States with the most zoysia?

[ThinkingPlus]

Golf Club of Texas right across the street has zoysia fairways and greens. Fairways are OK, but greens not so much.

[Bigarch]

You don't see it much north of Springfield. With the winters up there, the stuff might not come out of being dormant until mid May or close to June. I think grasses like bent are easy to keep alive year round and they stay green which makes golfers happy. Being from southern Illinois, we get a lot of play from up north this time of year with players driving down on weekends. A lot of the players freak out when they see dormant fairways.

[jc88]

Got one near napa over here in California

[TexasTurf]

Wall to wall zoysia (tees, fairways, roughs) with bent greens is the best combination in my opinion.

[Irishman1979]

Agreed ? %

[txeconomist]

Whispering Pines north of Houston is redoing all the fairways with zoysia.

[Irishman1979]

When I end up competing again I am considering events in Texas and Oklahoma. Most courses in these states have Zoysia fairways correct?

[TexasTurf]

No, most have bermuda fairways and roughs. There are several (mainly newer renovations) that have zoysia fairways with bermuda roughs. Only a handful have wall to wall zoysia (mainly private, top-rated courses constructed after 2000).

[smashdn]

So many variables there is no "best" from a turf growing standpoint. Maybe from a playing standpoint you could argue that. But why would you not want a fescue or bluegrass rough if you had the climate?

 

Around here we have either bermuda or zoysia fairways, fescue roughs and bent or bermuda greens. The bermuda and zoysia will spread into the rough to an extent unless you are very diligent about keeping it killed out or have a well established, thick fescue sward. Bermuda (wild especially) will contaminate the zoysia too if you don't keep it killed out.

 

Bent is a plenty hardy grass if you keep it at a moderate height. It will just stress out in summer around here. Bent fairways was tried at a private north of me, they converted to zoysia after they couldn't keep it in good shape. A private way north of me in the state had wall to wall (save the greens) rye grass. It was a beautiful old school course. They converted to zoysia fairways a few years back. Another course directly to the north of me redid their greens to one of the new bermudas.

 

We have a smattering of different grasses. They all have their pros and cons and they all have their time when they are really good and times when they aren't. It is just very difficult to have a course that shines throughout the year here, and we do have year round golf. When the bent greens are good the fairways are either coming out or going into dormancy. When the fairways are growing good the greens are stressed.

[Irishman1979]

I have to agree that playing on Zoysia fairways is the best you can ask for. Especially if if you take a shallow divot.

Guys like Jay Haas always loved playing on Zoysia along with Tom Watson due to their techniques.

If you are a player who takes big divots after hitting the ball you will prefer other playing surfaces over Zoysia.

I was taught about 20 years ago when I started playing on the mini tours the same technique Watson and Haas used during their career which was to sweep the ball off the ground cleanly.

That's what my coach believed in and it worked. I started making checks and being competitive out there finally once he changed me into a "sweeper."

 

 

[ArtMBgolf]

I am surprised to hear about so many Zoysia fairway courses. Despite it being good, I thought hot climate areas were a high % of bermuda fairways, because it can recover faster

in heavy play areas.

Bermuda + Zoysia have similar pros/cons to heat/cold.

I see a lot of courses that have bermuda fairways + rough plant zoysia around the bunkers, for reduced runners into the sand.

.

[smashdn]

Bermuda here will winter kill if we get a thaw freeze cycle. Two years ago bermuda fairways (and to a lesser extent zoysia) did not get full until July in any place where water drained off. We got a heavy snow, it thawed out some during the day and soaked the ground and then froze at night zapping the roots. Zoysia seems to me to be a little more cold hardy. It, here anyway, greens up about three weeks before bermuda and stays green about three weeks longer. I prefer to play off of dormant zoysia over bermuda but when growing either are nice though zoysia is definitely more cushy.

[Sixcat]

Zoysia has a higher pH content than most other grasses, especially Bermuda. It handles heat better than bentgrass and cooler weather better than Bermuda. It still requires plenty of heat and sunshine though. It is also a very good grass for higher elevations with warmer climates. Most strands of Bermuda won't grow at elevation. There are a few downsides to zoysia. It needs to be cut shorter, with a very sharp "reel" type mower than other types of grasses. If it gets too long, it "flowers" and becomes very susceptible to thatch. Zoysia doesn't heal as well (or as easily) as other grasses and certain soil types make zoysia susceptible to thatch.

