Fine Fescue Roughs and Fairways - Michigan State …gsr.lib.msu.edu/2000s/2009/090701.pdf · Fine fescue performs quite well in unmowed roughs where cart traffic is prohibited and

Fine fescue performs quitewell in unmowed roughswhere cart traffic isprohibited and where theirrigation management, soiltype, and climate favor thisspecies. Pay attention to itsneeds and fine fescue cangreatly enhance theappearance and playabilityof a golf course.

Fine Fescue Roughs and FairwaysGreen alternative or niche grass?BY ROBERT VAVREK

ho doesn't want to be green thesedays? The concept has become quitefashionable and downright patriotic.

Going green includes, but is not limited to,modifying our lifestyles to rely more on alterna-tives to fossil fuel, to conserve water/electricity,and recycle/reuse natural resources as muchas possible. Perhaps in its simplest and mostidealistic form, going green will help save theplanet with the added bonus of saving youmoney. The presence of an entire cable tele-vision channel dedicated to a "green" lifestyle isa good indication that this concept is firmlyentrenched in today's society.

Ironically, an effective way to go green on agolf course is to go brown. Keeping the courseas dryas possible is beneficial to the budget, theplayers, and the environment. Limiting irrigationconserves water and electricity. Dry, lean,dormant, or semi-dormant playing surfacesrequire fewer mowing operations and are lesssusceptible to disease activity, thus reducing

inputs of plant protectants, fuel, and labor.Moreover, dry fairways provide golfers a firm,consistent playing surface and the additional rollcoveted by novice and expert players alike.

Sounds easy, but turning a course brown togo green isn't quite as simple as switching tofluorescent light bulbs or installing a low-flowshower head in your bathroom. The species ofcool-season grasses commonly used in the U.S.for fairways and roughs vary in their ability tosurvive the risky process of limiting inputs ofirrigation, plant protectants, and fertilizer,especially during the stressful heat and highhumidity of midsummer.

Be stingy with irrigation applied to maturecreeping bentgrass or Kentucky bluegrass fair-ways and the turf remains relatively healthy.Granted, overstressing these grasses withinadequate irrigation during hot, dry weathermay occasionally result in turf injury, but mostof the time the brown, dormant grass can benursed back to health. In contrast, this same

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Seedheads flowing inthe gentle breeze is theidyllic perception of anaturalized rough. Inreality, a thick stand ofgrass can be knockedover by heavy wind orrain and not recover.

midsummer management philosophy applied toa predominantly Poa annua fairway can easilyresult in severe losses of turf Go brown on a Peafairway and you will realize the true meaning ofannual bluegrass while waiting a year for it torecover.

THE FINE FESCUE OPTIONAt first glance, fine fescue turf is ideally suitedfor a golf course desiring low-input playingsurfaces. Th~ term "fine fescue" describes agroup of at least five closely related, fine-bladedgrasses in the genus Festuca that have similardesirable characteristics, such as persistenceunder low fertility and tolerance to shade anddrought. Many plant breeders categorize the finefescues into two groups based on growth habit.Chewings fescue, sheep/blue fescue, and hardfescue have a bunch-type growth habit. Strongcreeping red fescue and slender creeping redfescue are rhizomatous.

Within the past 20 years or so, several breed-ing programs have developed varieties of finefescue that have improved disease resistance andthe ability to maintain acceptable density at fair-way heights of cut. In addition, plant breedershave released varieties of fine fescue that possesshigh levels of symbiotic endophytic fungi that,among other benefits, greatly increase resistanceto insect pests and diseases such as dollar spotand red thread.l-'

Historically, fine fescues have been usedto establish golf course roughs in blends withKentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.

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The fescue component of the mixtures domi-nates in sites where sunlight, irrigation, andfertilizer inputs are limited. Naturalized areasof unmowed fine fescue provide the trademarkwispy roughs of familiar classic golf clubs suchas Shinnecock Hills and Pine Valley.

