[Stonehenge]

If I were going to start a driving range/golf practice facility, what kind of grass seed should I use for:

1) The tee box area. Ideally would be something that could either spring back very quickly from having large divots taken out of it, or would be able to grow in very quickly from seed. My first guess is an heavy dose of annual Rye mixed with some perennial Rye, too. Maybe a Zoysia, with 42" concrete footings to separate it from the other turf areas?

2) The range area, where the balls would be hit to. Other than balls landing, this turf would not see much use - no foot traffic, maybe a once daily tractor to collect balls. This would ideally be something in a very slow growing, low maintenance turf. Maybe something in a 'no-mow'?

3) A practice green. Both to chip onto an elevated green from a sand trap, and one to practice putting. One would likely receive lots of sand, the other lots of foot traffic. Don't know if there would be benefits to using dif't turf types here.

[Paul]

Tee boxes should be bent grass, along with greens, a standard mix for fairways would work for the driving range.

[BRL]

I sent these questions to a friend of mine who is an avid golfer, works at a course, and just became a PGA certified Golf Instructor. He has worked for me a little in the past , and used to mow a bunch of lawns for a living. So he has a slight interest in the turf side of golf We can actually have great conversations around the subject of golf even though I don't play, because I like to watch it on TV & because we can both discuss the grounds maintenace & the cool equipment they use LOL. Anyway, he consulted the grounds people at the course he's at & they gave these answers:

The answers I got were.

For the tee box perennial rye. Grows back the fastest. Since this area will get the most beating the total size of the tee box is very crucial for it to look good all the time. The bigger the better.

Green, Bent grass.

The other areas fescue, bermuda, or zoysia would do.

Good luck & have fun!

[Stonehenge]

Very cool. BRL, I appreciate your taking the time to ask your friend and his consulting his grounds people - very nice of you. And nice of him.

I figure it should take 5 acres for the driving range, and over the last few years I've been putting together other plans of how to make it a fun, useful place to make progress with your golf game. The thing I always notice about ranges is how beat up the tee box area is (and I'm one of the culprits, usually).

Thanks for all the info, BRL and Paul!!


Jeff

[mdvaden]

If this is for other people, then a golf pro of a local pro shop will be one of the best people to ask for an opinion.

Most golfers I know practice for a "feel." So speed of recovery may or may not be as important as the "feel."

It will make a difference whether the hit directly off the turf, or whether they use a "T".

I've understood that there may be some improved varieties of Annual Bluegrass in the works.

Several courses I worked at in Oregon had greens taken over by that grass - Poa Annua.

The plain blown-in-from-the-field type does not like heat, and has an issue about seed-heads.

But most of the season, that grass provides a putting surface that is superior to all others.

Bentgrass can lay different directions, even with some vertical cutting. A lot of vertical cutting can keep Bentgrass tidy.

But Bentgrass unrolls out of the sheath providing a flat blade with no midrib. Annual Bluegrass unfolds out of the sheath providing a folded leaf blade with a midrib.

The latter provides a better surfact to support a ball.

Take a sheet of paper and stand it on end - it collapses.

Now take a sheet of paper and crease a fold - it stands on end. That's one of the reasons Annual Bluegrass is superior. But I've been off the golf courses long enough that I'm unaware of the research in that area for Poa Annua.

Our tees were almost always Perennial Ryegrass, like the fairways and collars.

Putting surfaces are almost pure sand with a little organic matter - at least on the last ones we did at Columbia Edgewater CC in Portland, Oregon.