Getting That Putting Green Like Finish To Your Lawn

Putting greens on golf courses in the U.S. are typically grown using Bent Grass (75%) or Bermuda Grass (25%). The warm weather states such as Florida and Louisiana tend to use Bermuda Grass while the cooler and transitional zone states rely more on Bent Grass. Whichever lawn grass you use, if you want that putting green-like finish then it will take hard work.

Bent Grass is a difficult grass to work with. It takes plenty of water, regular fertilizer, and mowing as often as every second day during the growing season. Bent Grass does not like hot dry weather or really cold winters, and while it can be used in domestic situations, that was never its intended use. Well maintained, you can cut Bent Grass to one inch and it will survive reasonably well. While it will look great, it does not take traffic at all well so is best used for small ornamental types lawns.

Bermuda Grass is one of the more favored grasses, especially in the southern regions. One of the real pluses for growing Bermuda Grass is that it is drought resistant and, if well maintained, will take traffic and still look great. The downside to Bermuda Grass is that it is deep rooted and can and will invade garden beds if not kept in check. Let it take a hold of a garden bed and it can be hard to remove.

Like Bent Grass, you can cut Bermuda Grass to an inch if you want that real putting green like finish, but a little longer puts less stress on the grass and can still look good.

Repairing damaged patches of either Bermuda Grass or Bent Grass is a straightforward job. Use a lawn seeding tool to perforate the lawn thatch, then sow your seed. Water well and keep moist and you’ll find it hard to pick that damaged area in five or six weeks.

Obtaining a putting green-like finish is hard work and can place some stress on your lawn. This can leave it susceptible to attack by insects or disease, causing more damage than they would to a less stressed lawn. The finished result can look better, but you really do need to ask yourself if it is worth all the extra work.