Contemporary golf course architects havedesigned courses with vast acreage of unmowedfescue roughs to help define the strategy andenhance the appearance of the layout. Perhapsspurred on by the desire to produce the ultimateenvironmentally responsible courses in America,a small, but increasing number of architects havegone one step further by specifying pure standsof fine fescue for unmowed roughs, mowedroughs, and fairways. But have they gone toofar, expecting a species of low-input grass toperform at a high level that meets the ever-increasing expectations of golfers, and are thesignificant limitations of fine fescue beingobscured by "green" colored glasses?

FINE FESCUE PERCEPTIONTo the avid American golfer, the thought of finefescue playing surfaces conjures up idyllic imagesof St. Andrews Golf Links, Carnoustie, andother legendary venues of the British OpenChampionship. They watch in awe during thewee hours of the morning as the competitorsshape low line drives into the teeth of the ever-present wind and marvel as the ball ricochetssharply off the brown turf in a puff of dust andthen rolls an additional 50-75 yards toward thehole. These firm, brown fairways make themgreen with envy when they recall how their lastsolid contact with a driver at the local courseyielded only a net 239 yards when the 240-yarddrive plugged in soft, moist turf and then backedup a foot.

Many avid golfers desire the playing condi-tions they perceive exist for day-to-day play on aScottish links course. The perception is based ontelevision coverage and, if fortunate, a rare golfexcursion to playa round or two overseas. Thissupports an erroneous assumption that similarconditions can exist on courses throughout theUnited States by simply planting fine fescue andthen turning off the water. However, there aremore than an ocean of differences between theaverage golf course and golfer in the U.K. andtheir counterparts in the U.S.

Why is fescue so successful on U.K. courses?Keep in mind that what we perceive as pure fine

fescue turf in the U.K. is typically a mixture offine fescue and browntop (Colonial) bentgrass.This duo produces a relatively uniform stand ofturf, though the ratio of fescue to bentgrass willvary throughout the sward, according to grow-ing conditions. Fescue will dominate where theturf is driest and subjected to the least amount ofwear, and the bentgrass will dominate wheremore water and traffic exist. For the sake ofargument, let's assume a high percentage of finefescue exists on a Scottish links course anddiscuss factors that favor fine fescue.

ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMICS,AND ATTITUDEThe courses in the U.K. most familiar toAmericans are located adjacent to or very nearthe ocean. The maritime climate at, for example,St. Andrews Golf Links, is mild and relativelyconsistent throughout the year compared to ourweather. The native soil is infertile dune sandthat drains extremely well. Many days arecloudy and turf is rarely stressed by heat or highhumidity. These growing conditions that favorfine fescue are rarely found in this country, withthe exception of a few coastal locations in thenortheast or northwest and perhaps the localizedarea of sand dunes immediately adjacent toLake Michigan.

Green fees and the cost of memberships at ahigh-quality links course are very reasonable inthe U.K. The average Joe canjoin a parklandcourse for summer play and a coastal linkscourse for winter play and not break the bank.Golf is a walking game in the U.K. Few courseshave any riding carts and, consequently, cartrevenue is nonexistent. Relatively little annualcash flow into a club provides equally littleopportunity for high-cost maintenance or high-input grasses.

Finally, the average golfer in the U.K. has acompletely different attitude regarding the gamecompared to the typical serious American player.Green fees there are reasonable and so are theexpectations. Perfect, "cookie cutter" conditionson every hole are not required or desired forday-to-day play. Rarely do you detect ourincessant obsession for consistency. Bunkers arehazards to be avoided and a good lie in the sandwith an opportunity to advance the ball towardthe hole is generally considered good fortune.They look forward to playing the same courseunder the same conditions experienced by their

fathers and grandfathers. Call it tradition, whichis a far cry from our players' irrational "blame iton the course" attitude and never-ending effortsto elevate a particular course up to a higher levelof conditioning.

