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Grass is the appropriate foundation for golf, a game of endless variety. Whether perfectly manicured or endearingly scruffy, the turf we play upon differs from place to place and, sometimes, season to season. When it’s suited to its setting and climate, the grass provides the ideal canvas for us to paint our masterpiece, or at least to try.
But how well do we golfers know the major turfgrasses upon which our ball sits (or nestles)?
Bentgrass: A cool-season grass that is commonly used on putting greens.
Bermudagrass: A durable, heat-tolerant, warm-season grass.
Fine Fescue: A thin-bladed grass that requires less water and is especially popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Poa Annua: A cool-season grass that tolerates low light, dampness and heavy traffic.
Ryegrass: An upright, fine-textured grass that’s commonly used in autumn overseeding.
Zoysiagrass: A warm-season grass that tolerates shade and colder temperatures.