Cart paths are an essential part of most golf courses. They provide a safe route for carts and maintenance traffic to navigate the golf course without causing turf damage. They are especially important during wet weather or when weather is unfavorable for turf growth and recovery. However, cart paths are the bane of many golf course architects because they may direct the golfer’s eye away from the primary features of the hole and they create an unnatural appearance. Furthermore, when concrete or asphalt paths are close to landing areas they may deflect golf balls much farther from the target than intended.
There have been numerous courses that removed hardscape paths in favor of alternative materials. In the Southeast, coral and shells may be used for cart path material. Some courses use decomposed granite or aggregate treated with a polymer to mitigate erosion and reduce dust. These materials require routine maintenance and erosion is a significant problem, not to mention complaints about dust.
But what about bermudagrass as a cart path surface? Bermudagrass has excellent durability, and with bermudagrass there is no erosion or dust problem. However, even the most durable turf surface will thin out and eventually turn to bare ground under constant and concentrated golf cart traffic. An imaginative golf course superintendent in Southern California sought a strategy to grow bermudagrass as a cart path surface.
Kevin O’Conner, superintendent at The Valley Club of Montecito, utilizes rubber mats and subsurface drainage to facilitate bermudagrass as a cart path surface. The Valley Club experimented with a hard plastic material designed with a “honeycomb” pattern to protect the grass paths but the bermudagrass did not perform well. The soft rubber mats combined with a solid preparation plan and careful management have led to grass paths that exceeded member expectations. The bermudagrass cart paths have been installed on one hole for over a year with good success. Now, the members want to expand this system to more of the golf course. O’Conner has found the following steps are important to maintain healthy bermudagrass cart paths:
Install subsurface drainage in low-lying areas of the path where water may accumulate.
O’Conner installed a 6-inch base of rock under the paths. He used 1- to 2-inch rock for his base material.
A geotextile fabric was laid on top of the rock and a sandy loam soil was installed to provide a rootzone.
Bermudagrass was sodded and allowed to establish for three weeks. In this case, common bermudagrass was used to match the roughs.
The bermudagrass was installed about 1/2 inch below final grade.
The rubber mats were installed on top of the bermudagrass to reach final grade.
The bermudagrass was allowed to grow up through the mats for a three-week period prior to allowing golf cart traffic.
Maintenance vehicles do not use the grass cart paths. Only golf carts are allowed to drive on them. The golf course sees approximately 30 golf cart rounds per day.
The bermudagrass paths are mown at the same height and frequency as the roughs, although with the traffic, the mowers rarely cut any turf on the paths.
The grass paths receive additional nitrogen to boost turf vigor.
The paths performed well throughout the winter months.
The Valley Club of Montecito is in a coastal, cool climate with a fair amount of shade from trees. Bermudagrass paths at courses located in hotter climates with greater sun exposure should be expected to perform even better. Additionally, the path at The Valley Club was sodded to common bermudagrass to match the roughs. At courses with hybrid bermudagrass roughs, this concept will surely perform better. While this strategy will not work for all courses, it may be something to consider for facilities seeking alternative cart path materials.
West Region Agronomists:
Brian Whitlark, regional director – bwhitlark@usga.org
Cory Isom, agronomist – cisom@usga.org