What kind of grass is used on golf courses

The type of grass used on golf courses varies widely depending on climate, maintenance budgets and the playing surfaces you need — but in a game of inches and millimetres, it all matters. Whether you’re a superintendent, greenkeeper, keen golfer or a local Sunshine Coast homeowner curious about why courses look the way they do, this guide explains the main types of golf course grass, what makes a good golf course turf and which varieties suit Queensland conditions best.

Types of golf course grass

Golf course turf is usually described by where it’s used (greens, tees, fairways, roughs, surrounds) and by growth habit (warm-season vs cool-season), texture (fine leaf vs coarse), density and tolerance to wear, drought, shade and mowing levels.

• Greens: finest leaf, mowed lowest, highly maintained (example: bentgrass in temperate regions). 
• Tees and Fairways: balance between ball roll and durability (examples: Bermuda/Couch, Zoysia). 
• Roughs and Surrounds: tougher, coarser grasses that tolerate infrequent mowing (examples: kikuyu, tall fescue). 

Different grasses are selected to create consistent playing surfaces — from lightning-fast putting greens to forgiving surrounds — and to match local climate (hot humid north vs cooler temperate south). In Australia, and particularly across Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions, warm-season grasses dominate because they handle heat, humidity and drought better than cool-season turf.

What makes a good golf course grass?

A “good” golf course grass is a mixture of practical performance and playability. Here are the main characteristics turf managers look for:

• Fine leaf texture and density for smooth ball roll on greens. 
• Tolerance to very low mowing heights (important for greens; e.g., bentgrass). 
• Fast recovery and wear tolerance for fairways and tees (Bermuda/Couch is famed for runners and quick recovery). 
• Low thatch / manageable maintenance so superintendents can maintain consistent speeds. 
• Drought and heat tolerance for Queensland conditions — grasses that survive dry spells and conserve water. 
• Shade tolerance where tree cover exists. 
• Resistance to pests, diseases and weeds (Poa annua is a weed on many greens). 
• Good colour and uniform appearance — players and clubs value a “luxurious” surface. 
• Rooting depth and soil compatibility — deep roots help in drought; soil pH and nutrients matter. 
• Clipping behaviour — fine, unobtrusive clippings can be left to decompose and return nutrients. 

Superintendents and turf managers balance these traits against maintenance schedules: mowing, fertiliser, irrigation, aeration and soil testing (including pH) are all part of the programme to keep playing surfaces at peak condition.

Golf course grass varieties

Below are the most common grasses you’ll see on golf courses, with notes on how they perform in Australian and Queensland conditions. 

1. Couch / Bermuda (Warm-season)

Couch (Bermuda) is a warm-season turf widely used across fairways, tees and surrounds in hot, humid and coastal areas. It’s sun-loving, forms horizontal runners (stolon and rhizome growth habit), and recovers rapidly from wear — ideal for high-traffic fairways and tee boxes.

Key features

• Fast-growing runners; quick recovery from divots and wear. 
• Heat, drought and salt tolerance, making it suitable for coastal locations and parts of Queensland. 
• Can be mowed short (suitable for fairway heights) and produces fine ball roll when maintained. 
• Different couch varieties offer contrasting winter colour, leaf fineness and drought tolerance (see our Wintergreen Couch for a proven choice). 

Where used: fairways, surrounds, some tees. In northern Queensland and Sunshine Coast, couch is often the default choice for fairways because it copes with hot humid conditions and recovers quickly between rounds.

2. Bentgrass (Cool-season; greens specialist)

Bentgrass is the classic putting-green grass, prized for its extremely fine leaf texture and ability to be mown very short. Bentgrass creates some of the fastest greens in the world, but it requires intense maintenance, precise irrigation, fertiliser schedules and soil care.

