Driving range tees in the Southeast endure a lot of use. Between year-round practice demands, player expectations and challenges associated with bermudagrass dormancy, overseeding practice tees becomes an essential management practice for many courses. The key is to execute an overseeding program that provides playable turf in the winter months while ensuring a smooth transition back to healthy bermudagrass in the spring.
Why Courses Overseed Driving Range Tees
The primary reason to overseed a driving range tee is to maintain a high-quality, visually appealing and functional hitting surface throughout the dormant season. As bermudagrass loses color and recovery slows or stops during cooler months, overseeding with a cool-season grass – typically perennial ryegrass – provides green cover, a more consistent playing surface and recovery from divots. Even if courses don’t overseed other surfaces, they will often overseed the practice tee because demand for use during winter and early spring is so high.
When To Overseed
Timing is critical for success. In the Southeast, overseeding typically occurs from late September to late October, when nighttime temperatures begin to drop into the 60s and soil temperatures stabilize at around 70 degrees F. Seeding too early risks competition from actively growing bermudagrass, while waiting too late can result in slow germination and limited establishment before winter.
How To Overseed
Preparation begins by lowering the bermudagrass height to approximately 0.250 to 0.375 inch and collecting or blowing the clippings off the tee surface to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. A light vertical mow or aggressive grooming thins the canopy even further to help seeds reach the soil. A light topdressing after seeding can help protect germinating seeds. Keep the surface consistently moist with frequent, light irrigation cycles until germination occurs.
Seed Rates and Selection
For perennial ryegrass, a seeding rate between 10 and 12 pounds per 1,000 square feet provides quick coverage without excessive density. Some facilities prefer a blend of intermediate ryegrass (a hybrid of perennial and annual ryegrass) and perennial ryegrass for faster germination and increased durability, particularly on practice tees. At courses where faster spring transition is critical, a lower rate of overseed or using a mix including turf-type annual ryegrass may be beneficial to accelerate the transition back to bermudagrass. You can also choose to overseed only part of the tee for winter, leaving an area of dormant bermudagrass closed until spring so that it doesn’t have to recover from overseeding and is ready sooner.
Transition Tools and Returning to Bermudagrass
A smooth transition in late spring is vital as this is a prime playing season in the Southeast. Begin reducing nitrogen inputs to ryegrass in April and gradually lower mowing heights to favor emerging bermudagrass. Light vertical mowing, aeration and applications of ammonium sulfate or urea encourage bermudagrass recovery. If ryegrass persists longer than desired, a selective herbicide with active ingredients such as foramsulfuron (Revolver), trifloxysulfuron (Monument) and sulfosulfuron (Certainty) may be used according to the label directions to complete the transition.
Closing Thoughts
An effective overseeding strategy is a vital part of getting the most out of your grass practice tee, and it is definitely a balancing act to enhance winter playability without overly compromising bermudagrass spring recovery. With careful planning, proper timing and disciplined transition management, superintendents can deliver a premium practice surface all winter long while setting the table for a smooth transition in the spring.
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