Golf Question of the Week: What is “Contouring?”

Playing golf in Myrtle Beach this time of year, some players periodically comment about the “dead rough” surrounding the fairways and greens. What they don't realize is that the grass isn't dead, but simply “dormant” – and is kept that way for some very specific reasons designed to provide visiting golfers with the best possible playing conditions during the cooler months.

The process is called “contouring,” and to provide a simple explanation we called on Max Morgan, area golf course agronomist:

Contouring is a term used to describe the style of overseeding where only certain parts of the golf hole are overseeded. In Myrtle Beach, contouring generally refers to the practice of overseeding the fairways, tee tops, collars and approaches, and leaving the rough “dormant.” Contouring is done for several reasons – it is less expensive, more environmentally friendly, and it can provide an awesome combination of playing conditions and beauty.

Remember, overseeding is done so the golf course has green, growing grass on it while our bermudagrass is dormant. When bermudagrass goes “dormant,” which it does as a response to the onset of cold winter weather, it stops growing and turns a pleasant light brown or tan color. While dormant bermudagrass makes an excellent playing surface, since it is not growing it can not repair itself from any wear and tear it sustains while it is dormant. Bermudagrass in our area usually goes dormant in late November/early December, and does not come all the way out of dormancy until mid-late May.

To provide a green, growing playing surface, a cool season grass (usually a perennial ryegrass) is seeded into the still green bermudagrass sometime in October. Over the next 30-60 days, the ryegrass starts to grow while the bermudagrass goes dormant. With good seeding technique, good timing, and a little cooperation from Mother Nature, this transition can take place without anyone really noticing. When the bermudagrass roughs finally go dormant, the tees and fairways stand out like emerald green carpet against the dormant roughs. This look will remain for the winter and into the early spring.

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