Going around the Southeast – and especially in Florida – many golf courses are looking at renovations and regrassing projects. When it comes to discussions about regrassing, it’s always important to note that each grass species and variety has advantages and disadvantages based on the location, the environment, and type of playing surface it is used for.

Putting greens typically incur much more stress than other surfaces – whether it be environmental, biological, or cultural stress. However, expectations from golfers may not always be realistic given the stresses that exist and the limitations of different grasses. When choosing between bermudagrass and seashore paspalum for putting greens, it’s important to understand and communicate the advantages and disadvantages of each grass so that decision-makers can make the best choice based on the facility’s goals and the unique conditions of the site.

The three things that ultradwarf bermudagrass greens must have to be healthy are: temperatures conducive for growth, well-drained soil, and an average of eight or more hours of sunlight every day when the grass is growing. There really are no products that can be applied to overcome limitations of these three things. Combined with good water, balanced fertility, and various cultural practices – it is tough to beat ultradwarf bermudagrass greens for quality, smoothness, and speed.

Seashore paspalum greens are a viable alternative to bermudagrass greens. While it can be challenging to deliver green speeds comparable to what can be maintained on bermudagrass, paspalum still provides an excellent putting surface with good speeds. Where seashore paspalum make sense for putting greens is if water quality is poor – especially with high salinity. Seashore paspalum is also more shade tolerant than bermudagrass, but it still needs plenty of sun to perform well. Seashore paspalum also tends to perform better in wetter soils where bermudagrass greens may suffer – though poor drainage can certainly still be an issue for seashore paspalum.

The joker in the deck with putting greens in the Southeast is nematodes. Virtually every USGA Course Consulting Service visit I am on has nematode issues as a major topic, and they seem to be getting worse. Although nematodes are problematic on both grasses, seashore paspalum has much greater tolerance to this pest compared to bermudagrass on putting greens. I work with one golf course with seashore paspalum greens that has had sting nematode counts that average 44 times higher than the high-risk threshold of 10 per 100 cubic centimeters of soil. These levels on bermudagrass would likely equate to very poor turfgrass or more dirt than grass. Seashore paspalum also doesn’t seem to be as desirable as bermudagrass to root knot nematodes. Root knot nematodes have become almost more problematic in bermudagrass than any other damaging nematode species, and they are almost impossible to control when inside of roots. While seashore paspalum is more susceptible to diseases, there are more fungicide options for controlling fungal diseases than there are effective control options for nematodes.

So, before you make the call on renovating bermudagrass greens or converting from bermudagrass to seashore paspalum or seashore paspalum to bermudagrass, it is wise to align golfer expectations with the realities and costs associated with both grasses. A USGA agronomist can help you understand and explain the costs and benefits associated with the many grassing options available based on the expectations of your course so that you can arrive at the best answer.

Southeast Region Agronomists:

Chris Hartwiger, director, USGA Course Consulting Service – chartwiger@usga.org

Steve Kammerer, Ph.D., senior consulting agronomist – skammerer@usga.org

Jordan Booth, agronomist – jbooth@usga.org

Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service

Contact the Green Section Staff