In order to maintain the best turf possible, heavily used driving range tees require intensive management. This translates to more labor hours and more money for seed, fertilizer, plant protectants and other inputs. Fortunately, given the popularity of practice and the high visibility of practice tees, golf facilities are increasingly willing to invest in the inputs required for successful practice tee management.

Start With The Appropriate Grass Species

Various grass species can be used on practice tees successfully. New grasses and new techniques for using them are constantly evolving. Selecting the grass or grasses that are best adapted to your climate and usage level is essential for top performance. Rapid establishment, wear tolerance and recovery rates are the most important attributes for turf on a practice tee. The species’ ability to produce sufficient thatch should also be considered. Practice tees are unlikely to develop thatch problems because they are so heavily used, and having some thatch is necessary for cushioning, resiliency and soil stability in this high-use environment. Factors like tee size, usage level and available resources should be considered as well. Unlike most areas of the golf course, turf on practice tees should be considered an “annual crop” that is essentially harvested and replanted multiple times each year.

Destruction And Recovery Is A Never-ending Battle

Where feasible, priming or pre-germinating seed provides notable advantages. Primed seed germinates more quickly than untreated seed once it is planted and irrigated. However, priming requires additional time and labor, which makes it a less common practice. Divots filled with pre-germinated seed require less water to promote germination, and drier turf is much less susceptible to mechanical injury and disease. Pre-germinating also speeds divot recovery by a few days, which can be a significant benefit over the course of an entire season. Perennial ryegrass can be pre-germinated easily by mixing seed with the divot mix and keeping it moist and aerated for two or three days. Pre-germinating creeping bentgrass seed requires more time and is more difficult. 

Managing practice tee usage

The most common methods of identifying and moving the hitting areas on a practice tee is with a rope or by placing wooden or plastic dividers on the ground. While some golf courses still utilize two ropes spaced several yards apart and attached to the ground with small stakes, this is not advised for two reasons. First, there have been multiple cases of injury when this rope is struck by a player’s club. Second, a forward rope is not needed when wear progresses from the front of the tee to the rear. Worn turf in front of golfers will discourage them from moving forward of the desired area.

Play must also be shifted laterally within the defined hitting area, particularly when dividers are used. For example, ropes can be shifted on day one and the dividers shifted on day two, with the process repeating continually. Dividers to separate hitting stations can be purchased or made from wood or composite materials. It is important to remember that dividers left in place for more than a couple of days can smother turf and cause unsightly damage. Regardless of the precise techniques used, the goal should be to manage golfer movement in a way that creates relatively uniform wear within the defined area before moving on to the next area.

Another simple and effective way to reduce wear on practice tees is to modify the amount of golf balls positioned at the practice area. Unlimited balls on the actual practice tee leads to far heavier usage. A system where golfers are provided smaller buckets or bags of balls from a station near the tee can help keep usage at more manageable levels.

Systematic use rotation is critical, and many successful programs start with a measurement of tee depth and install permanent markers at the optimal spacing to provide guidance to the staff responsible for moving the ropes and dividers. For example, installing the markers to designate one week’s worth of usage, can help ensure that wear and the associated recovery is kept on a predetermined schedule.

At most golf courses grass practice tees will need to be closed at various times during the year to promote recovery or prevent excessive damage. Artificial turf can be used periodically during the season to provide regular respites for grass tees. Extensive use of artificial turf is common in the shoulder seasons or winter when recovery is slow or during extremely wet conditions when increased damage is likely. Installing an artificial surface at the back of the practice tee can allow continued usage of the practice range while the grass tee recovers. Various types of mats are discussed in the USGA article “Welcomed Mats for Small Practice Tees.” In addition to the permanent installations, some golf courses in milder climates have used moveable mats as part of the regular practice area. When moved daily, and when temperatures are not extreme, this technique has proven helpful on smaller tees.

Golfers Can Make a Difference

Golfer habits and use patterns have an extraordinary impact on practice tee turf quality. Educating golfers about how to use a grass practice tee in the least disruptive manner possible can significantly reduce wear and tear. Fewer or smaller divots reduce recovery requirements. Reducing wear and implementing intensive maintenance is the key to maximizing turf quality on practice tees.

In the USGA article, “Practice Like A Pro,” various types of divot patterns are discussed. The linear style is strongly preferred as it results in the least amount of turf damage and promotes faster recovery. This USGA infographic illustrates the preferred divot pattern and some patterns to avoid.

Conclusion

Simply managing the practice tee with the same inputs used for the tees or fairways on the course will probably result in marginal conditions at best. The practice tee requires a unique management program because of heavy divoting and use throughout the season. Factors such as nitrogen fertilization, irrigation and repairing divots become even more important as the tee size decreases. Without the fundamental programs described in this article, the practice experience will be less than perfect.