What Is Bermuda Grass on a Golf Course?
Bermuda Grass: The dominant warm-season turf across the southern United States — dense, grainy, and affects ball roll.
Bermuda Grass — full definition
The dominant warm-season turf on golf courses across the southern United States. Bermuda thrives in heat and full sun, producing a dense, grainy surface that affects ball roll — putts break more with the grain and less against it. Common varieties include TifEagle and Champion (greens) and Tifway 419 (fairways). Found on courses throughout Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Arizona, and the entire Southeast. Bermuda goes dormant and turns brown in winter, which is why many southern courses overseed with ryegrass for year-round green playing surfaces.
Bermuda Grass — frequently asked
Bermuda Grass — how does it play?
- Dense, grainy surface that affects ball roll on the greens
- Putts break more with the grain and less against it
- Tight lies on fairways require crisp ball-first contact
Bermuda Grass — where is it found?
- Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Arizona, and the entire Southeast
- Goes dormant and turns brown in winter
- Southern courses overseed with ryegrass for year-round green surfaces
Which bermuda grass varieties do golf courses use?
- Greens: TifEagle, Champion
- Fairways: Tifway 419
More on Bermuda Grass
Bermuda is a regional fact, not a preference — if you play in the South, this is what you are putting on.
- Golf courses in FloridaBermuda is the default surface here, tee to green, on essentially every course.
- Golf courses in ArizonaBermuda most of the year, ryegrass over the top in winter.
- OverseedingWhat southern courses do when bermuda goes dormant.
Other grass types
Bentgrass
The preferred putting green grass in the northern U.S. — ultra-smooth, fast, and true-rolling.
Poa Annua
Annual bluegrass — considered a weed on most courses, but the intentional putting surface at Pebble Beach and top West Coast tracks.
Zoysia
A warm-season grass popular in the transition zone — handles both heat and cold better than alternatives.
Ryegrass
A cool-season grass used as permanent turf in the north and as winter overseed in the south.
Paspalum
A salt-tolerant warm-season grass for coastal and island courses — can survive ocean spray and brackish water.
Fescue
A cool-season grass family — fine fescue creates the iconic golden links-style rough, tall fescue is used on fairways.
Kentucky Bluegrass
The backbone of northern fairway turf — dense, self-healing, and provides clean lies.
Overseeding
Spreading cool-season grass seed over dormant bermuda in fall to keep courses green through winter.