With the golf boom we’ve been experiencing since 2020, many courses are in a financial position to invest in improvement projects that have been deferred for years. Every facility has different needs, but regrassing fairways is often included in a renovation plan because of the impact it can have on playing conditions, resource savings and course aesthetics.
Regrassing fairways makes it possible to establish improved turfgrass varieties requiring less water, fertilizer and plant protectants. Being able to manage these new grasses with less water translates into improved firmness during dry weather. From an aesthetic standpoint, eliminating the existing stand of turf makes it possible to correct contamination issues in areas where undesirable grasses have encroached into fairways.
Successful regrassing hinges on establishing the new turf when the weather is ideal. The location of your course has a major influence on when that window is, but generally speaking, the month of August should be targeted for much of the Midwest. Seeding later in the summer or in the fall will make it challenging to achieve complete turf coverage before winter, creating a need to tailor the agronomic program for establishment the following spring, instead of focusing on promoting the maturation of the new playing surfaces.
There are also ways to hasten seed establishment during a renovation with planting equipment and technique. At the Knollwood Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, superintendent Drew Barnett used the following methods to establish the fairways:
- The existing turf was eliminated with three applications of a nonselective herbicide. Ammonium sulfate was applied with the first and third applications.
- The seed bed was prepared by a double vertical mowing – i.e., after the first pass the operator turned around went back on the same pass. The debris was then blown off the surface.
- A Vredo DZ5 overseeder was used to slit seed ‘007XL’ creeping bentgrass in two directions at a rate of 0.5 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet each direction. A drop spreader was used afterward in a third direction at 0.5 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet.
- The seeding process occurred over seven days and began on August 10 – an ideal time for their location. This optimal seeding time resulted in exceptional establishment during the fairway renovation.
- Starter fertilizer was applied at seeding and after the first mow, which took place 10 days after seeding.
- Irrigation was applied as needed to support the new seedlings.
Most golf course renovations include work that is completed on multiple playing surfaces simultaneously. Depending on the scope of work to be completed, a golf course may need to be shut down for a portion of the season or in some cases, the entire season. Priority must be given to the project timeline and closing the course at the right time, rather than trying to squeeze in a few more weeks of play or events. While this may be inconvenient in the short term, it is what’s best for the golf course in the long term and will prevent poor seed establishment and other issues that could keep the course closed even longer.
For more information on how the USGA’s Course Consulting Service can be used to support a renovation at your golf course, including performing an ROI calculation for fairway regrassing, reach out to your regional agronomist.
Central Region Agronomists:
Paul Jacobs, agronomist – pjacobs@usga.org
Zach Nicoludis, agronomist – znicoludis@usga.org