Bentgrass greens don’t come without challenges

Anybody that has played Pinnacle Peak would agree that they love the bentgrass greens we have to offer. However, bentgrass is a cool-season turfgrass and every summer is forced to compete with the surrounding warm-season bermudagrass that thrives in the hot Arizona weather. This presents a maintenance challenge to maintain a healthy stand of bentgrass and prevent the growth of the bermudagrass within the greens. A multitude of measures are taken to combat the bentgrass vs. bermudagrass challenge.

A sound fertility program is implemented year round based on soil tests and nutritional needs of the turf. By maintaining a dense and healthy turf will prevent unwanted weeds from intruding.

Along with our nutrient program, cultural practices that include aerification, verticutting, grooming, and topdressing, also pay a vital role in the maintenance of a healthy turf and stabilized soil structure. The above practices allow for proper exchange of gases, infiltration and percolation of water, and healthy organic layer to allow the turf roots to strengthen to push out competing weeds and handle low cuts of height. You might be wondering, why we schedule these practices during certain times of the year. In order to maintain the highest quality of turf without injuring the plant, we time our practices during the most active growth periods of bentgrass, spring and fall. The proper timing of these agronomic practices will yield a faster recovery and ultimately the best playing conditions.

Lastly, to combat the encroaching bermudagrass already intruded in the greens, we have taken several mechanical methods to remove the bermuda. In the summer of 2009, after an extensive research and decision process, we installed an ultradwarf bermudagrass (Tif Dwarf) barrier between the aggressive 328 Tif Green bermudagrass and our bentgrass greens. The advancements in ultra dwarf bermudgrasses have produced very unique growth and high density characteristics that act as an exceptional barrier around bentgrass by preventing the horizontal growth of 328 bermuda from growing in the Tif Dwarf. As well as the natural vertical growth characteristics that nearly eliminates the Tif Dwarf from encroaching into the bentgrass greens.

Other mechanical methods we have taken to restore our greens involve the edging of our greens perimeter in the summer months during the most active growth periods of bermudgrass. This process is done with a walk behind edger performed on a weekly basis from June to September to prevent further encroachment. Any bermudgrass inside of the greens are cut out by hand and replaced with bentgrass. This process is done during the spring and fall to allow a quick and healthy establishment.

The ongoing battle of bentgrass vs. bermudgrass is just one of many challenges we face here at Pinnacle. If you have any questions or comments please contact the golf course maintenance facility,