Tech Notes Issue 22

Impact of Grass Species, Mowing Height, Nitrogen fertilization, and Plant Growth Regulators on Ball Lie

The golf ball lie is critical to determining the playability of golf course fairways and roughs. The common definition of golf ball lie is the amount of the golf ball that remains above the turfgrass canopy after the ball comes to rest. A ball lie where it sits above the canopy produces a clean hit imparting backspin on the ball. In situations where the ball may sit down into the canopy leaf blades can become the club and the ball causing the ball to "fly" upon being struck imparting little backspin.

Various means of measuring ball lie have been developed using digital caliper devices² and digital image analysis³. In a survey of golf course fairways creeping bentgrass 79 to 86 percent of the ball was above the canopy, while Kentucky bluegrass fairways ranged from 61 to 72 percent. In controlled studies, creeping bentgrass maintained at 12. 7 mm (0.5 inch) ranged from 90 to 95 percent. Couchgrass mowed at 12. 7 mm (0.5 inch) 92 percent of the ball was above the turf canopy.

Mowing height has the greatest impact on ball lie. As previously mentioned couchgrass mowed at 12.7 mm 92 percent of the ball was above the canopy, at 25.4 mm the percentage dropped to 89 and at 38 mm the percent of the ball above the canopy was 77 percent³.

Nitrogen fertilization had no effect on ball lie. The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) had no effect on ball lie in fairways, however in couchgrass roughs at mowing heights > 25.4 mm PGRs (trinexapac-ethyl) improved ball lie by increasing the percentage of the ball above the canopy.

References

1. Cella, L. and T. Voight. 2003. How are your fairways holding up? Golf Course Management 71(7): 8992.

2. Cella, L., T.B. Voight, and T.W. Fermanian. 2004. Measuring ball lie on golf course fairways.

3. McCalla, J., M. Richardson, D. Karcher, A. Patton, and W. Hanna. 2008. Effects of mowing Height, Fertilize, and Trinexapac0ethyl on ball lie of Tifsport bermudagrass. Arkansas Turfgrass Report 2007, Ark. Ag. Exp. Stn. Res. Ser. 557:29-32.