Annual Bluegrass and the South Greens

The South Course greens are composed of a mixture of several varieties of older bentgrass and Annual Bluegrass or "poa annua".

Annual bluegrass is more prolific and competitive under an ecological regime of close mowing, light frequent irrigation, high fertility, and moist soils. It is a winter annual that germinates in late summer/early fall, once soil temperatures have dropped below 70 degrees F. Seedlings mature in the fall, overwinter in the vegetative state, and produce seed in late spring and early summer. Some germination of annual bluegrass seed also occurs in the spring. The seed may lie dormant in the soil for many years before germinating, resulting in a significant build-up of indigenous seed overtime. It tends to be more prolific during wet seasons. Annual bluegrass often dies in the heat of the summer due to heat and drought stress, disease, and/or insect damage.



Annual Bluegrass is a prolific seed producer in the spring, giving the putting surface a white appearance. This seeding also causes the bumpiness you see and feel. In 10 - 14 days the seeding will subside and the greens will return to normal.