It is that time of year when bermudagrass growth in the Southeast slows down in response to cooler nights and shorter days. It’s also the time of year when bermudagrass divot healing slows down and golf courses contemplate bringing artificial turf hitting stations into the rotation on the practice range. While there is no cookie-cutter answer for when to rotate off natural turf and onto the artificial turf, the solution lies in understanding expectations for spring turf quality and the relative growth rate of the grass. A simple graph of bermudagrass growth potential can illustrate this point quickly.
Let’s say the desire is to have good turf on the tee in the spring. We can use the concept of growth potential to help guide the discussion about when to use mats in the fall. Growth potential is an estimate of turf growth based on expected temperatures.
Period of Optimum Growth – The area shaded green is the period of optimum growth. During this time, bermudagrass divots heal in about 21 days. If it takes more than 21 days to rotate the hitting stations through the entirety of the tee, there is not a big need for artificial turf because the divots will be healed when the area is used next.
Period of Some Growth – The area shaded in yellow indicates slower divot recovery. If your goal is to have good turf on the practice tee in the spring, move golfers onto the artificial turf in the fall to allow the practice tee turf to heal fully before winter. In the spring, use the grass tee sparingly and make sure you do not rotate through the entirety of the tee before the period of optimum growth begins.
Period of No Growth – Unless it takes three to four months to rotate through the tee, stay on the artificial turf during the period of no growth. Because turf growth has stopped, good quality turf will only be present for as many days as it takes to rotate through the entire tee. Once an area is filled with divots, it will stay that way until vigorous turf growth resumes. Practice tee quality will be substandard in the spring if it has been used all winter.
While the timing of moving to artificial turf on the practice tee can be contentious, making the move at the right time is the pathway to having better turf for practice in the spring. Let growth potential guide the way.
Southeast Region Agronomists:
Chris Hartwiger, director, USGA Course Consulting Service – chartwiger@usga.org
Jordan Booth, Ph.D., agronomist – jbooth@usga.org
Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service
Contact the Green Section Staff