As the growing season shifts from summer to fall, superintendents managing bermudagrass rough start to see some noticeable differences. What was once a dense, upright and vibrant stand in the heat of summer gradually becomes a more open canopy where golf balls sit lower, they become harder to find, and playability becomes more of a concern. These changes are not a reflection of poor management, but rather a natural response of bermudagrass to seasonal transitions. Understanding the plant’s response is the first step in making adjustments that will keep the rough challenging but fair.
Why Bermudagrass Rough Changes in the Fall
Reduced Temperature and Light Slow Down Growth
Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass. As nighttime temperatures dip into the 60s and daylight hours shorten, growth slows considerably. The turf produces fewer lateral stolons and tillers – instead, leaf blades elongate which leads to a thinner and more wiry canopy.
Reduced Density
In peak summer, vigorous growth creates a dense stand of rough that helps hold golf balls up. With growth slowing in the fall, density diminishes and balls tend to settle deeper into the canopy, making them harder to locate and advance.
Seasonal Color Change
As dormancy approaches, bermudagrass loses chlorophyll, shifting from green to off-colored tones. This change is mainly cosmetic but it does impact ball visibility – which can contribute to more balls getting lost in the rough.
Moisture Retention
With cooler temperatures and less evapotranspiration, soils will remain wetter longer after rain. This encourages softer and more-matted turf conditions in the rough, especially in low-lying or shaded locations where bermudagrass is already weaker.
Strategies To Improve Playability
Mowing Adjustments
A modest reduction in rough mowing height during the fall helps limit leaf elongation and improves ball visibility. Even a relatively small decrease can make a noticeable difference without sacrificing challenge. Taller, elongated leaves often create the illusion of density but actually lead to balls settling lower. Regular mowing at an appropriate height encourages more tillering and a denser stand.
Nitrogen Management
Light, spoon-fed applications of nitrogen in early fall help sustain growth and canopy density longer. Avoid heavy or late-season applications because they can create excessive top growth that’s prone to scalping and promotes disease.
Moisture and Traffic Management
Carefully monitoring irrigation needs and adjusting watering based on the weather prevents conditions where turf becomes overly soft and matted. Spreading out traffic and implementing cart restrictions when needed also helps maintain better playability throughout the rough in fall. Recovery is very slow this time of year, so minimizing traffic is crucial not just for playability now but also through the winter.
Setting Expectations
Even with good management practices, bermudagrass rough in the fall will never play the same as it does in July. Communicating this reality with golfers and decision-makers ensures that expectations are aligned with seasonal conditions and reinforces the superintendent’s proactive role.
Conclusion
The issue of golf balls settling down into the canopy of bermudagrass rough is one of the most common concerns I hear on USGA Course Consulting Service visits after Labor Day and it’s one superintendents hear about almost daily at this time of year. The answer isn’t always simple, especially with major events like member-guest tournaments and club championships taking place during this transitional season. The key is understanding why the rough plays differently in fall and implementing agronomic strategies to help offset the seasonal slowdown in growth as bermudagrass heads toward dormancy. After months of asking for cooler weather to ease some of the challenges of summer, it has finally arrived and brought its own issues with it!
Southeast Region Agronomists:
Jordan Booth, Ph.D., senior director, USGA Course Consulting Service – jbooth@usga.org
Chris Hartwiger, director, Agronomy – chartwiger@usga.org
Chris Neff, agronomist – cneff@usga.org
Mitch Leininger, agronomist - mleininger@usga.org