Key features

• Ultra-fine leaf and dense, smooth putting surface. 
• Thrives in cooler climates and needs dedicated maintenance (difficult in hot, humid Queensland unless cooled with irrigation and shade management). 
• Susceptible to heat stress; maintenance includes frequent aeration and mowing. 

Where used: premium greens in temperate zones (often used in the US, Europe). In Australia, bentgrass remains a top choice where cool microclimates or dedicated maintenance budgets exist, but many Queensland courses opt for warm season greens or blends.

3. Fescue (Cool-season / fine turf)

Fescue (including tall fescue and fine fescue varieties) is often used in links-style courses, roughs and naturalised areas. It has a slightly coarser, bunching habit in tall fescue and finer textures in fine fescues; many courses use fescue to create native, low-input roughs.

Key features

• Drought tolerant (particularly tall fescue) and often used in naturalised surrounds. 
• Provides a softer, more forgiving feel and is excellent for aesthetic roughs. 
• Requires careful watering to avoid shallow roots and weed invasion. 

Where used: roughs, native links surrounds and low-maintenance areas.

4. Zoysia (Warm-season; excellent choice for Queensland)

Zoysia is a slower-growing, dense, low-maintenance turf that produces a very consistent playing surface. Because of its density and fine leaf in some cultivars, Zoysia is an outstanding choice for fairways and surrounds in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions.

Key features

• Slow-growing and hardy, needs less mowing and produces fewer clippings. 
• Dense and wear-tolerant; good ball roll and recovery when established. 
• Cold and heat tolerant with excellent winter colour compared with other warm season grasses. 
• Well suited for coastal and humid conditions where a tougher, low-maintenance fairway is preferred. 
• If you’re looking for Zoysia options, check Nara Native Zoysia and Augusta Zoysia for proven varieties suited to Australian conditions. 

Why Zoysia for Queensland: it balances lower maintenance and attractive playing characteristics — ideal for clubs on the Sunshine Coast and Gympie that want a durable but fine playing surface. Zoysia’s slow vertical growth also reduces mowing frequency and fertiliser requirements.

5. Poa annua (Annual bluegrass — often a weed, sometimes tolerated)

Poa annua (wintergrass / annual bluegrass) is common on greens and tees worldwide. It has a finer leaf but behaves like a weed: it germinates in cool conditions and creates uneven surfaces as it tears out or produces seed heads.

Key features

• Often considered a weed; can interrupt green uniformity. 
• Produces seed heads that impact ball roll and appearance. 
• Courses aim to manage or eliminate it through cultural controls (mowing, sand topdressing, fungicide, overseeding programmes). 

Where seen: greens and surrounds where inconsistent maintenance or cooler microclimates allow its spread.

6. Rye (Ryegrass — seasonal or overseed)

Ryegrass (perennial rye for overseeding) is commonly used to overseed warm-season turfs in winter to maintain green colour and playability in cooler months.

Key features

• Provides rapid colour and establishment when oversown into couch or kikuyu in winter. 
• Often used by turf managers to maintain an all-year playing surface. 
• Requires careful fertiliser and watering management during establishment. 

Where used: overseeding fairways and sports fields; sometimes in tees and surrounds.

More grasses and related turf types you’ll encounter

• Kikuyu: popular in northern Australia for its toughness, rapid growth and wear tolerance. Great for roughs and high-traffic areas but can be coarse for greens. 
• Buffalo: more shade tolerant, used in some home lawns and lower-maintenance surrounds; less common on elite golf playing surfaces. 
• St Augustine / Augustine: broadleaf family used in warmer, coastal locations for lawns; not typical for greens but seen in landscaping. 
• Tall fescue: used in transition zones where drought tolerance and deep roots are preferred. 
• Synthetic turf: occasionally used for practice areas or low-maintenance surrounds. 

