In golf, "overseeding" refers to a maintenance process on golf courses in which grass seed is spread on top of the existing grass to promote new growth or to swap out seasonal turfs, replacing one type of grass with another. Overseeding is most commonly done by courses that use bermudagrass, which goes dormant during winter months.
What is an example of overseeding in golf?
Oct 04, 2021 · In most cases, this means replacing the warm-season Bermuda grass with Rye grass, a cool-season strain. This transition, every fall and spring, isn't easy or cheap, especially …
What is the overseeding process?
Aug 23, 2021 · Overseeding is a process on the golf course in which grass seed is spread onto existing turf. Overseeding, also known as topdressing, promotes new growth and can be used …
Can golfers tell the difference between turf colorants and regular overseeding?
Nov 05, 2015 · Day 1-4 of overseeding consist of thinning the grass and removing the canopy material presently on the golf course to prepare the seed bed. Days 5-7 are devoted to seeding …
What is the difference between aeration and overseeding?
Sep 20, 2012 · Overseeding is a common maintenance process that typically takes place in the southwest states or hot, desert climates. So what does that mean for your golf game? …
Should golf courses overseed?
An overlay of ryegrass keeps courses green while providing purer playing conditions throughout the winter. It also helps protect the dormant Bermuda at a time when the grass is vulnerable to damage. “Divots and cart traffic are the big problems,” Guilfoil says.Oct 9, 2020
Do golf courses overseed greens?
Why do Arizona golf courses overseed?
Do Florida golf courses overseed?
Do you have to overseed every year?
What does Overseeded mean?
How do they overseed a golf course?
How do golf courses stay green in winter?
When should I Overseed Phoenix?
Why do golf courses turn brown?
How does overseeding affect golf?
Do Arizona golf courses overseed in spring?
Where is overseeding practiced?
Golf courses in California's Coachella Valley and Phoenix-Scottsdale are hotbeds of overseeding, but it's a common, and sometimes controversial, practice throughout the southern United States.
What does Whitlark like about golf?
For Whitlark, it comes down to pitting the aesthetics of a green golf course against more natural playing conditions. He prefers playing courses that don't overseed, a stance many golfers probably aren't ready to embrace.
Is overseeding bad for the environment?
Critics say overseeding is bad for the environment, considering how much extra water, fertilizer and machine power is required.
Is overseeding a mystery?
To everyday golfers, especially those in northern states, overseeding is a mysterious, maybe even confusing, process. Every year, GolfPass gets reviews from golfers who visit southern states and think the grass is "dead" when they see a green fairway overseeded with Rye grass framed by brown rough of dormant Bermuda. Explaining the overseeding process should help more golfers understand why it's so popular in certain parts of the country and why it is falling out of favor in others.
When does rye grass turn green?
By the 10th day of watering during the Wigwam's fall overseeding, the Rye grass has turned green and looks more ready for play. Courtesy photo
Do Texas golf courses have overseed?
John Daniels, another USGA agronimist who used to be based out of Dallas, said most courses in the state of Texas don’t extensively overseed. He estimates that only two percent go "wall to wall" and roughly 30 percent do partial overseeding, mostly in high traffic areas like tees and the range. "The exception (that are part of the two percent) is the courses that host televised tournaments," he said, mentioning Austin Country Club (host of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play) and TPC San Antonio (host of PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open on the Oaks Course ).
Do golf courses need to be overseen?
Golf courses located in northern frost zones in the Midwest and East Coast or even at elevation in the southwest, say in New Mexico or the northern end of Scottsdale, don't need to overseed. They're covered in cool season grasses like bent grass already.
What is overseeding in golf?
Overseeding is a process on the golf course in which grass seed is spread onto existing turf. Overseeding, also known as topdressing, promotes new growth and can be used to swap out existing turf and or dormant turf. A typical example of overseeding is when Bermudagrass goes dormant and is swapped with Ryegrass.
Why do golf courses need overseeding?
Overseeding is generally done to keep the course open year-round, as one grass type goes dormant the other enters a growing season allowing for turf to stay playable .
How long before overseeding to use growth regulator?
Utilize plant growth regulator three or four days before overseeding to help the new seed take.
Can anyone read overseeding?
Anyone can read about overseeding, but not anyone can get it right. Hiring licensed and certified golf professionals are just as important as knowing yourself. Relying on the best possible staff, and having a support system for the future, means processes like overseeding and aeration don’t have to be a big deal anymore.
What is overseeding in golf?
So what does that mean for your golf game? Overseeding is a process in which a different type of grass seed is put on top of the existing grass to either promote new grass growth or to switch seasonal turfs.
Why is there sand on my golf course?
