Economic Grasses in the Transition Zone

[Jason Thurman]

Near my hometown in Central Kentucky is a fairly poor golf course that, earlier this year, looked to be closing down. It was purchased by the owners of a higher end course a few miles down the road, apparently with the intention of turning it into a bargain option and a good place to host outings. There's nothing fancy about it and no one appears to have fancy aspirations with it. It is to be a low-cost course that does a large number of rounds.

Despite being a below average design, it has a few things going for it. It's in a relatively good location and is mostly surrounded by other poor courses, some of which look to be preparing to close. In the past, when it's been decently maintained, it's been reasonably successful.

The current fairways are a fairly typical low-quality rye, probably with some fescue and bluegrass mixed in. It's nothing fancy, but makes a fine surface aside from the peak of summer, when it gets a bit burned out.

They're transitioning the fairways to Bermuda, beginning with four holes this summer. In Central Kentucky, Bermuda is Bermuda in the summer but dormant from October-April/May.

So, my questions are:

1. What are the benefits of switching? Is Bermuda much less expensive to maintain than rye in the transition zone? Does it have other advantages over rye? Personally, I just don't see a substantial difference in playability, so I'm wondering if someone might be able to offer other reasons for making such a change.

2. Does their staggered approach of doing a few holes at a time make sense? Or would you rather make such a change all at once, and just bite the bullet on closing the course for a while if needed?

[Ken Moum]

I've lived in the transition zone for about 14 years, having moved here (Topeka) from further north.

When I got here I was astounded at the stress our summer weather put on the cool-season turf.  In the last three summers, it has gotten even worse. Thanks to cool wet summers in 2008 and 2009, our fairways had converted to about 50% Poa annua, and when the wickedly hot summer of arrived, we lost huge areas of turf.

It happened again last year, and it would have happened again this year, except we have new ownership who decided not to waste money buying water from the city, and they managed to kill all the Poa before it succumbed to heat stress.

BUT... even with the tight watering budget, the patches of common Bermuda we have scattered all over are thriving.  Of course, if we get a bad winter, a lot of it is going to suffer from winter loss.

Virtually every other golf course around here has given up and converted their fairways to zoysia.  It can handle the heat beautifully, it has almost no disease pressure, it doesn't require as much water, and a healthy stand will choke out most weeds.

It does go dormant in the winter, but dormant zoysia is actually a wonderful playing surface, and the only downside is that divots don't fill in. 

I suspect that in Kentucky, bermuda offers the same advantages.

My only complaint about zoysia is that no one here cuts it low enough to get any roll.  And the lies are so fluffy that a good player could hit driver out of almost any fairway lie.  It makes every lazy about technique, because it's like hitting off the brush-like mats at a driving range.

K

[Jeff_Brauer]

Like Ken said, there are no really good options, and Zoysia is probably the best overall answer, with not a lot coming in second place.  It does limit roll, and works terrible for chipping areas around greens.  It needs a minimum pitch of 4-5% in all areas to avoid being a soggy mess and unless sodded, takes forever to establish.

I think you will lose bermuda every few years.

For what it's worth, in his area of KS, presumably close in climate to KY (but you would need to double check) when we cannot afford Zoyzia, we go to bent fw and fescue roughs.  I just don't like fescue fw!  Obviously, you pick the variety of bent for heat tolerance over color, playabilty, etc.  Those two have similar drought tolerance and irrigation needs, whereas blues need a bit more irrigation and you need to water for one or the other.  Also, the low mow blues just don't look great there, getting real patchy.

[Jason Thurman]

Jeff, on higher end courses in Kentucky (relatively speaking, as you probably can't find a public in the state that charges more than about $60), bent is the obvious answer. I'm sure it requires more input and maintenance cost, but it's a great playing surface and can run fast and firm when maintained well. Most players also really like zoysia, though the clientelle on this forum probably doesn't like the velcro characteristics it has.

I also think that, if I were building a new course (not that anyone would ever let me do that), I'd go with bent as my first choice and zoysia as my second.

But this is an established course built in 1968 that's had a rye blend for over 40 years. The course has fallen into poor shape, but the fairways have always been just fine in the summer before and most of their conditioning issues have to do with greens, tees, bunkers, and just general issues stemming from neglect after the course closed for a few months last year and through the winter.

How much will a Bermuda conversion cost? How much less can they expect to spend on maintenance annually? And is doing the conversion four holes at a time over the course of several summers the right approach?

