This past weekend saw Jon Rahm Rodriguez win the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California.  What makes this tournament and the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in a few weeks (February 13-19^th) unique agronomically is outside of the greens the courses are kikuyugrass.  Rich McIntosh, golf course superintendent at Torrey Pines and a select group of superitendents face the unique challenge of managing kikuyugrass that few outside of California do. 

Kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum) is a warm season turfgrass that is widely found on golf courses throughout Mexico, Africa, Australia and parts of South America but isolated primarily to southern California in the United States. It is adapted to arid or dry types of environments.  From a cultural management perspective kikuyugrass is adapted to mowing heights as low as 0.375 inches to over an inch.  On fairways the height of cut can run from 0.375, but is normally cut at 0.5 inch during the spring and summer with the height normally raised slightly during the fall and winter.   On kikuyugrass golf courses the greens are predominantly annual bluegrass in southern California, with creeping bentgrass the predominant putting green turf as you move around the world. 

Kikuyugrass golf courses that have annual bluegrass or creeping bentgrass greens presents unique challenges to golfers.  Kikuyugrass is a thick grass that “grabs” the golf ball.  There is very little roll or bounce associated with kikuyugrass.  A golf shot that lands in kikuyugrass whether an approach, chip, or lob are grabbed immediately eliminating for all practical purposes a bump and run shot.

Often the approach and collar are maintained like the greens with topdressing and rolling in an attempt to get a kikuyugrass surface with less resistance.  One cautionary note is that in some instances repeated or frequent topdressing may result in a slight decline in turf quality (antidotal).  One of the issues in managing kikuyugrass is there are too few scientific studies on managing kikuyugrass. 

Kikuyugrass generally requires minimal amounts of nitrogen.  In situations where effluent water is used the amount of nitrogen in the irrigation water needs to be factored in when developing a nitrogen program.  A major agronomic issue with kikuyugrass is the associated thatching that occurs.  An aggressive thatch management program needs to be a priority.  Often vertical mowing two or three times in the spring is needed with fewer less intensive verticut cutting during the summer.  Given the “toughness” and thatching ability of kikuyugrasses normally heavier mowing reels are preferred. 

Kikuyugrass can get an assortment of diseases depending on the weather conditions present.   One late winter- early spring disease is leaf spot that can be quite severe.  A second disease that occurs in other countries is a soil-borne disease known as Kikuyu yellows (Verrucalvus flavofaciens).  I have only seen this disease in Australia. 

Those who manage kikuyugrass worldwide are a select group of superintendents.  The data and knowledge bank on managing kikuyugrass does not exist to the extent of our knowledge of other turfgrasses.  The knowledge to managing kikuyugrass exists within those who manage it.   

This past weekend saw Jon Rahm Rodriguez win the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California.  What makes this tournament and the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in a few weeks (February 13-19^th) unique agronomically is outside of the greens the courses are kikuyugrass.  Rich McIntosh, golf course superintendent at Torrey Pines and a select group of superitendents face the unique challenge of managing kikuyugrass that few outside of California do. 

Kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum) is a warm season turfgrass that is widely found on golf courses throughout Mexico, Africa, Australia and parts of South America but isolated primarily to southern California in the United States. It is adapted to arid or dry types of environments.  From a cultural management perspective kikuyugrass is adapted to mowing heights as low as 0.375 inches to over an inch.  On fairways the height of cut can run from 0.375, but is normally cut at 0.5 inch during the spring and summer with the height normally raised slightly during the fall and winter.   On kikuyugrass golf courses the greens are predominantly annual bluegrass in southern California, with creeping bentgrass the predominant putting green turf as you move around the world. 

Kikuyugrass golf courses that have annual bluegrass or creeping bentgrass greens presents unique challenges to golfers.  Kikuyugrass is a thick grass that “grabs” the golf ball.  There is very little roll or bounce associated with kikuyugrass.  A golf shot that lands in kikuyugrass whether an approach, chip, or lob are grabbed immediately eliminating for all practical purposes a bump and run shot.

Often the approach and collar are maintained like the greens with topdressing and rolling in an attempt to get a kikuyugrass surface with less resistance.  One cautionary note is that in some instances repeated or frequent topdressing may result in a slight decline in turf quality (antidotal).  One of the issues in managing kikuyugrass is there are too few scientific studies on managing kikuyugrass. 

Kikuyugrass generally requires minimal amounts of nitrogen.  In situations where effluent water is used the amount of nitrogen in the irrigation water needs to be factored in when developing a nitrogen program.  A major agronomic issue with kikuyugrass is the associated thatching that occurs.  An aggressive thatch management program needs to be a priority.  Often vertical mowing two or three times in the spring is needed with fewer less intensive verticut cutting during the summer.  Given the “toughness” and thatching ability of kikuyugrasses normally heavier mowing reels are preferred. 

Kikuyugrass can get an assortment of diseases depending on the weather conditions present.   One late winter- early spring disease is leaf spot that can be quite severe.  A second disease that occurs in other countries is a soil-borne disease known as Kikuyu yellows (Verrucalvus flavofaciens).  I have only seen this disease in Australia. 

Those who manage kikuyugrass worldwide are a select group of superintendents.  The data and knowledge bank on managing kikuyugrass does not exist to the extent of our knowledge of other turfgrasses.  The knowledge to managing kikuyugrass exists within those who manage it.