Paspalum playability?

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Paspalum has become the preferred Fairway grass for new golf courses in the warm climate zone of the Canary Islands, which is similar to North Africa.

The grass is preferred mainly for it’s salt resistant characteristics, where recycling of waste water is required, but also shows great playability when well maintained.

The playing characteristics of Paspalum in a project of mine in Fuerteventura are very positive. The grass can be cut low enough that a genuine “ground game” with long roll outs can be maintained - so that the “feeds” shaped in the fairways leading into the greens, can be well utilised.

The appearance in colour and texture are also, for my scottish taste, very “pleasing” - not too green as long as the watering is controlled.

What are your experiences with  paspalum from a playability perspective?

[Bill_McBride]

The only course I've played with paspalum grass is Forrest Richardson's Links at Las Palomas in Mexico on the Sea of Cortez. 

My experience was much like yours.  The turf is very tight, like links turf, and firm for my favorite ground game shots.   I'm a fan.

[Jud_T]

John,
I played several courses in Cabo that utilized it.  It's very good if kept short.  It works less well if cut to rough length, and particularly poorly as greenside rough IMO.

[Bruce Leland]

I played a Hurdzan Fry Course in FL called The Plantation that was wall to wall Paspalum and found it very tight and playable. 

[Bill_McBride]

John,
I played several courses in Cabo that utilized it.  It's very good if kept short.  It works less well if cut to rough length, and particularly poorly as greenside rough IMO.

Who would want "green side rough?" IMHO that's a big problem in itself!

[Adam Clayman]

We played the Ocean course at Kiawah Island which has Paspalum greens. They were delicious.

I do remember Ran commenting once about how in Australia, they consider it a weed.

[Jamie Van Gisbergen]

John,
I played several courses in Cabo that utilized it.  It's very good if kept short.  It works less well if cut to rough length, and particularly poorly as greenside rough IMO.

Please explain what you mean about it working poorly as rough.

[Yancey_Beamer]

Fairbanks Ranch CC in Del Mar CA has paspalum due to the salinity of the local well water.This grass is excellent.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Before using it, I played a few courses in the Hilton Head area that were wall to wall paspalum.  I found it superior (slightly) to bermuda for both fw and greens.

[Jud_T]

John,
I played several courses in Cabo that utilized it.  It's very good if kept short.  It works less well if cut to rough length, and particularly poorly as greenside rough IMO.

Please explain what you mean about it working poorly as rough.

Jamie,

It doesn't have a lot of give so it really grabs the club.  The closest thing I can compare it to in my experience is Kikuyu. If it's cut to rough length around the greens I found that it killed the opportunity for any finesse shots and one was relegated to a bit of a hack and hope situation.  As others have opined, it works very well for links style courses where ground game options are an integral part of the interest and defense of the design.

[Kalen Braley]

So what are the downsides to this grass.

Given that its salt resistant, one would think this grass would be used in a lot more applications. 

For example does it require more weed n' feed?  More water?  More mowing?

Thanks in advance.

[Jamie Van Gisbergen]

Jud: Sooooo let me get this right....its a poor grass because its actually penalizing when cut at rough length?? Oh the humanity!!!!!!!  :*(

[Bill_McBride]

Jud: Sooooo let me get this right....its a poor grass because its actually penalizing when cut at rough length?? Oh the humanity!!!!!!!  :*(

I think you missed Jud's key point.   Paspalum is a grass that is tight and firm like links turf.  Letting it grow into rough around the greens takes away the ground game options that the turf allows.  It would be self-defeating to grow that kind of rough in areas around the green.  Kikuyu at places like Riviera and LaCumbre is awful, I suspect paspalum rough would be similar.

I don't think he said anything about it being a "poor" grass either.

[Jamie Van Gisbergen]

Jud: Sooooo let me get this right....its a poor grass because its actually penalizing when cut at rough length?? Oh the humanity!!!!!!!  :*(

I think you missed Jud's key point.   Paspalum is a grass that is tight and firm like links turf.  Letting it grow into rough around the greens takes away the ground game options that the turf allows.  It would be self-defeating to grow that kind of rough in areas around the green.  Kikuyu at places like Riviera and LaCumbre is awful, I suspect paspalum rough would be similar.

I don't think he said anything about it being a "poor" grass either.

But the green doesn't have to be surrounded on all sides by rough. And he said it doesn't work well as fairway rough either. If a green has a 35 yard wide opening up front and rough on the flanking sides, how is any ground option lost? Seems to me that it is not. Perhaps you couldn't run the ball off as far with a poor shot, but that's secondary. He seems to be indicating, to my understanding, that paspalum is not well suited to rough because it is penalizing. That seems to run counter to the purpose of rough, which is to penalize off line shots.

[Jud_T]

Jamie,

A large brick wall in the fairway is penalizing also, it just doesn't allow much variety in the types of shots played...

[Jamie Van Gisbergen]

Jamie,

A large brick wall in the fairway is penalizing also, it just doesn't allow much variety in the types of shots played...