For the non-supers/architects, do you prefer Bermuda to rye blends in fairways on bargain courses in the transition zone, where Bermuda spends 6 or 7 months each year dormant and rye gets burned up in the summer? Part of my hangup and skepticism is that I really would rather have rye than Bermuda because it plays better 10 months out of the year.

[Tom_Doak]

Jason:

My course in Evansville, Indiana, Quail Crossing, was built on a minimal budget 15 years ago.  We chose bermuda for the fairways because we couldn't afford to sod zoysia, or to maintain bentgrass.  Winterkill is always a concern, but I don't believe they have had excessive problems with it in the past 15 years, and would still make the same decision to go with Bermuda today.

I guess it depends on what you're after.  Bermuda will be dormant for much of the year, but dormant grass is not a bad playing surface as long as there is not high-volume cart traffic.  Golfers, of course, like green grass, but they don't like soggy green grass.

Environmentally, zoysia and bermuda are way better options than bent or ryegrass.  I'm not as big a fan of zoysia as some ... it is great if you've got great drainage (surface drainage as Jeff mentions, and/or sandy soils), but there is very little bounce and roll, which are big parts of the game for me.  And zoysia sucks when it's dormant and wet.

Lots of people go with rye because it's easy to re-seed when you lose it, but actually trying to keep it year-round requires a significant chemical budget, as does bentgrass.  With a great superintendent and a fair budget, these can be excellent choices in the short term, but without both of those, the cool-season grasses will be overwatered and the playing surface won't be what you expect of bentgrass.   

[JR Potts]

Is it now time to move the transition zone to anything south of Minneapolis and north of St. Louis?  It seems like it has been 90 degrees in Chicago since February.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Courses like Prairie Dunes do have rye grass and it can be excellent, but most courses do reseed portions of it often, and some supers call it "die grass" so it's considered a risky choice for lower budget courses.

I think as time goes on, the perception of bent maintenance has changed from overwatered, oversprayed, tougher to maintain to "different." I'm surprised how little water and ferts the bent takes in KS.  A large part of the choice might go to your super and the types of grass he is most familiar with.  IN that zone, each will have their own take, although you might make a grass choice and force an unwilling super to make a tough choice of leaving the job, too.

It's really a question of what grass will do best the longest part of the year, and what type of problems you are most willing to deal with - die off, long dormancy, initial cost, long term cost, etc.

[Tom_Doak]

Is it now time to move the transition zone to anything south of Minneapolis and north of St. Louis?  It seems like it has been 90 degrees in Chicago since February.

That could be called global warming.  You don't believe in that, do you?  I'm sure it will cool off any month now.

[JR Potts]

Is it now time to move the transition zone to anything south of Minneapolis and north of St. Louis?  It seems like it has been 90 degrees in Chicago since February.

That could be called global warming.  You don't believe in that, do you?  I'm sure it will cool off any month now.

I don't believe in global warming.  I believe in climate change.

[Tom_Doak]

I don't believe in global warming.  I believe in climate change.

Oh.  Cool.

Let's hope this doesn't turn political.

[BCrosby]

Isn't humidity also factor in setting transition zones?

I have been told that bent does well in Arizona, despite the high temps, because of the low humidity of the desert. But it struggles in GA because of the higher humidity, even though summer temps In GA are lower.

Is that right?

Bob

[Tom_Doak]

Isn't humidity also factor in setting transition zones?

I have been told that bent does well in Arizona, despite the high temps, because of the low humidity of the desert. But it struggles in GA because of the higher humidity, even though summer temps In GA are lower.

Is that right?

Bob

Bob:

That's right, I think ... bentgrass would be subject to more disease pressure at higher humidity.  But there are people on this board who know way more about turf than I do, so I should bow out here.

[Bill_McBride]

To quote Jeff Brauer:  "And zoysia sucks when it's dormant and wet."

Just took me one round in the rain at East Lake to learn the truth of that statement!

I think dormant Bermuda in the winter is a great playing surface, and it handles summer heat and humidity better than any other grasses, I think.

[BCrosby]

Bill -

I'm with you. I'm not even a fan of zoysia when it's dry and green. As TD notes above, it eliminates roll. 

Equally bad is that once you set zoysia fw widths, you are stuck with them. They can't be adjusted.

