Buffalograss works well as a low-maintenance rough, in this case around a zoysiagrass fairway at Briggs Ranch Golf Club near San Antonio,Tex.

Familiar to most turf managers is that buffalograss is a low-maintenance, warm-season turfgrass with a slow growth rate and excellent drought resistance. It uses less water and requires less mowing and fertilizer than other turfgrasses common to golf. What you may not know is that significant research and turfgrass breeding efforts have been in place for buffalograss in recent decades. Much of this research was funded by the USGA and much of it done at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Buffalograss: Tough Native Turfgrass provides a great overview of the history and accomplishments of the buffalograss breeding program at UNL). As a result, there are newer, improved buffalograss varieties now available that possess better density, darker color, finer texture, improved winter hardiness and faster establishment from sod or seed. Newer varieties offer much better quality and playability than previous generations of buffalograss and are better suited for use on golf courses. If you haven't observed first hand recent releases of buffalograss varieties, then you almost certainly have a misconception (and likely bias) against this turfgrass species for golf course use. 

Tree roots compete with turf for water and nutrients, yet the stress to adjacent turf is usually ignored. The beneficial effects of severing tree roots become obvious during droughty weather, as seen in the improved turf performance to the left.

To say most golf facilities across the United States are overplanted with unnecessary trees would be an understatement. Myriad turf problems related to dense shade and poor air circulation are topics of considerable discussion and debate during most USGA Turf Advisory Service visits. Trees aren't picky; they cause just as many problems to warm-season turf as they do to cool-season species.

Professional services can be contracted to make an objective evaluation of serious shade problems that affect specific areas of a golf course. Shade issues can also be documented with user-friendly apps for an iPhone/iPad, such as Sun Seeker or Sun Scout. With a little practice, even a quality compass can be used to determine which trees will cause the most shade problems to a particular green or tee. Similarly, a variety of hand-held anemometers are available to determine air movement, or lack thereof, across turf due to trees, brush, berms, or other obstructions.