So do you not want rough at all on the golf course? What is it you're looking for here? I guess I'm just used to living in the South, where fairways are almost always surrounded by bermuda rough, which is not the easiest stuff to play from, so that's just what I'm used to. I've always thought that near knee high Johnson Grass or Dallas Grass would make some real sporty rough grass.

[Jud_T]

It's not a question of rough or no rough, I have no problem with rough as a concept.  It's a question of how various grasses behave cut at different lengths.  I'd say it's a fair bit stingier than bermuda and has so little give as to be no fun for anyone.  Even very strong players who have spent a lot of time in the gym are relegated to one decision.  The point is that options and thought are more interesting, particularly over repeated plays, than one-dimensional golf, particularly when you take into consideration the skillset of the average player who will be using the facilities...

[Brent Hutto]

I played a local course once (and once only) that had Common Bermuda fairways, roughs, putting greens, tees. Basically the entire property where ever there weren't trees was wall-to-wall Common Bermuda interspersed with a fair crop of weeds. The putting greens as far as I can recall were basically round areas with one sprinkler head in the middle so the "green" was the lusher Bermuda grass within the throw of that sprinkler. Otherwise, the (unirrigated) fairways and roughs were almost indistinguishable and it wasn't that easy to tell putting green from fairway since there had been some rain recently. I think they mowed the greens every couple of days, the fairway every couple of weeks and the rough a couple of times per summer. Worst 15 dollars I ever wasted on a supposed round of golf.

Now I suppose from some perspectives (M.H.M.? J.V.G?) I should accept that the course must be played as I find it. There was grass to putt on, longer grass to play approach shots from, flattish areas from which to tee off, longer unkempt grass to disappear a mishit tee ball. It's golf! What am I complaining about?

But complain I did. Common Bermuda may make a dandy rough and if kept short, de-thatched and de-weeded can even make an acceptable fairway. Putting green? Not so much. Putting green Stimping around 2.5-3 feet? Not a chance, I'd rather spend the afternoon at work in a staff meeting.

I think Jud is sharing the opinion that ankle-deep Paspalum bordering greens is akin to 3/8" Common Bermuda for a putting surface. Sure it's supposed to be a hazard but almost anything or nothing at all would make a more suitable greenside hazard.

[paul cowley]

Its a great turf...have used it on three courses. In the right sandy conditions and with good water it's like Bermuda on steroids. The older rap was that it thatched too much for greens, but that has lessened with the newest varieties...Platinum being one...which are more fine textured and thatch less. In many situations the same variety can be used for rough, fairways and greens...which is great from a maintenance viewpoint.

I predict that in 15 years it will make Bermuda grasses go the way of Beta Max (or just make Bermuda a thing of the past for you youngsters out there)...as they share similar growth zones.

[Michael Goldstein]

Kyle Phillips new course in Abu Dhabi, Yas Links, has paspalum and it plays really well. Particularly compared with other courses in the area.

[Tom Yost]

How would it work in the desert climate like Phoenix that presents some turf challenges?
- Very hot in the summer
- Mild winter but some frost or occasional hard freeze possible
- Mostly heavy clay soil
- recycled water with high salt content.

Does the paspalum go dormant in the winter like bermuda? Would overseeding be necessary?

As far as rough goes, bermuda rough is not particularly fun.

[Brent Hutto]

I've played on it at Kiawah during the winter and it goes golden brown and dormant. Not pale straw-colored like Bermuda and it sure seemed to me the dormant putting greens were firmer and more resilient than dormant Bermuda would have been, although it was just late December so I don't know how it looked come February.

[Bill_McBride]

How would it work in the desert climate like Phoenix that presents some turf challenges?
- Very hot in the summer
- Mild winter but some frost or occasional hard freeze possible
- Mostly heavy clay soil
- recycled water with high salt content.

Does the paspalum go dormant in the winter like bermuda? Would overseeding be necessary?

As far as rough goes, bermuda rough is not particularly fun.

Tom, give Forrest a call.  I don't think he's used it your area but did down at Puerto Penasco/Rocky Point to good advantage.

[Ted Cahill]

Newport Dunes, Arnold Palmer links like course near Corpus Christi, TX is the first and only course I have played that has Paspalum.  I thought it was great.  the "links like" of this design doesn't merit the usual eyerolling- this is an ocean course with lots of wind and routed through sand dunes.  The Paspalum and the wind make for some fun rollouts on the fairways- I'm suprised this course doesn't get more attention on the DG. 

[William_G]

Just played three courses on Oahu with Paspalum: Koolau,Turtle Bay Palmer and Fazio. I was expecting bermuda, and was pleasantly surprised at how they have gone to paspalum.

Looks good, no grain on the greens, like salt air and non-potable water... seems low maintenance and I really liked the playability, I used all my clubs including driver off the deck into the wind...grass stands up nicely on greens and in fairways, the ball doesn't plunge too much in to the rough, but it was not thick rough.

I think it would be a good architectural material to be specified at a course regardless of style of play design.

Thanks