Many American golfers believe they areentitled to a perfect lie in a,fairway, a perfectlie in a bunker, a perfectly level tee, an easyrecovery from an errant shot from a uniformrough, and putting on a green havingl theconsistency of a receptive billiard table withincredible speed that varies no more than sixinches throughout the season. It begs thequestion of whether we are capable of acceptinga low-input grass for fairways or roughs.

Yet, the fact remains that fine fescue performsquite well in the U.K., Denmark, Sweden, andother countries where climate, soil type,economics, golfer attitude, and environmentalrestrictions/regulations favor its use. A low-inputturf can provide consistent playing conditionsin the U. S. as long as the needs of the grass areaddressed and take precedence over expectationsfor perfection. Avoid the following pitfalls togive fine fescue a fighting chance to survive andthrive on our fairways and roughs.

Western spottedknapweed, milkweed,thistles, and otheraggressive weeds canquickly choke the lifefrom slowly growingturf in a natural rough.Keeping weeds at baywith herbicides, handremoval, or annualmowing operations is animportant componentof a successful naturalrough managementprogram.

DRAINAGE AND IRRIGATIONFine fescue requires a well-drained soil foroptimal performance. It will survive in heaviersoils but has difficulty competing with othergrasses and weeds where plenty of moisture isavailable. Fine fescue has no chance of being the

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Fine fescue varieties areavailable with sufficient

levels of beneficialendophytes that can

increase resistance todiseases such as red

thread and make theturf unpalatable to ,

insect pests. Theresearch turf plot on

the right with littleinjury from red thread

disease has endophytes,but the turf on the

left does not. Photocourtesy of Rutgers

University.

dominant turf species in a chronically wet areaof the course.

It should come as no surprise that fine fescuefairways and roughs established on heavier siltloam or clay loam soils in the U.S. have notperformed to expectations. Where rainfall isplentiful, simply reducing irrigation across heavysoils generally won't produce the consistentlydry conditions required for fescue to successfullycompete with grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass,creeping bentgrass, Poa annua, and Poa trivialis.

Any species of turf growing in chronicallywet, compacted soil versus well-drained soilwill be more susceptible to problems, includingwinter injury, wet wilt, rutting from carts/maintenance equipment, and diseases such assummer patch and Pythium blight. Fine fescuehas a slow rate of growth compared to bentgrassand other species commonly found on fairwaysand roughs. As a result, any significant damageor divots will be very slow to recover.

The presence of suitable soil conditions doesnot guarantee success with respect to fescuemanagement; it only provides the opportunity.

There must be willingness and commitment togreatly reduce supplemental irrigation once theturf becomes well established. Golfers embrace20 to 30 yards of additional roll and firm footing,but they can be slow to accept the color ofbrown turf If you are convinced that emeraldgreen turf is necessary to attract and retaingolfers, then fine fescue fairways are not for you.The bottom line is that nothing ruins a high-quality stand of fescue faster than excessiveamounts of water, regardless of whether thewater comes from frequent rainfall, overwatering,heavy /poorly drained soil conditions, or anycombination of these factors.

TRAFFIC, DIVOTS, ANDTHE FINE FESCUE PARADOXAmerican golfers will never reap the full benefitsof low-input, fine fescue fairways and roughsuntil the issue of slow recovery from divots andcart traffic is acknowledged and addressed. Westrive to establish a lean, firm playing surfacewith minimal encroachment from undesirablegrasses and weeds. Then we literally wear the

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grass off the course with200 + rounds of motorizedcart golf per day and have theunreasonable expectation forthe turf to recover overnightfrom traffic and divots.

Golf is a game, but themanagement of a public orprivate golf course is abusiness. Motorized cart feesare a significant and essentialsource of revenue to the vastmajority of courses in the U.S.In fact, courses exist in resortareas that were purposelydesigned to be played froma riding cart, and walkingis neither practical nor per-mitted. Thus the paradox . . .we want carts and the revenuethey provide and then expecta semi-dormant, slowlygrowing grass to accom-modate our desire forperfection.

