I especially liked this quote:

Bud Welch, head pro at Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill, S.C., oversaw the change from bent grass to Bermuda two years ago. Nearby Waterford Golf Club and Fort Mill Golf Club have made the same change, as did the Golf Club at Ballantyne. In the past, Welch said, play would drop noticeably when the condition of the greens declined, almost as if someone had posted it on Facebook.

Yeah, Facebook or B-Man’s Guide to Golf in Charlotte!

That was a good article…it seems for sure like every course is going to these greens, or a version of it. Is bermuda the same as the “mini verde” that ballantyne, springfield, waterford, etc. have all gone to?

The greens all LOOK incredible. They roll great and are ususally fast. And I completely understand why the courses are doing this.

That being the case, I sure miss Bent Grass. I don’t know how often any of you play Gastonia Municipal (Catawba Creek now), but they switched the greens last year, and the new greens are always perfect, hard, fast…completely changes the course. Same with Waterford.

The only downside of this grass (and sure, it could be user error I suppose) is the ball just does not grab. Is this better than a million ball marks on a bent grass? Sure, but it also changes the way you play.

Example: a Nike One ball spins a ton…i mean, a ton. My three year old could probably rip that ball back…

On bent grass, that ball could land, rip back and roll off the front. On the mini verde, a clicked wedge, the ball still releases forward. So typically, you have to play for roll on shots when you should be able to stick it by the flag.

Maybe this does not make sense. The odd thing is, Springfield, and maybe they just know how to do it better, the balls do grab more.

So, is that a slightly different grass, or just maintained the same grass differently? I don’t know. I am not against the changes, but man, I wish bent grass was able to survive, because I love it.

I have to disagree. With faster greens ( like ballentyne) I have to worry about spinning it too much! Sometimes I wonder if I am going to spin it off the green. Of course for me it changes the way I chip and putt drastically though

yo, slomofo,
that is a perfect example…That is where I wonder if Ballentyne and Springfield have a different type of mini verde, or different soil underneath, or just maintain it differently, etc….
I played Gastonia this morning, and the ball just releases on everything regardless…But, like you, I have played springfield, and been able to stop the ball how I need to…
I have not played ballentyne in a long, long time…
I am def not a grass expert..or a golf one for that matter…just curious as the difference between the different courses when all the clubs say they have the same grass now.
word

I agree Paul. Each place is different. I really am into Bermuda now though. Its unfortunate with Ballantyne. I have heard a rumor that they will be turning this course into a 12 hole executive course. It sucks, I really liked this course. Maybe if they lowered their rates a tad, they would have more people playing it.