The problem with overseeding golf courses is the transition back to Bermuda grass in the spring, Golf Maintenance Manager Keith Ihms told members of Bella Vista Village's Joint Advisory Committee on Golf last week.
"Winter overseeding can be thought of as trying to grow two plants with different management requirements in the same spot," he wrote in an update to the committee.
Last year, four 18-hole golf courses -- Dogwood Hills, Scotsdale, Berksdale and Kingswood -- were overseeded with ryegrass, which remains green during the winter months while Bermuda grass is dormant. The problem is the overseeding process puts additional stress on the Bermuda, Ihms told the committee.
In the spring, the ryegrass is killed as the Bermuda grass takes over.
A cold, wet spring, like the one that just ended, slows down the transition, he said.
He had a series of photos that illustrated his point. At several courses there is a clear difference between the overseeded fairway that is patchy and the non-overseeded rough, which seems to be in better shape.
Some courses look better because of the type of Bermuda grass in place, he explained. Courses planted with 419 Bermuda, including Dogwood Hills, look better than courses planted with common Bermuda. But the more times a course is overseeded, the more difficult it is to recover.
Committee Chairwoman Stevie Lamar said Property Owners Association members like overseeded courses because they can drive golf carts on the ryegrass. Courses that aren't overseeded, including the Country Club and Highlands, usually restrict golf carts to paths during the winter months when the Bermuda grass is dormant.
Healthy Bermuda grass can be driven on while dormant, Ihms said, although he would probably restrict cart traffic on certain days in the winter to give it a rest.
Ihms said another reason to overseed is aesthetics. Visitors like to see the green grass in the winter, he said. But, he added, the cost of seeds is also a consideration. He plans to discuss the practice of overseeding when the United States Golf Association representative visits.
The annual visit of the USGA representative is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 13, Ihms told the committee.
Sports on 07/16/2014