Our pro wants to change out our fw's to zoysia. His reason? They will look less mottled than our (beautiful, imho) bermuda fws. Am fighting the good fight with him.

Bob

[Bill_McBride]

Bill -

I'm with you. I'm not even a fan of zoysia when it's dry and green. As TD notes above, it eliminates roll. 

Equally bad is that once you set zoysia fw widths, you are stuck with them. They can't be adjusted.

Our pro wants to change out our fw's to zoysia. His reason? They will look less mottled than our (beautiful, imho) bermuda fws. Am fighting the good fight with him.

Bob

If you want I'll come up and hold him while you hit him.   Your fairways were gorgeous last summer, bouncy and tight.

[JMEvensky]

Bill -

I'm with you. I'm not even a fan of zoysia when it's dry and green. As TD notes above, it eliminates roll. 

Equally bad is that once you set zoysia fw widths, you are stuck with them. They can't be adjusted.

Our pro wants to change out our fw's to zoysia. His reason? They will look less mottled than our (beautiful, imho) bermuda fws. Am fighting the good fight with him.

Bob

Zoysia sucks--period.The only people who like it are PGAT pro's--because they get to play it mowed down to nothing,and hacks--because it's only mowed down for the PGAT pro's.

My place is living with the narrowed fairways--something nobody wanted to hear about when the change was made.Now,of course,most realize that things would be better at the original widths but nobody wants the expense of re-grassing.

Keep up the good fight--although I'm curious why the Head Pro gets to opine.Does he pay dues?

[BCrosby]

"Keep up the good fight--although I'm curious why the Head Pro gets to opine.Does he pay dues?"
 
JME -

I take your point, but as the Director of Golf he is influential.

Bob

[JMEvensky]

"Keep up the good fight--although I'm curious why the Head Pro gets to opine.Does he pay dues?"
 
JME -

I take your point, but as the Director of Golf he is influential.

Bob

They always are.

One other thing I was always told about transition zone problems was the importance of night temperatures.In Memphis,nights don't cool off as much as Atlanta--or even Nashville.Our bent grass never got a chance to cool down.

Now,everyone in town has gone to Champion.

[Carl Rogers]

TD's Riverfront in Suffolk, (southeast) VA  may be at the southern most edge of the transition zone.  The through the green grass is bermuda and I have no issue w/ dormant bermuda.  Works fine.

In the winter the tees and greens are overseeded w/ rye.

[Bill_McBride]

Carl, I think the transition zone goes a lot farther south. 

I think it refers to that area where Bermuda goes dormant in the winter and you have to decide if you're going to overseed with poa trivialis or achieve a green color in winter by dyeing your turf, especially the greens.

We decided to the latter here in Pensacola on the Gulf Coast when I was golf chairman.  The result was no more problems of poor turf every year spring and fall.   Dormant Bermuda is a terrific playing surface in the winter. 

[Jeff_Brauer]

The transition zone can be tricky. I recall building a course near Lynchburg, VA and I29 was the dividing line between north and southern grasses.  In the same area, it can vary a lot with elevation, microclimate, etc.

[BCrosby]

Carl, I think the transition zone goes a lot farther south. 

I think it refers to that area where Bermuda goes dormant in the winter and you have to decide if you're going to overseed with poa trivialis or achieve a green color in winter by dyeing your turf, especially the greens.

We decided to the latter here in Pensacola on the Gulf Coast when I was golf chairman.  The result was no more problems of poor turf every year spring and fall.   Dormant Bermuda is a terrific playing surface in the winter. 

Bill - We made the same choice not to overseed here in the ATL several years ago. With the same happy result.  Bob

[Ben Sims]

Once again, we are trying to apply hard and fast "rules" to agronomy here at GCA.  I for one think the term "transition zone" may be one of the greatest misnomers in turf management over the past few decades.  It's existence has allowed more than one misinformed green committee or membership to justify something a change in cultivar or turf input it didn't need. 

I know JK hates the word "education" as it implies ignorance, but education is what is needed.  Giving people the tools to decipher their specific issues in terms of microclimate, airflow, soil composition, average humidity, and of course budget; will allow better informed decisions on how to handle the myriad problem of growing grass in the area from Dallas to Charlotte up to Philly and over to Sioux Falls. 

The term transition zone just feels like an excuse to me.  When making a decision based on all factors and accepting the consequences--of any cultivar--is the best course of action.