A Report on Putting Green Performance Characteristics
Turfgrass Nitrogen Requirement and Growth Potential

Turfgrass Mystery: what is causing the splotchy dew pattern on this fairway?

Quiz-201209 1
Ok, here is a relatively easy one. What is causing the splotchy dew pattern on this warm-season fairway? Click the image to see a larger view. Bonus question: what country is this golf course in?

Thanks to everyone who responded. There were guesses of something to do with soil moisture (that was my first guess on this also!) and something to do with the trees, neither of which are correct, and a flurry of answers related to it being two different grass species with a difference in the way the leaves hold the dew.

That, of course, is the correct answer, and @GreatManDan gets the credit for identifying bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) as the grass holding the dew, and zoysiagrass as the grass not holding as much dew. For the bonus question, @campbellturf correctly identified the country as Japan. In the second picture, the cart path tracks, used with remote-controlled golf carts at so many courses in Japan, gives the country away.

Quiz-201209 2

This course was originally planted to Zoysia japonica in the rough and Zoysia matrella on the tees and fairways. In central and western Japan, when a little bit of bermudagrass finds its way onto the course, it tends to spread and spread, and these photos show just how much it has spread, as evidenced by the morning dew patterns. 

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Different turf species?

The comments to this entry are closed.