Bent vs Bermuda Greens

[Pulley]

The club I am a member of has two courses. On the north course we have bent and on the south we have bermuda. It has been exceedingly difficult for us to maintain the bent grass in the summer months. We install huge fans and daily watering. The bermuda greens on the south course are beautiful, break and grain can make make for some challenging putting!! We have finally voted to replace the bent grass greens on the north course. Right now they are FIRM & FAST but we would rather have two courses with great/good greeens all year long versus one with terrible greens for months.

[Holy Moses]

How much does that cost? How long will that course be out of commission? Where are you located?

[QMany]

[quote name='bwb' timestamp='1362355250' post='6540959']
[quote name='teejaywhy' timestamp='1362278054' post='6536367']
[quote name='Rock Chalk Jayhawk' timestamp='1362180547' post='6529947']
... Then again, my course has the best greens in the country outside of Augusta National. We also have the best fairways in the country.
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You misspelled county. Twice.
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I have a good idea where Rock Chalk plays, and I think his spelling may be just fine. I'd be happy to drive out to Kansas from Indiana to find out.
[/quote]
If he lives in and plays out of Olathe or anywhere in KC, I have no idea what he is talking about. If his home course is in southern Kansas, that is still a VERY bold statement.

[Pulley]

[quote name='Fore(ged)' timestamp='1363094663' post='6596155']
How much does that cost? How long will that course be out of commission? Where are you located?
[/quote]

I am in Beaufort SC but the club is in Bluffton SC. I'm not sure of the cost but I have been told within 8 weeks we will playing on the new greens.

[EdL]

With everything being equal, I would prefer bent grass greens merely becuase you don't have to worry about grain. However, quality of the surface is obviously the most important thing regardless of type of grass. Climate is certainly a factor, but it really comes down to the competency of the course maintenance staff.

[QMany]

[quote name='EdL' timestamp='1363196790' post='6604983']
With everything being equal, I would prefer bent grass greens merely becuase you don't have to worry about grain. However, quality of the surface is obviously the most important thing regardless of type of grass. [b] Climate is certainly a factor, but it really comes down to the competency of the course maintenance staff.[/b]
[/quote]
I'd say those two things can be equally as important.

I used to work grounds at a private club in KC. Our old super is now the head at Olympic, my old colleague is not his assistant, and my newer boss went out to help during the US Open. All very competent, but all were extremely limited when they were just trying to keep greens alive during ridiculous Kansas summers. When they are putting down so much water to keep them cool, the green speeds and softness of the greens can make them not enjoyable.

[5yddraw]

I'm in an area where many courses have made or will soon make the change from bent to bermuda (mini verde or champion) and while bent is the best for a short time period, almost every course loses its bent greens at some point and they are not enjoyable to play on. Without a doubt I'll take the consistency of bermuda and I hope every course around here transitions to bermuda.

[Lodestone]

How far north can Bermuda be used? You never see it up North. Is that because everyone loves Bent if they can use it, or because Bermuda can't survive the winters?
I live in Upstate NY, and I love Bent, because it's what I know. When my folks were living in Florida, I'd play their Bermuda, and it just drove me nuts on the greens. I couldn't read a putt. I grew to like hitting out of the fairways. Lies looked tight, but the first 3/4 inch of turf was light and fluffy. It was really hard for me to not replace my divots, and just sprinkle sand.

Even in Upstate NY, we have our periods in summer where it gets hot and humid, and sometimes it looks like rain but it doesn't rain, and the Bent gets pretty close to the edge.

[Holy Moses]

Bermuda can survive up north in the winter. It will just go dormant. The problem is that the bermuda won't start to really begin growing if used up north until June. It would be brown until then. Then it would go dormant in September. The time that bermuda would play really well would be short.