Bill Barnard, PCHOA General Manager
Overseeding. On the golf courses, in our neighborhood parks and green spaces and even for your own yards…you hear this term over and over in Arizona, but do you really know what it means?
In Arizona, overseeding is done because the main summer grass, Bermuda grass, goes into a dormant stage during the winter months. When Bermuda is dormant, it is brown and unsightly, leading many to think it is dead when, in fact, it is hibernating and will revive in the summer months. This dormant period for Bermuda grass generally takes place after the first frost and when the nighttime temperatures dip below 60 degrees. That is why late September/October is the optimum time every year that golf courses and lawns across Phoenix begin the overseeding process.
Overseeding is the process of planting a winter grass (in our case rye grass) over the existing summer Bermuda grass. This is so that the grass can continue to have a beautiful green look and for the golf courses, a much more appealing playing surface during the winter months. This overseed process begins by reducing the water to dry out the Bermuda grass. The next step is “scalping” the Bermuda by lowering mowing heights allowing for the winter rye grass that will be planted to take root. After laying the rye seed, consistent watering begins for seven to ten days to allow the seed to germinate. Once the seed has germinated and grown strong into the ground, we must still continue watering more than normal to ensure proper growth and fill-in. Mowing then typically begins again ten days after seeding. The entire process, from seeding to immature, but ready-to-use, turf takes roughly three weeks.
After finishing with the seeding and germinating phase of overseeding, parks, green spaces and golf courses can reopen. Specific to our PebbleCreek golf courses only, cart traffic will be restricted to “cart paths only” for approximately two to three weeks after reopening. This restrictive time on the golf courses is a necessary part of the process. Cart traffic on the course with the newly planted grass increases the wear and injury to the turf. Any damage to the grass, post overseeding, can negatively affect the quality of the surface for several months and by restricting cart traffic to path only, we are doing what we can to ensure the best conditions possible for the long-term.
While we can’t control Mother Nature, which is the largest factor of a successful overseed, we do our best to control what we can and ask that everyone stay off of the grass during the first three weeks of the germinating process. This is necessary in order to protect the large investment we are making to provide lush, green conditions during the winter months.
Golf Course Overseeding Schedule
Tuscany Falls East Close: Tuesday, October 2; Reopen: Tuesday, October 23; Cart path only until Monday, November 5
Eagle’s Nest Close: Monday, October 8; Reopen: Monday, October 29; Cart path only until Sunday, November 11
Tuscany Falls Lakes Close: Wednesday, October 17; Reopen: Wednesday, November 7; Cart path only until Tuesday, November 20
Common Area Overseeding Schedule
Dog Park/Clubhouse Lawns Close: Monday, September 17; Reopen: Monday, October 15
Sunrise Park/Common Areas Close: Monday, September 24; Reopen: Monday, October 15
Please note that the above overseeding dates may change based on grow-in conditions.