The Green Industry's Resource Center

assemblage · #1 04-08-2011, 11:35 PM

I was gifted a couple tickets to the Masters today. I'm not a golfer, but I couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, so me and wifey went. I was hoping to see some nice bermuda and was wondering how they'd get it green since the weather hasn't got it really going quite yet at my house (i'm about 8 miles from the course). I didn't see any bermuda though. Now, I'm only allowed on the fairways and roughs, so that's the area I'm talking about. I got down in a couple places and peeked between the blades and didn't see any stolens. So I don't think it was bermuda, I think it was ryegrass. Is that what's going on? they overseeded it with Ryegrass for the tournament? Or is it not bermuda at all there...anyone have an idea on what grass they use?

I was also surprised with how spongy the earth felt. Even in the trampled areas it was spongy. Anyone got ideas on how they manage that?

RT Mowing · #2 04-09-2011, 07:58 AM

According to this article, it's rye.

Quote:

But some answers to commonly asked questions are rather simple.

Why is everything so green? Augusta National's tees and fairways are Bermuda grass, but they are overseeded each fall with rye grass.

http://www.augusta.com/masters/maste...l_beauty.shtml

Not a golf fan at all but I wouldn't mind seeing that place in person.

kly123 · #3 04-09-2011, 08:03 AM

Augusta National's fairways are bermuda, but they also overseed each fall with ryegrass. I'm guessing that the bermuda they use would be tif or maybe princess 77. Sponginess could be from the brutal storm that came through last week. More foot traffic is going to push moisture to the top of soil, therefore making it worse.

assemblage · #4 04-09-2011, 10:18 AM

Thanks for the interesting info. I didn't know they shut down from May to October. That makes the course pretty much a ryegrass course and I guess the bermuda is just a base for it. I also thought they'd use a lot of fertilizers and other chems. That article says they don't. As for rain, yes it did rain like crazy the week before and a couple nights before I went.

In my opinion, if you're not a golf fan and just want to see the course, go to the masters site and sign up for the ticket lottery, I mean the "pre-qualification drawing from those persons wishing to purchase tickets" and just sign up for the practice rounds. Wednesday is the best because of the Par 3 tournament. Also you can take pictures during the practice round, but not the tournament.

Bates Lawn Care · #5 04-09-2011, 08:38 PM

the grass at the national is amazing last year while at the Masters i had some fool try to tell me they painted the grass lol and i know thats not true my dads ex wife's husband is the head greens keeper

ChiTownAmateur · #6 04-11-2011, 06:55 PM

Augusta was built on a nursery that contained exotic plants that were imported from Europe. The seasons there in Georgia cause many of them to bloom and peak at the exact time of the Masters. So when the Masters ends, some of the beauty goes with it and they close the course after allowing a small select group to play the championship setup.

Seasonal flowers + tournament damage + summer heat makes it a seasonal only course. But most members are the uber-rich and have memberships at multiple places. Greens fees are unknown but I guarantee they are in the $1000 range.

ChiTownAmateur · #7 04-11-2011, 06:58 PM

Growing up I caddied at a local golf course considered one of the nicest ones in the area. The greenskeeper was rated one of the top 50 greenskeepers in the country by the industry mags.

To give you an idea of the level of turf management and love put into that Augusta course, the greenskeeper from my course told me the story of how one year he was given the honor of being in charge of cutting the green on 14 for the tournament. So one of the top 50 best turf management people in the country considered it his highest moment when he was allowed to trim one of the greens at Augusta.

They recruit an unbelievable number of turf managers to get the course ready, it is truly the "mecca" of golf for not only the players but also the pro turf managers who don't just do it for a living but enjoy what they do

PerfectEarth · #8 04-11-2011, 07:05 PM

I've seen summer pics of Augusta and it looked like a goat ranch in some of them. They pound it with Rye for the Spring.... The Bermuda really just acts as a seedbed and a binder.