It’s common that golfers wish for lush green grass everywhere on the course regardless of weather, maintenance budget, grass types or anything else. It doesn’t help that “lush” is also a common term in golf course advertising. While green is beautiful, it isn’t always the best color for a course. 

We have to expect some variation in the color and density of the grass on a golf course during the year. It doesn’t mean the grass isn’t healthy, these are just natural changes that occur because of weather, the amount of play and many other reasons. Lush growth is generally not considered ideal for several reasons.

Playability: Golfers prefer firm and fast conditions, especially when it comes to greens, approaches and fairways. Lush grass tends to create a softer surface, which can mean less roll in the fairway, unpredictable bounces in the approach, and greens that are slower and less smooth. Excessive growth in the rough can make courses too difficult and slow down pace of play as golfers search for buried balls.

Moisture Management: Golf course maintenance requires careful water management to maintain optimal playing conditions. Trying to keep every blade of grass green with excessive irrigation can lead to waterlogged areas, muddy spots and an increased risk of disease – none of which translates to good playing conditions.

Diseases and Pests: When grass is too lush and soils are overly moist, it creates an environment that is favorable for fungal diseases and other pests to thrive. If grass is overwatered and overfed to maintain a lush appearance, it becomes more susceptible to environmental stresses and eventually more vulnerable to damage.

Maintenance Challenges: Lush growth requires more-frequent mowing, fertilization, irrigation, topdressing and aeration. This increased maintenance can be time consuming, expensive and labor intensive. Golf course superintendents strive for a balance between maintaining healthy turf and avoiding excessive growth that can be detrimental to the playing experience and turf health.

To achieve optimal golf course conditions, superintendents often select grasses specifically bred for their durability, playability and ability to withstand mowing, traffic and environmental stresses. Promoting lush growth could cancel out many of these genetic advantages by forcing unnatural and at times unhealthy growth. Additionally, fertilizing and watering beyond what is required to maintain a healthy playing surface is not a responsible use of resources. It’s more expensive for the course and consumes more inputs than needed.

The model for North American golf is a balancing act between playability and aesthetics. In many ways, it is possible to achieve good results in both areas simultaneously, but it is important to err on the side of playability whenever possible. Not only is grass healthier when it is a little dryer – even if it goes slightly off-color at times – the course will play much better if the goal is playability and not lush growth for aesthetic purposes.