Why Bermuda?

We are changing the grass type at the par 3 tees at 9 and 14 to Bermuda grass.  As many know, this grass is prevelant down south and can be an excellent grass there.  In our region it is more commonly a weed and more known for it's off color apearance all winter.  We are truely at the transition zone for this grass, hot enough in the summer but cold enough in the fall/winter to sometimes make things very dicey.

The tees at 9 and 14 are both extremely small for the short holes they represent.  Normal design characterstics call for 200 square feet of useable space for every 100 rounds on this type of tee.  This equates to a tee space needed of around 3500 square feet.  Since both 9 and 14 are in less than half that size and most of our play is in the heat of summer, we decidied to try a grass that will perform better during the summer heat.

Both teeing areas take an intense amount of injury.  Bermuda can be safely fertilized all summer which wil encourage recovery, unlike the cool season grass it replaces.  Bermuda also does not suffer from summer disease and pest that we have to constantly treat for on this injured tees.

It must be remembered that most of the tees here were designed with a much smaller membership and number of rounds played.  Many of the tees that were built were also done when little tree canopy was present.  Combining these two attributes and the need for better surfaces year round, we are always looking on ways to maximize space and improve conditions with what is present.

Some may not like the look of square tees, but in the same space they provide a much larger area for us to move tee markers.  The very back of a tee is not used and the sides see very little wear no matter where the markers are placed, so we are challenged to keep the tees in good conditions in the limited teeing area.  In our experience most of the damage nowadays is from foot traffic. With the new shoes with a multitude of spikes both replaceable and molded into the shoe, coupled the twisting motion of most swings, the shearing of grass is more damaging than any a club makes.  With most play from the same spot, the grass is literally sheared off and not fixable like a divot.  Thats why you see larger patches of missing grass,  all caused by twisting foot traffic.

Since we always fight the same areas, we decided to change up the grass.  If it works, we hope to provide a better year long experience.  If not, we will again try something else, looking for the best fit.  Our wonderful course is not static and always requires us to look for answers to the problems that arise.