Tifdwarf Fairways? Cancel The title field is required!

1. Stephen Okula

   

   3 posts
   
   12/12/2011 4:12 PM

   What would happen if you tried to maintain Tifdwarf at fariway height? Assume a tropical climate with good soil & water, but perhaps some limited equipment resources.
   
   Steve Okula MG, CGCS
   Golf de Joyenval
   Paris, France

   
   
   
   
2. Wahlin Scott B

   
   12/12/2011 4:12 PM

   Out of curiosity, why would you do that?
   
   There was a grass recommended by the University of Florida in the early 60's called Everglades Bermudagrass. I managed a golf course where there was one fairway planted with this as a nursery to grass everything including greens. That fairway was still pure 30 years later. The greens and tees were planted in this, but fairways were grassed using sprigs from neighboring courses that were verticutting. Everglades is a thatchy grass, but the leaf blades were very fine and the ball really set up on it. The golfers including pros really liked it.

   
   
   
   
3. Smith Kerry L

   
   12/12/2011 5:12 PM

   I would also ask why. My guess is it would be hard to get to appropriate HOC especially in high traffic situations. I think the tight lies would be ok for low handicap players but average golfers would hate it. JMO.

   
   
   
   
4. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   12/12/2011 5:12 PM

   I do know some places that have (or had) TifDwarf collars and tees. If you kept it tight, there's probably no reason that it wouldn't do ok. Have you looked at Emerald? I think it would be a great fairway grass, but availability might be an issue.
   
   Regards,
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
5. Wallace Jeffrey V

   
   12/12/2011 9:12 PM

   okula said: What would happen if you tried to maintain Tifdwarf at fariway height? Assume a tropical climate with good soil & water, but perhaps some limited equipment resources.
   
   Steve Okula MG, CGCS
   Golf de Joyenval
   Paris, France

   
   
   Steve,
   
   Yes, you can. But, what would you use at rough height? I visited a nursery in Belize a couple of years ago and they had about 2 acres of TifDwarf in varying heights. Obviously, the greens height looked great, the fairway section was being mowed at .5 inches, and looked great as well. But....when he set two portions of the acreage at rough height, one being 1.25 inches and another being 2", both looked terrible. Very puffy. It looked like Zoysia that had been ignored.
   
   They had been verticutting the higher cuts and topdressing them monthly, but they were still really puffy. The nursery was over a year old, so I know they had a chance to really try and solve the higher cut problems. No success. He was cutting out sod from the "rough" areas and selling it cheap to hotels. I'm sure the maintenance guys at the hotels hate his guts right now.

   
   
   
   
6. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   12/13/2011 6:12 AM

   Who needs rough? Just mow it all at fairway height.
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
7. McCallum David K

   
   12/13/2011 6:12 AM

   Have never seen it grown at a HOC higher than .50 and that was in a very limited setting. No idea how it would perform or hold up to cart traffic.

   
   
   
   
8. Anthony Nysse

   

   1 posts
   
   12/13/2011 9:12 AM

   They have Emerald on the fairways at The River Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. I've only ever heard that it makes the course play shorter because the turf has to be mowed tight.
   We have tifeagle greens, tees and approaches here. I've fielded the question numerous times about what it would cost to have tifeagle fairways and could it be done...

   
   
   
   
9. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   12/13/2011 10:12 AM

   Nysse said:
   We have tifeagle greens, tees and approaches here. I've fielded the question numerous times about what it would cost to have tifeagle fairways and could it be done...

   
   
   
   And your response?
   
   
   

   Nysse said: Absolutely.

   
   
   
   
10. Patrick Reinhardt

    

    0 posts
    
    12/13/2011 10:12 AM

    Nysse said: They have Emerald on the fairways at The River Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. I've only ever heard that it makes the course play shorter because the turf has to be mowed tight.
    We have tifeagle greens, tees and approaches here. I've fielded the question numerous times about what it would cost to have tifeagle fairways and could it be done...

    
    
    Anything can be done. All it takes is money.

    
    
    
    
11. Christopher Neff

    

    0 posts
    
    12/14/2011 6:12 AM

    I would look at Tifgrand. I've got Tifgrand Approaches and you can mow it at whatever height you want.
    
    Chris Neff
    Timuquana CC
    Jacksonville,Fl