If you did not check when a course last overseeded and you notice a layer of sand that is distributed throughout the course, it is because the course recently overseeded, and they are waiting for the new grass to finish coming through. So within the next month, if you come across some “grainy” fairways and greens, be patient. The course will be back up to its normal condition soon.
Why do golf courses in Arizona use Bermuda grass?
Most Arizona courses will use Bermudagrass during the hotter months because it is more drought resistant, can be grown on many soils, and it provides a lush turf if it is mowed properly. These conditions allow courses to reserve some water during the hot months. Unfortunately, this grass Bermuda is very sensitive to cooler temperatures, and when the first temperature drop occurs the grass will turn brown. When this happens courses will often time replace the Bermuda grass with some form of ryegrass.
Do courses arrear during overseeding?
Courses will also typically arrerate during this time as well. Here is what a course fairway will look like immediately following the overseeding process.
Why does Guilfoil oversee the yard?
The calculus can get complicated. At his own home, Guilfoil overseeds the yard, but not because he wants to. It’s because he lost an argument with his wife. “Personally, I’d rather save the water, the money and the hassle, and just let the grass go dormant for the winter,” Guilfoil says.
What is ryegrass overlay?
An overlay of ryegrass keeps courses green while providing purer playing conditions throughout the winter. It also helps protect the dormant Bermuda at a time when the grass is vulnerable to damage. “Divots and cart traffic are the big problems,” Guilfoil says.
When does Guilfoil oversee Desert Canyon?
At Desert Canyon, Guilfoil overseeds every autumn, usually around the third week of September. He estimates that 95 percent of courses in and around the Phoenix and Scottsdale area overseed as well. The motives are aesthetic and pragmatic. An overlay of ryegrass keeps courses green while providing purer playing conditions throughout the winter. It also helps protect the dormant Bermuda at a time when the grass is vulnerable to damage. “Divots and cart traffic are the big problems,” Guilfoil says. “They can really beat up dormant turf during a season when it’s just not able to recover.”
Is Bermuda grass better than overseeded ryegrass?
Not only does dormant Bermuda require less maintenance than overseeded ryeg rass, it also provides a firmer, faster playing surface. Tee shots roll farther, a boost for many golfers who need all the distance they can get. And while the conditions might not be as pure, some would argue that that’s a good thing: it adds another layer of variety and challenge, which is what golf is all about.
Is ryegrass in the fall?
Courses that transition to ryegrass in the fall have to transition out of it in spring. That process can be difficult on Bermuda as it reawakens and finds itself in competition with the lingering ryegrass. No overseeding means no springtime competition. The Bermuda greens up faster and provides a healthier playing surface in the longer run as well.
Who is the superintendent of Desert Canyon Golf Club?
GOLF.com rang up Matt Guilfoil, superintendent at Desert Canyon Golf Club, in Fountain Hills, Ariz., and co-host of From the Jingweeds, a podcast devoted to the turf-care trade, to discuss the rationale behind each option, and what homeowners should consider when contemplating whether to overseed their yards.
Do overseeded lawns require more maintenance than dormant lawns?
Overseeded lawns also require more maintenance than dormant lawns.
Why do golf clubs hire greenkeepers?
It is wonderful news when fine golf clubs have the sense to hire great greenkeepers to help bring their playing conditions back to the fine running game.
What is seed selection?
Seed selection was a fairly straight forward process; the initial composition was Poa, bent and fescue in varying quantities from green to green and the general remit was to increase the fine leaved grass content and to reduce the Poa content. Obviously the reduction of Poa content would be achieved through sensible management practices over a sustained period; it was the increase in fine leaved grass content that we felt could be positively affected through the over-seeding programme.
What grass is good for desert golf?