Golfers and greenkeepersof the coastal links understand,accept, and address the needsoflow-input turf. A case inpoint: when the fairway turfis dormant for several monthsduring winter, golfers at many links courses arerequired to lift a ball from the fairway and placeit on a small square of artificial turf prior tohitting the next shot. This widely acceptedpractice protects the turf from divots at a timewhen recovery occurs very slowly. No doubt,we have much to learn regarding low-input turf.

FESCUE-FRIENDLY TIPS:CHOOSE WISELYConsult National Turfgrass Evaluation Program(http://www.ntep.org/) information to deter-mine the appropriate varieties and species offescue to use for your particular location. Usefine fescues that have a high level of endophytesfor improved resistance to insect pests anddiseases. Try to use fine fescue seed within sixmonths of harvest, because the percent of seedgermination and the level of endophytes in seedrapidly decline with age.' Mixtures of fine fescueand Colonial bentgrass are preferred to seedingstraight fescue. The bentgrass will dominate in

areas that receive more water and traffic, whilethe fescue will dominate in the high, dry sites.When it comes to low input, two species arebetter than one.

ESTABLISHMENT'Fine fescue has the same critical needs for timelyirrigation and fertilizer during grow-in as bent-grass, Kentucky bluegrass, or any other cool-season grass species. Do not limit inputs of waterand nutrients during establishment. Use a stand-dard soil test to determine pre-plant fertilityneeds.

Fescue germinates quickly but is quite slowto tiller and mature. Reduce water and nutrientsonly after the stand of turf has become wellestablished. Avoid the far too common mistakeof opening for play before the turf can accom-modate the traffic and wear associated with day-to-day play. Excessive wear on immature fescuecan result in rapid encroachment by weeds andundesirable grasses.

The Americanperception of firm,fast fairways dominatedby fine fescue oftencomes from televisioncommentary atthe British OpenChampionships held atcoastal, links courses inthe United Kingdom.The climate, soil type,low-input managementpractices and absenceof motorized cart trafficall contribute to theirability to maintainexceptional playingsurfaces that have ahigh percentage offine fescue.

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TURN THE WATER OFFOnce an acceptable level of turf density isachieved, the only way to maintain a highpercentage of fine fescue in the sward is to limitirrigation. Choose another grass if you are notwilling to shut the water off. Take into accountthe potential relationship between soil type andthe rate/frequency of rainfall when consideringthe use of a grass that must be kept as dryaspossible throughout the season. Attempts tomaintain fine fescue on heavy soils, especiallysoils subjected to frequent rainfall, will likelyfail. Don't force a round peg into a square hole.

Turning off the water isan absolute necessitywhen managing finefescue. Something assimple as the extrawater seeping into thisdry, unirrigated hillsidefrom a drain exitingan adjacent housingdevelopment, hastransformed pure finefescue into a densetangle of weedy grasses.

THATCH MANAGEMENTThatch management may be necessary, especiallyif you have difficulty with the concept of cuttingway back on inputs of water and fertilizer tofairways and roughs. Recovery from aggressivecultivation will be slow due to the inherent slowgrowth rate of this species, so less disruptivecultivation techniques, such as vertical mowing,slicing, spiking, and small-diameter coring maybe more effective to address a thatch problemthan large-diameter coring operations. Limitingfertilizer inputs to 1-1.5 lb. N/1,000 sq. ft. peryear will help prevent excessive thatchaccumulation.

DISEASES, INSECTS, STRESSBe prepared to diagnose and address a fewsomewhat unfamiliar diseases and insect prob-lems. Keep in mind that symptoms for the samedisease may vary between species of cool-season

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grasses. Diseases common to fine fescues, such asred thread, summer patch, dollar spot, and leafspot, can crop up quickly under low fertility.Symptoms of damage from chinch bugs wouldbe unfamiliar to most superintendents.

