Myrtle Beach, known as the Golf Capital of the World, houses over 100 pristine courses, attracting golf enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. Besides the course’s designs, another significant yet often overlooked element that distinguishes these fields is the type of grass used, which significantly impacts playability. This article takes a closer look at different types of grass that adorn the greens and fairways of Myrtle Beach golf courses.
### Why Grass Types Matter
Understanding grass types is crucial for every golfer seeking to improve their game as each type has a unique texture, color, playability, and growth pattern, influencing ball roll speed, bounce, and even strategy. Further, not all grass types can endure the unique climate of Myrtle Beach—humid summers and occasionally cold winters.
### Bermudagrass: The Southern Staple
Bermudagrass is a champion among grass types used on Myrtle Beach golf courses. This warm-season grass, also known as Couch Grass, thrives well in hot and humid climates making it the perfect fit for Myrtle’s warm coastal environment.
Golf courses, including The Dunes Club and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, sport Bermudagrass on their fairways and greens due to its durability, speed, and tolerance to heavy foot traffic. The grass grows low to the ground and is harder than most other types, offering decent speeds on the greens and predictable rolls on the fairways.
### Bentgrass: The Northern Import
Bentgrass, on the other hand, while native to temperate and cold regions, has found its home on several Myrtle Beach greens. This cool-season grass forms a close-knit, carpet-like cover, which offers a smooth putting surface loved by golfers. Its lush green color attributes to the aesthetic allure of the courses.
Golf courses, particularly those harboring microclimates or adequate resources to maintain the grass through the summer, house Bentgrass. For instance, TPC Myrtle Beach—one of the area’s premier golf clubs—features Bentgrass on their greens, providing a soft surface that makes it easier to stop the ball quickly.
### Paspalum: The New Kid on the Grass Block
SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum, a relative newcomer, is gaining traction on Myrtle Beach golf courses. This warm-season grass, native to tropical and coastal regions, resists salt and thrives in sandy soils, making it ideal for seaside courses. It’s well recognized for its deep green color, and dense, soft texture, providing a forgiving cushion for golfers’ shots.
Grande Dunes Resort Club, for instance, takes advantage of SeaDwarf Paspalum’s coastal-loving nature, adorning their fairways and greens with this grass type. Golfers confess that shots off the fairway feel better and putts roll more smoothly on Paspalum, offering an unrivaled golfing experience.
### Exploration Beyond the Grass
Evidently, the nature of your golf experience in Myrtle Beach relies significantly on the types of grass used on the courses. Each brings its unique charisma to the field, enriching the golfer’s game by adding varying layers of complexity, resilience, and beauty.
However, knowing the grass type is just one piece of the puzzle. Mastering the play requires understanding how the different grass types react to various strokes and adapting your strategy accordingly. So, the next time you hit a Myrtle Beach golf course, spare a thought for the grass under your feet—its presents the opportunity to question, learn and perfect your game in novel ways.
Good read, always overlooked the type of grass but now I see it’s more important than I ever realized. Might explain why my putting is off at certain courses. Guess I need to do some grass-studying now!
Very informative! I’ve always preferred Bentgrass, but it’s interesting to see how Paspalum is catching on. Curious if anyone has experience with how the ball reacts differently on Paspalum? Also, got to laugh a bit at the distinction by grass! I can imagine it now: ‘Bobby, why you lost?’ ‘Damn, it was that tricky Bermudagrass, just couldn’t read it!’ Ha!