Grass?

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By Joshua B

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  • 9 Replies
  1. Joshua B

    Joshua B
    Connecticut

    I have heard it time and time again, the type of grass you are used to playing can make it harder when traveling to a play with another type. Point in case…I went to Florida (live in CT) and played 2 really nice courses near the old World Golf Hall of Fame. These were Bermuda grass courses and was abnormally cold the week I was down there. The starter warned me, I brushed it off thinking golf is golf. Boy was I wrong. I’m a 12 handicap and typically shot around 81-84. The irons didn’t fly as far and the wedges much further than normal. A few sticky into the grain chips made me look foolish! I shot a 91 and 93 at these places. Any good stories on your 1st new grass rounds?

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  2. Jon T

    Jon T
    Iowa City / Cedar Rapids, Iowa

    Military
    I played at Brackenridge Park in San Antonio earlier this year, and it was the first time in a long time that I've played on Bermuda. My home course is bentgrass and kept fairly short most of the time. At Brackenridge the rough around the greens was some of the thickest and longest grass I have ever seen - it seemed like it was 6" long and matted down away from the greens . I felt like an absolute idiot trying to figure out how to get my ball out of it. If I recall correctly I posted a 104 that day (in my own defense I had senior flex rental clubs checked out to me that I never quite figured out), but the beers were really cold and they had a great chicken salad sandwich.
  3. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Personally, I love bermuda grass. Can be grainey at times, but easy to read. Shiney with you and dark against you.
    When we were at the TTI at the TPC of Scottsdale in December we played both. The Championship greens were bent and the stadium was bermuda. I play on bermuda all the time here in the South and shot better on the bent grass that on the bermuda. Had nothing to do with the greens. It all has to do with the heights they maintain the the fairways and rough. Sometimes courses you are not familiar with will cause those scorest to rise. I shot better on the Championship course than I do on my home course I play three days a week. If you are going to play in the southern US most greens will be bermuda grasses. Those grasses survive the heat much better, especially along the coast.
  4. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    I grew up in Texas and played most of my golf on Bermuda grass. The few high-end courses that had bent greens still used Bermuda in the fairways so the big adjustment was putting. Once I moved to San Diego, I found many of the courses down there had kikuyu grass around their greens which was significantly different for pitch and chip shots. Took a while to adjust the technique to perform adequately around those greens. Enjoying the Phoenix courses as they are much more like what I grew up with.
  5. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    On a business trip to Birmingham, AL, I went to the local RTJ course. Rough was 6 inches. As a sweeper, couldn’t hit 20 yards out of it. Finally wedged back to the fairway. Every adventure into the rough cost me a stroke. Finished the day locking the car keys in the valuables pocket of the bag in the trunk. Driving a rental charged to the company I couldn’t even drown my sorrows at the clubhouse waiting for the locksmith.
    Fortunately newer vehicles won’t let the trunk close if the keys are in the trunk.
  6. Mark Wennemer

    Mark Wennemer
    Media, PA

    When I played area golf courses in college in the South mostly Bermuda grass it took some time to get used to it. The higher the Bermuda grass rough the more unkind it can be. Sometimes you just can’t advance the ball as much as you like. I have actually injured my wrist trying to get out of Bermuda grass rough. Living in the northeast I don’t see Bermuda grass due to the climate, but hitting out of bent / fescue grass is more enjoyable. However, to me nothing beats playing golf in the South. Just love the weather.
  7. Eric H

    Eric H
    Ridgway, PA

    The more you think about golf, the more variables there are. Sometimes too many thoughts create too many variables!
  8. Cris M

    Cris M
    Tyrone, GA

    Not a Bermuda grass story, but when you mentioned the starters comment it reminded me when my father and I played Pinehurst No. 8 not long after it opened (mid-90s). Get to the first tee and starter tells us that they just hosted the PGA Club Pro Championship (I believe it is the tourney that qualifies club pros for the PGA Championship) and the greens are running a 12 on the stimp meter. He then proceeds to tell us that the greens are upside down saucers and the best way to play into them is a high soft wedge or a bump and run. My father and I looked at each other and were like wait until this guy sees our tee shots. Anyway, I think it took me 4 attempts to get my ball to stay on the 1st green and once I did get it on, my first putt ended up about 15 yards back down the fairway.
  9. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    My pro says when you are in deep Bermuda play it like a sand shot. Just take your punishment and play for your next shot into the green. Easier than playing out of the ice plants along the coast of California. That stuff is brutal.
  10. The biggest issue I have with Bermuda grass is the rough. Vissualy just looks so intimidating.

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