[doubledub]

Escondido northwest of Austin has Zeon/Jamur for rough, fairways, tees with Champions bermuda greens. The extra spin generated from the zoysia definitely helps stop the ball on the greens which are typically very firm. I believe dormant zoysia plays much better than dormant bermuda which is important in Texas where we get lots of nice days in the dormant season.

[jdhallissey]

There is a new hybrid zoysia they made. It is DALZ 1308. They are using it wall to wall. They say it puts better than champion Bermuda and can be kept lower and tighter. There is a private course in GA they installed it 3yrs ago as a test. I need to get up and play it. I was never really a fan of zoysia this new stuff might change my mind.

[doubledub]

I've been hearing about DALZ 1308 for the last year or so. Anyone know of the courses it has been used on (for greens surfaces). I thought there was one somewhere in TX but I could be wrong.

[nitram]

Carlton Woods Fazio in the Woodlands has joined the party.

[BNGL]

not to totally shit on this but...

I worked with David Douget of Bladerunner Farms, he supplied our Zeon for tees and did the work at Jordan’s course down the road. I caught up with him the other day, DALZ 1308 (Also known as Tambika, Dr. Ambika Chandra of Texas A&M who created DALZ1308 by crossing Zoysia Minima and Zoysia Mattrella so they combined the T for Texas AM and Ambika, or Lazer as it will be sold by DD and his staff) is not commercially available until 2020 (even then in limited supplies) but courses have installed test plots or test greens. The strands of zoysia found on greens now is the older Trinity/L1F found at trinity forest or tigers new spot for example. Before anyone says this course has it or that course does, Bladerunner possesses the national license for Lazer/Tambika/DALZ1308, which means it isn’t anywhere in the US on a golf course other than a test plot or test green.

someone mentioned pH, soils are supposed to be slightly acidic....for all turf types whatever it is between a ph of 5.8-7.0 is what we want to see for optimum growing conditions.

I fully realize that this is a forum of opinion and bringing together all sorts of ideas, which can be great. But I’m done with golfwrx, the amount of inane and inconsequential BS from 95 percent of people (GolfWRX staff included.) here is staggering. From Titleist99’s Brendan Todd is a top 10 player to RaynorFan trying to tell me Oakmont stimped 10 plus in the 1940s (I worked there it didn’t). there’s many many more. I fully realize that not every one can know everything but if you don’t know, don’t talk. Am I factually accurate in every take I have posted? No but I put a big giant this is strictly opinion before and after, but my opine is generally formulated from information I have gathered from guys that would know too. So some of y’all have my email and phone number feel free I love talking to y’all and pointing you in the right direction, it’s been a real pleasure seeing the enthusiasm Mallrat brings to his job and the great work he does, . Jamesthehoganfan it’s really neat to see pics of your place in Finland, Europe is one place I never got to see grounds keeping or much golf honestly. Augustgolf i wish you the best with your endeavors at your new project I hope it’s a success. As for me I’m out

[TexasTurf]

BNGL, I've always enjoyed reading what you have provided. If you're gone, I understand. Good luck, I know you'll continue to do well. We both know that golfers in general are completely clueless about golf courses aside from rumors and things they read in magazines. Including their own courses.

 

I hope you come back. If not, thanks for what you have contributed.

[NoTalentLefty]

best fairways I’ve played are Zoysia. Live in a part Illinois where you don’t see it much. We traveled about 90 miles southwest toward St Louis to see much of it. The cost of installing it is higher but upkeep is cheaper . So in the long run it would pay for itself. Even when it’s dormant it plays well, it’s just ugly for green lovers. It will be the grass of the future with the green movement being as it is.

[monty09]

I played Dallas National in the off season and they have zoysia fw's and they were great even in Jan....

 

some of Texas top courses will all have zoysia in 2020... Whispering Pines, Dallas National, Bluejack National, carlton Woods - F side