What is Bermudagrass rough in Golf? US Open to feature this type of grass after 18 years

The US Open will be played on Bermudagrass for the first time in 18 years. The grass was last used by the USGA in the 2005 championship at Pinehurst No. 2.

The US Open's Jeff Hall provided an update on the new improvements to the Los Angeles Country Club golf course in an interview with Golf Digest earlier this month. He said:

“It’s still a bit of a mystery. We’ll start to see how things are, but even having said that, we’re not playing at 9 a.m. on Monday. There’s still more time for Mother Nature to do her thing. At the end of the day, it’s an outdoor game; Mother Nature has a seat at the table.

“Everybody is doing the best they can. I can assure you that we have our goals; we believe we’ll achieve that with the rough. But if we don’t, it’s not because everybody hasn’t been trying to make it happen.”

Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass species often used as turfgrass. It is most typically utilized to make a perfect course for players to take shots during summer competitions and mild winters.

This species of grass can be found on golf courses in the American South, mainly in Georgia, South Texas, and Florida. The use of Bermudagrass on golf courses has various advantages as it grows quickly, is tough, and is harsh.

It is known as Bermudagrass because it was introduced to the United States from Bermuda, despite being native to Southern Europe.

Greg Norman posted a comparison between bentgrass and Bermudagrass on his website, saying:

“The long-bladed bent is like long hair — the ball rolls along the arcing blades of grass — whereas the short-bladed Bermuda forms a sort of crew cut, with the ball rolling along the tops of the bristles. These bristles create much more grain than do the waves of bent grass and therefore have a far greater effect on the roll of a putt.

“On some southern (U.S.) greens, a putt against the grain must be hit twice as hard as a downgrain putt.”

---

Why is the 2023 US Open Golf Course using Bermudagrass?

Bermudagrass uses less water during warmer seasons than it does during harsh winters. This makes it a popular choice for fairways in Southern California, where the weather is mild and water supplies are limited.

Looking at the weather conditions of the marine layers at the Californian course each summer, US Open tournament administrators have devised a way to employ Bermudagrass. This type of grass thrives in hot and humid conditions.

It is an intertwined web of stems that made taking a shot difficult for a golfer. The rough height at the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) is capped at three-and-a-half to four inches to give the same difficulty level as in prior US Open competitions.

It has grey-green green blades and purple stems in the summer and goes dormant and brown in winter. It has deep roots that aid in growth throughout the hot season.