low bounce " models. I really wish more courses would follow their lead as it's a large part of the "fun factor" you hear about so much at RC. In answer to your question the shading comes from the slight difference in mowing height and at ground level is more about texture than aesthetics, with both being bent grass.