Zoysia Collar around Bentgrass Green Cancel The title field is required!

1. Joshua Sawyer

   

   0 posts
   
   4/25/2016 10:04 AM

   South Carolina...I am looking into converting a 419 collar from a shady site to zoysia...I would love to hear some feedback, especially from any Zoysia guys in the middle of the country. The site has a lot of slope feeding down to a green and is located in a pocket of a valley course. I have removed about 40 trees to get around 4-6 hours of direct sun. We have also installed capillary drainage around the green to remove trapped water from the outside of the moisture barrier on the bent grass green.
   
   I wouldn't have considered zoysia until the drainage went in b/c I don't want it to have wet feet...I am still concerned about compaction, but I am thinking it is probably better to go with something like Zeon than to limp along the 419. I have used Tifgrand on this site, but didn't meet expectations. Any thoughts?

   
   
   
   
2. Keith Fellenstein

   

   0 posts
   
   4/25/2016 11:04 AM

   My only experience with zoysia around bent green was not great. The zoysia took a beating when it was dormant and we were still mowing greens. Didn't last much more than a year. You might have better luck with a longer growing season in South Carolina vs Virginia?

   
   
   
   
3. Stephen Johnson

   

   0 posts
   
   4/25/2016 5:04 PM

   I have Zoysia approaches, "Meyer". As Keith said it took a beating when were still mowing Bent in the winter and the Zoysia was dormant, however after struggling the first winter it has performed well. I attribute the poor performance to newly sodded grass not being established very well, be careful with PGR's as warm season grasses tend to be regulated easier and are slower to rebound if an over application occurs.
   I did incorporate turning boards mid way through the initial season and also the second, but have since stopped using them due to better performing, more mature, grass and a tighter budget.
   
   Steve Johnson, CGCS
   SW Missouri

   
   
   
   
4. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   4/27/2016 8:04 AM

   I have had horrible luck with them right up next to bent grass greens. Poa issues, rye clump issues (we had rye fairways, approaches and collars that were seeded every year until the zoysia was installed in 2005) compaction and traffic issues, I wonder if they get too much water due to watering for the bent greens, and also as Steve said, the overspray of growth regulators and everything else I spray on my greens. We have gone in and resodded areas when we have done bunker work. Of course I have to remind myself that I'm a lousy grass grower.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
5. Jonathan Pokrzywinski

   

   0 posts
   
   4/27/2016 11:04 AM

   We tried zoysia collars when we grew in our zoysia fairways a few years ago. As mentioned in other posts, they just can't take the beating during the dormant months and fertility and growth regulators are very different compared to the bentgrass that is up against it. We removed it the following year. I know it seems like it would solve some collar stress issues, but for us, it didn't. The members would rather putt from a bent collar than the teflon-like zoysia in that location too.

   
   
   
   
6. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   4/27/2016 12:04 PM

   Jonathan Pokrzywinski said: We tried zoysia collars when we grew in our zoysia fairways a few years ago. As mentioned in other posts, they just can't take the beating during the dormant months and fertility and growth regulators are very different compared to the bentgrass that is up against it. We removed it the following year. I know it seems like it would solve some collar stress issues, but for us, it didn't. The members would rather putt from a bent collar than the teflon-like zoysia in that location too.

   
   
   Jonathan,
   
   What height of cut did you mow your zoysia?
   
   Thanks!
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
7. Joshua Sawyer

   

   0 posts
   
   4/27/2016 3:04 PM

   Thanks for the input guys...getting the same feedback from local super's. I don't think a bent collar is gonna stand up to the summer months. I suppose I am gonna keep putting our money into saws rather than sod. Maybe a little of both.