Low mow Bluegrass fairways/tees.

[Jimmy Cavezza]

What's the best course you've played that has bluegrass fairways?

[Tom_Doak]

What's the best course you've played that has bluegrass fairways?

Rock Creek


Before we built it, I was very skeptical that bluegrass fairways could be any good.  They tried selling "low mow" bluegrass back in the late 1980's, but you couldn't mow it low enough to make a good surface.  You can now.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Jimmy,

We used low mow up at Superior National and I liked it a lot better than I thought I would.  Perfectly acceptable for a resort or other nice course.  Also in MN, Black Bear has it.  Like Tom, before this, I was skeptical.

Also, it doesn't seem to do well the further south you go in the northern zone.  Many tried it near Wichita, but it never looked that great.

I will say, its a slow grower, compared to bent fairways and tees, and you do need to accommodate that in your construction schedule.

[Joe Hancock]

Greywalls.

[RJ_Daley]

Wild Horse.  Actually Joe,  While I only played Greywalls 2X some 5 or 6 years ago now... I didn't even realise it was a low mow blue.      I'm dumber than I look, I guess...  even.

We have a relatively unknown Packard course in my area with dwarf blue FWs but of course it is also down to soil characteristics.  It plays way different on clayey loams like in this area than the sandy base at Wild Horse, which makes all the difference relative to firm and fast.  But, when not overly wet, I still like the dwarf blues even  on the clayier soils.

What would be the optimum HOC on clayier soils, Joe?  I think they can challenge the HOC lower on the Wild Horse sandy soil with plenty of water at no significant extra irrigation cost for water and root zone perc and still maintain an incredible firm and fast along with nice lie of the ball. 

[Joe Hancock]

Dick,

I'd prefer to think of you as 6 years smarter....

Heavy soil is tough, but a turf like low mow blue has a good structure to it, so it likely has a better shot at survival during droughty times than, say, bent......as long as it isn't over-irrigated on the norm. Of all the soil types, I think the heavier soils benefit most from judicious irrigation, as it allows what precious little oxygen that is in the soil to not be displaced. That helps the microbial life to exist, which in turn helps soil structure, which in turn helps drainage.....etc., etc.

Optimal height of cut? Probably something like .500 to .600, depending on all other things.

Happy New Year

[Ian Andrew]

Bluegrass fairways are common in Western Canada, but not so much around Ontario and Quebec.
Low mow bluegrass tees are very common in Canada.
In Quebec I've seen it used for collars too.