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By admin, February 20, 2010 11:46 am

I would like to have a lawn as nice as a golf course..?

I’m having our lawn landscaped and I want the grass to look like a golf course. Can anyone give me tips on how to do it? Is it just soil and really nice grass or are there other things you have to put under the soil?

Its a combination of all these things which includes soil structure, type of turf, mowing practices, equipment selection, disease and insect control, periodic aeration, and watering schedule. Golf course soil particularly the greens, are usually anywhere from 80% to 90% sand with 5% to 10% organic loam and peatmoss. This soil structure allows for oxygen circulation, root development, and proper drainage. This is why it is necessary to irrigate on a daily basis as well as applying fertilizer on a regular schedule.

Firstly to have a putting green type of turf, you will need to seed with the proper variety. There are a few different types and these are used in accordance with the growing location. Some varieties for greens are, bermuda, poa annua, and probably the best which is a cool season grass, the creeping “bentgrass” varieties. Bentgrass can be mowed at a very short height (1/16″ to 3/8″) on a regular basis without any harm. To do this you will need a walk behind “reel” mower or the more expensive riding tri-plex reel mower (if you have a very large yard). These mowers will put the stripes and patterns in the turf that you see on the major golf links and sports stadiums. They can cut down to millimeters of inch in height. If you do decide to go with a bentgrass green and want it to look like a golf course, you will be in for a little bit of work to keep it looking that way. It should be aerated at least once a growing season (depending on foot traffic) twice being better. After aeration, the cored holes should be top dressed with sand and the sand swept around to fill in the holes. You will need to apply a fungicide on a regular schedule as bent grass and low mowing practices will cause the turf to become more succeptible to disease. With the soil being mostly sand, you will need to use more water to keep it green and healthy also. There are a few varieties of bentgrass that have been improved to withstand drought however and I will give you that variety with a link a little further down the “fairway”. A well groomed turf is also the target of grass dwelling insects that will reek havoc as well, grubs being the main culprit. I hope I haven’t discouraged you so far? If however, you don’t wish to partake in the upkeep of a golf course looking turf, you can let the bent grass grow taller and mow with a regular rotary mower at a higher setting and it will still do well. You will still need to water more often and do all the other requirements I have mentioned above though. If you do decide to go through with this venture, my hat goes off to you and if you succeed, you will be the envy of your neighborhood. Don’t forget to invite all the neighbors over for a “puttoff” competition and a barbecue once it gets well established… Here is the link with the bentgrass variety…. click onto other links to look at more… The “PennCross” creeping bentgrass is a very good variety and has been used for years on major courses throughout the world. Good luck!…

http://www.seedland.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Seedland&Category_Code=Penncross-Bent

http://www.bentgrasses.com/

http://www.putting-greens.com/info.html

http://www.putting-greens.com/gallery.htm

http://www.putting-greens.com/types.html

http://www.locketurf.com/Information/ReelMowing.aspx

…$Billy Ray$

Dave’s Amazing Pond & Turf At the Golf Course