Fine fescue's strength is its tolerance todrought, shade, and low fertility, but an oftenoverlooked weakness is its sensitivity to heat andhigh humidity. Never mow the turf when it isunder heat/drought stress. Fescue can still bevery susceptible to Pythium blight duringextended periods of hot, humid weather, despitelimited supplemental irrigation. Some varietiesof fine fescue have experienced injury whentreated with chlorothalonil. Make it a habit tocheck for herbicide or fungicide discoloration orinjury by treating a small area of turf beforeapplying plant protectant to the entire playingsurface.

TRAFFICEncourage the architect to design a pedestrian-friendly course, and limit motorized cart use.Where carts are an absolute necessity, constructa paved cart path and restrict carts to the pathduring periods of heat stress. In lieu of a pavedpath, use ropes/stakes and signs as needed toreduce excessive traffic across localized areas ofturf. Those 50 carts that explore every inch ofthe course during a hot, windy Monday after-noon outing can cause considerable damage tocrispy fescue fairways.

Be careful what you wish for. Golfers willnotice that green grass plays and looks verydifferent from brown grass, and they ultimatelypay the bills. Are your members purists who willreadily accept extra firm, off-color fairways androughs for daily play, or do they simply long foran enjoyable afternoon in a lush, park-likesetting? An extra 50 yards of bounce and roll isgreat, assuming, of course, that the ball rollsdown the middle of the fairway. The samegolfers who grouse about soft, wet turf andplugged balls will also complain about a slightlyerrant drive to the perimeter of a firm fairwaythat caroms beyond the primary rough or settlesinto a bunker that never seemed reachable whenthe turf was green and more "receptive."

Regardless of what they want or think theywant, the golfers' expectations for intense golfcourse conditioning may soon take a back seat tothe mandate for more environmentally friendlyturf maintenance as regulations and restrictions

regarding the use of water, pesticides, andfertilizers become more stringent. It's a goodtime to keep a step ahead of regulations anddevelop a plan to establish low-input species onat least a few areas of the course to determinewhether or not your soil type, climate, andclientele can accommodate these grasses.

GREEN ALTERNATIVEOR NICHE GRASS?Heavy cart traffic, heavy soils, and several weeksor months of hot, humid weather each summerwill severely limit the performance of pure finefescue fairways on the vast majority of U.S. golfcourses. A few exceptions exist in sandy siteswith a less stressful maritime climate, but othercool-season grass species are generally moreappropriate for fairways.

On the other hand, improved varieties offine fescue can and should be utilized more fornaturalized areas of the course and for primary

roughs subjected to relatively little cart traffic.The answer to the question of niche grass versusgreen alternative lies somewhere between thetwo extremes.

REFERENCES1. Bonos, S. A., M. M. Wilson, W. A. Meyer, and C. R.Funk. 2005. Suppression of red thread in fine fescuesthrough endophyte-mediated resistance. Applied TurfgrassScience. Online, Publication DOI:l0.1094/ATS-2005-0725-01-RS.2. Clarke, B. B., J. F. White, R. H. Hurley, M. S. Torres,S. Sun, and D. R. Huff 2006. Endophyte-mediatedsuppression of dollar spot disease in fine fescues. Plant Dis.90:994-998.3. Dernoeden, P. H. 1997. Establishing and maintainingfine-leaf fescues for low-maintenance sites. University ofMaryland, Agronomy Mimeo 91.

BOB VAVREK discusses thefacts,fallacies, andfiner points iffine fescue management during TuifAdvisory Service visits to Wisconsin, Michigan,and Minnesota.

Motorized golf cartsand fine fescue don'tmix. The tire tracksfrom just one waywardcart could affect theappearance of thecourse for an entireseason. Limitingirrigation to keep fescuefairways dry, firm, andbrown will make theturf susceptible tocart damage.

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