Putting the right grass in the right place: practical tips for Queensland courses

1. Match the species to the climate — warm-season grasses (couch/bermuda, zoysia, kikuyu) generally suit Queensland’s hot, humid and coastal zones. Cool-season grasses (bentgrass, fescue) suit southern temperate climates. 
2. Understand maintenance needs — bentgrass needs intense mowing and irrigation; zoysia and some couch varieties need less frequent mowing and fertiliser. 
3. Test your soil (moisture, pH, nutrient levels) and create a tailored fertiliser schedule; the correct fertiliser program helps grass maintain colour, root depth and density. 
4. Manage mowing height carefully — never remove more than a third of blade length at once; routine and correct mowing promotes a healthy root system (see our tips in the Roberts Turf tone). 
5. Plan irrigation and drought strategies — deep roots and drought-tolerant species minimise watering needs during dry spells. 
6. Consider traffic and wear patterns — fairways need fast recovery; tee boxes need hardiness against repeated divots. Couch/bermuda and zoysia are excellent performers under traffic. 
7. Control invasive weeds and pests — routine turf maintenance prevents Poa annua, wintergrass and other weeds from disrupting surfaces. 

Maintenance, mowing and the superintendent’s role

A greenkeeper or superintendent is responsible for establishing and following a strict maintenance schedule. That includes:

• Mowing (frequent on greens, moderate on fairways, less on roughs). 
• Irrigation with a careful schedule for summer and winter. 
• Fertiliser programmes, aeration and soil testing. 
• Topdressing and sanding to maintain smooth greens. 
• Pest and disease management, including seed heads and thatch control. 
• Monitoring winter dormancy and planning overseeding (rye) where needed. 

The playing experience hinges on these details — from vertical leaf length to horizontal growth and the friction the ball experiences on the surface

Why Zoysia and Bermuda/Couch are great choices for Queensland golf courses

For courses in Gympie, the Sunshine Coast and broader Queensland, Zoysia and Couch stand out because they:

• Handle heat and humidity well. 
• Recover quickly from wear and divot damage (Couch especially). 
• Tolerate salt and coastal conditions (many couch cultivars are salt tolerant). 
• Provide good ball roll and consistency when maintained to the right heights. 
• Reduce maintenance costs compared with high-input cool-season greens in hot climates. 

If you manage a course or a community course in Queensland, consider Nara Native Zoysia or Augusta Zoysia — both are robust options for fairways and surrounds. For couch options, our Wintergreen Couch is a strong performer for fairway and surround applications.

For a broader look at options, check our guide to turf varieties.

Quick comparison table (practical at-a-glance)

Practical notes for clubs, grounds crews and homeowners

• If you’re a homeowner on the Sunshine Coast who loves golf-quality aesthetics for your property, Zoysia and couch options make sense — they’re durable, attractive and available as sod for faster establishment. 
• For clubs: plan budgets for irrigation and fertiliser; even drought-tolerant turf benefits from planned watering during dry spells. 
• Soil testing and pH monitoring are essential to keep turf healthy through seasonal changes. 
• Mowing frequency and height control: remember Robert’s Turf guidance — never cut more than 1/3 of leaf length at once; keep a regular routine to prevent large clumpy clippings and to promote uniform turf health. 

Ready to pick the right turf for your course, practice ground or clubhouse surrounds from Gympie to the Sunshine Coast? Browse our product pages — Nara Native Zoysia, Augusta Zoysia, Wintergreen Couch and Sapphire Buffalo — or contact our turf specialists for a free recommendation and establishment plan tailored to your course’s microclimate and budget.

We’re here to help with turf, advice and installation from Gympie to the Sunshine Coast.

Got a question? Just call us—help is always at hand.

Call us today on 07 5478 9438

Visit our turf farms at:
Roberts Turf Supplies Sunshine Coast
520, Chevallum Road,
Chevallum, QLD 4555
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yRud5D78NqBZE1fs6

Roberts Turf Supplies Gympie
54 Wide Bay Hwy
Bellsbridge QLD 4570
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7ChiZSGzjoAPoFMh7