Because of the summer temperature extremes, the grass that can be used most effectively in the the desert climate is Bermuda grass. Great playing surface from mid March to the end of October. When the overnight temps drop in the late fall, bermuda goes dormant - stops growing and the blades of grass gradually turn brown. Phoenix does get overnite frost and a few hard freezes during a typical winter. The first frost takes care of any remaining green bermuda. The root system is still alive however and by early spring, new growth appears. With warm weather and a little water, turf that looks totally dead will turn green in a few weeks time. Now dormant ber muda makes a perfectly playable, firm, fast and FUN golf surface as long as it is not left to totally bake dry. The main problem with dormant ber muda is the greens. With the concentrated foot traffic, spikes, etc., a dormant bermuda green gets chopped up pretty quickly. Solution: Scalp the Ber muda surface and apply ryegrass seed. After a 3-4 week grow-in, the rye can be cut down and now an acceptable (and green) putting surface for the winter. At the same time, most courses also applied the rye overseed to the tees. When I first moved to Phoenix in 1978, there were a handful of courses that went totally dormant, but most at the time were overseeding tees and greens. Gradually, the concept spread to completely overseeding the course including fairways and roughs. The upscale courses with large budgets could present a totally green golf course to attract tourists and to be competetive, most courses had to follow. Nowdays, the golfing public doesn't want to play on "dead" grass, they want GREEN. Which presents several problems, mostly from a quality of golf perspective but also from a turfgrass maintenance standpoint. It is very expensive to overseed not just the seed but the labor and water needed for grow-in. (and the green fees reflect it!) Obviously, there is an interruption in play during the grow-in. Most courses close 2-3 weeks, but it is rare green ready to play three weeks from seed. Slow and shaggy conditions greet players in most cases. Four weeks and on, they can lower the blades and start to get better green surfaces. Some are more tolerant, but I think it takes fully 8 weeks or more to attain a decent putting surface after overseed. Left on its own, Bermuda stays pretty green and quite playable into November. Most of the hybrid bermuda used on golf courses today are a lot more cold tolerant than the old fashion common bermuda. And in early March it is perfectly green again. Which introduces another problem with overseeding is that it has to be timed properly to achieve a good grow-in. If you wait until the bermuda really starts to go dormant, it is then too cold to get a good germination with the rye. So they start the overseed earlier, Late September, just when the bermuda is looking its best coming out of the summer, it gets scalped down and the rye overseed begins. Starting too soon has its issues as well, if it is too warm, the rye competes with the bermuda and doesn't thrive immediately. THEN... in the spring, another transition that creates less than perfect golf conditions. While the bermuda starts greening up in March, the rye is not ready to give it up until May or so. On its own, the bermuda would be thriving by May, but instead the bermuda growth is suppressed and the rye stays green until the hot weather arrives, then suddenly dies off leaving the bermuda to try to catch up in the hottest, driest part of the year. This usually creates spotty conditions for the first month or so of summer as superintendents struggle with bare spots. The other issue with overseeding, the grow-in takes a tremendous amount of water and even after, rye needs a lot more water than bermuda to look its best. So from the fall reopening thru December you can generally count on very wet conditions and cart path only. Even through the tourist season to the end of March, many courses just keep it way wetter that it needs to be. Unfortunately, this creates a rather one-dimensional playing condition that favors a strictly aerial game. Fly the ball to the fairway... splat! Fly the ball to the green... splat. No way to experience or enjoy the contours of the course and use a variety of shots. I'm editorializing of course, but I think the desire for lush green conditions results in a game that is a little less fun. Finally, the long term health of the bermuda base turf suffers from repeated overseeding which tends to deplete the soil of natural nutrients over time. It is said that most courses would benefit by skipping the overseed every few years. ADDENDUM: There are courses in the Phoenix area that maintain bent grass greens. This surface stay playable in the winter and does not need to be overseeded. Why then, don't all courses in Phoenix have bent greens? A whole new set of problems keeping the bent healthy in the summer is the main reason. A slew of upscale daily fee courses opened in the late 80's early 90's with bent. All but a few have switched to bermuda. Bent is mostly successful in the foothill areas with a bit more elevation and slightly cooler temperatures than the Phoenix valley. Also some privates with less play and higher maintenance budgets have been successful with keeping bent greens. Geez, sorry I wrote a book! Hope this helps.
Is Gold Canyon a stay and play golf course?
We are in a 'stay and play' deal at Gold Canyon but that doesn't mean we are limited to golfing their courses. If the conditions are not up to snuff then we will consider other options.
Why did Weyandt oversee the golf course?
Weyandt overseeded the rest of the golf course every year since he has been there except for last winter, when the only area he overseeded was the driving range tee because he thought divot recovery would be a problem.
How did Farren and his staff use the depressed economy as the basis to cut costs and eliminate overseeding in
Farren and his staff used the depressed economy as the basis to cut costs and eliminate overseeding in the 419 bermudagrass rough on all eight golf courses at the resort this coming winter . The decision, ultimately made by the executive committee with recommendations by the maintenance staff, was the first of several cost-cutting measures.
Is Weyandt better than overseeding?
Another benefit of not overseeding is better weed control. Weyandt can use a broader range of herbicides for broadleaf and grassy weeds.
Is non-overseeded turf better than overseeded turf?
Plus, nonoverseeded turf looks better than overseeded turf in the spring, Kistler says.
Do golf clubs oversee their courses?
To provide colorful aesthetics, some clubs choose to overseed their courses. However, for some superintendents that annual chore is becoming smaller in scope, if not vanishing altogether.
Did the green committee oversee the decision?
The green committee made the decision not to overseed, and the board accepted the decision, which was primarily a financial one. Environmental reasons didn’t factor into the decision, Weyandt says.
Is it necessary to oversee in Florida?
In central Florida, it’s not necessary to overseed, says Kistler, adding that there have been no severe winters the past several years, just a few frosts.