Question
Hey I'm in NY upstate and I want to set up an area, grass, that I can hit golf balls.  Actually I tried this last year but without anyones help.  I'm a golfer not a gardener lol.  Question: What grass do you recommend - what is the earliest that I should start a project like this - how to proceed?

Answer
Kentucky Bluegrass used to be what golf greens were made of.

However, Perennial Ryegrass is becoming the green of choice on new golf courses, a trend that began a dozen or so years ago.

Greenskeepers are also picking Ryegrass to overseed Bluegrass with a view to turning the whole fairway into Ryegrass down the road.

But....

Perennial Ryegrass is also considered an extremely aggressive grass when mixed with a less competitive grass.  Top Rated Ryegrasses in the 2002 Evaluations are posted at the University of Kentucky website
(www.uky.edu/Ag/ukturf/2002%20summaries/PRvar.pdf).

Armed with that data, I can recommend that you start in April if you are in or around Zone 7.  The seeds will take forever to germinate, but they will be strong as they develop and will not be overwhelmed by the cool spring weather and rain.

You will need full sun, it goes without saying.

Mowing height is 3/4ths of an inch; the turf is fertilized every fall, 3 lbs. Nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft.

Here's what my friends at the National Golf Assn say: "As far as a surface to hold golf balls struck from 50 yards or so, I would suggest some kind of fescue that he keeps well watered and mows at a moderate height. In other words, enough grass to catch the ball and a soft surface to keep it from bounding away."

For a putting green, you need Bentgrass.  This gets mowed very, very close - 1/2 inch or slightly higher - on a daily basis throughout the summer, with a rotary handpushed lawnmower.

Any questions?  Do you know how to prepare the soil for this project?