Hi everyone,

I'm looking to get some opinions on grasses for fairways in Sydney. As some people know, I was on a course re-design committee for my club - which has now been resurrected. One of the issues is fairway grass - and since I have no idea - I thought I'd ask for some expert advice!

Some info about the course:
* Currently kikiyu fairways
* A lot of fairways are running east-west - as a result we have drainage problems on one side of most fairways (vs north-south fairways)
* Most of the course is in a flood plain and the underlying soil is mostly clay - there is currently only about 10cm of topsoil on the fairways - but maintenance is hoping to change that to about 50cm

About 5 new holes are plannned to be built and the other fairways will be re-done over time.

Someone has recommended some sort of all-season couch that won't die off and go brown in winter - but other than that - there are no other suggestions on the table.

Amanda,

If your course super can't supply the information then get some advice from an agronomist.. sunlight, shade, air movement, soil composition, water quality and patron traffic all effect turf in someway or another..

To my knowledge "all" warm season grasses (couch) have a dormancy period, just a shorter period of dormancy in some turf strains ..

Cheers

Thanks Ricco

You should look at the newer Couch varieties such as Santa Ana and Winter Green (name would suggest they hold up over winter), they do have dormant period, but very brief. My course in Perth is in the middle of changing over to Santa Ana from Mongrel Couch (name they give to the various strains of old native couch). IF this stuff can handle a Perth summer it should manage Sydney. THey even suggest that it is so rampant that it will give Kikuyu a run for it's money - I will take this with a grain of salt. However if you have Kik, getting rid of it will be a bugger. We had to remove a large area from one of our fairways about 10 years agao which basically meant removing the top 18 inches of soil and taking it away to the tip to ensure nothing regrew. And ever since we keep aclose eye for any rre-emergence as bits are always blowing in over teh fence from surrouding parks etc. Members are encourgaged to carry little red flags and stick them in the ground whenever they spot a sprig, the ground staff will then come out and lay waste to it.

Santa Ana is great stuff, firm and fast, producing a lovely crisp turf - however that is on sand based farways. It can become too hard on the clay you have in Sydney. Whcih is one thing in favour of Kik in Sydney in that it does produce a thicker mat to cover the clay.

QUOTE: amanda_wong @ Apr 27 2005, 10:21 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to get some opinions on grasses for fairways in Sydney.  As some people know, I was on a course re-design committee for my club - which has now been resurrected.  One of the issues is fairway grass - and since I have no idea - I thought I'd ask for some expert advice!

Some info about the course:
* Currently kikiyu fairways
* A lot of fairways are running east-west - as a result we have drainage problems on one side of most fairways (vs north-south fairways)
* Most of the course is in a flood plain and the underlying soil is mostly clay - there is currently only about 10cm of topsoil on the fairways - but maintenance is hoping to change that to about 50cm

About 5 new holes are plannned to be built and the other fairways will be re-done over time.

Someone has recommended some sort of all-season couch that won't die off and go brown in winter - but other than that - there are no other suggestions on the table.

Hi,

I would visit local courses within your area and see what they use. Talk to them about pros and cons, and weigh that up against your own operation. Think about what your member expectations are and ask yourself how much money the club is prepared to spend maintaining them to that quality, have you got the correct equipment to maintain the fairways to that standard, etc. There's no point wishing of fairways like Muirfield Village if the irrigation system doesn't cover properly or you don't have the maintenance staff to mow them 4 -5 times per week.

Good luck,

Brett.

Amanda
beware that unless you thoroughly kill the kikuyu before going to couch fairways, you will be in an ongoing battle to keep out the kikuyu as it regenerates.Chemical control is required.

At the course i am involved in the fairways were originally couch but are know all kikuyu. The kik just smothers the couch.