04/15/2026
"What's up with golf courses in Middle Tennessee right now?" We get this question daily right now, and word from other golf courses in the area is, we're not alone.
In short, we're coming out of winter dormancy and just now getting the temperatures needed for our most common turfgrasses, Bermudagrass more specifically, to wake up. That's why you're seeing a mix of brown (dormant) and green.
Additionally, as with nearly all golf courses in Middle Tennessee, we're open year-round, and that winter traffic on dormant grass, as well as being in what experts call, the transition zone, as you'll read about below, delays high traffic areas from greening up. (This is also why you're seeing more courses electing to go "Cart Path Only" throughout winter and early spring.)
Courses with cool-season turf, such as Creeping Bentgrass, often have their struggle in the heat of the summer we Bermudagrass courses have in early spring, though theirs is due to extreme heat.
The bottom line, we all face challenges in the transition zone, and we're all always actively working to manage those challenges.
Below is a compilation of information from the USGA, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and The University of Tennessee.
Have a great year!
Curt Capps, GM
Twelve Stones Crossing Golf Club
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Why April is hard for Golf Courses in Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee sits in what experts call, the transition zone, where both cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses can be grown, but neither is perfectly adapted year-round. In Tennessee, that means there is always a seasonal trade-off: warm-season grasses like bermudagrass, which is what our tees, fairways, and greens consist of, perform very well in summer heat, but they go dormant and are slow to recover in spring; cool-season grasses look better in winter and spring, but they struggle through summer heat and humidity.
For a bermudagrass golf course, April is often the most frustrating month of the year because the turf is just beginning to wake up, yet it has already endured winter traffic, cold injury risk, wet soils, and repeated temperature swings. Bermudagrass may start to show color in late February or March in some years, but true growth and recovery depend on consistently warmer soil temperatures and stable weather. In colder or inconsistent springs, green-up can be delayed well into April.
That means golfers often see a course that is partly green but not yet actively growing. This is the key disconnect. The turf may look like it should be “coming back,” but it still does not have the growth rate needed to recover quickly from cart traffic, concentrated foot traffic, divots, or winter injury. USGA agronomists have noted that bermudagrass fairways and approaches often begin green-up well before they actually thicken, which is why they can remain thin and vulnerable until later in spring.
Why the transition zone is especially challenging for bermudagrass
Bermudagrass is attractive in the transition zone because it has strong heat and drought tolerance and generally requires less summer irrigation than cool-season turf. That is why many golf courses in this region prefer it for tees, fairways, and greens. But the trade-off is that bermudagrass in the transition zone is exposed to winter dormancy, periodic freezing temperatures, and unpredictable spring weather, which create risk of delayed green-up and winter injury.
Winter injury in the transition zone is not simple. USGA reports from 2025 noted that courses across the transition zone saw injury where turf was too wet, too dry, heavily trafficked, or otherwise stressed going into winter. Closely mown turf can be vulnerable, but even higher-cut areas can be affected. Traffic was identified as one of the common precursors to injury.
Spring dead spot is another major issue in the transition zone. It is considered one of the most damaging bermudagrass diseases in this region because it injures crowns, rhizomes, stolons, and roots during dormancy, then shows up during spring green-up as dead, sunken patches that may take weeks or months to recover. This is one reason a course can look much worse in April than members expect, even when management is doing the right things.
Shade is also a bigger problem for bermudagrass than many golfers realize. Bermudagrass needs high light levels and performs poorly in shade, especially during spring transition when the grass is already weak and growth is slow. Research and extension guidance consistently note that shaded or slow-drying areas are slower to warm, slower to green up, and more vulnerable to thinning.
Why open winter play makes April worse
When a bermudagrass course stays open through the winter, it comes with a real agronomic cost. USGA has repeatedly noted that traffic damage can accumulate through winter and leave warm-season fairway turf at its lowest quality right before spring green-up. That means the exact moment golfers become most visually sensitive to conditions is also the moment the turf is least capable of recovering.
This gets worse when soils are wet, thawing, or breaking dormancy. In a 2026 USGA article on spring thaw, agronomists warned that saturated soil combined with warm-season turf just coming out of dormancy is a dangerous combination because traffic can injure crowns and stolons, delay green-up, thin turf, and sometimes require sod replacement in the worst areas.
So if a course in Middle Tennessee stays open all winter and receives steady rounds, April conditions can legitimately lag because the turf is:
• coming off dormancy,
• carrying accumulated traffic stress,
• recovering slowly in inconsistent temperatures,
• and trying to grow before truly favorable conditions arrive.
The specific obstacles transition-zone courses face in spring
The main obstacles are:
• Slow green-up from cool soil temperatures. Bermudagrass does not recover on appearance alone; it recovers on heat and active growth.
• Traffic before recovery. Winter and early spring cart and foot traffic can outpace the grass’s ability to heal.
• Winter injury and spring dead spot. Damage often becomes fully visible only when the rest of the turf begins to wake up.
• Wet conditions and thaw cycles. Soft, saturated soils make crowns and stolons easier to injure.
• Shade and weak sunlight angles. These delay green-up and weaken bermudagrass.
What expert agronomists consistently recommend
USGA, GCSAA, university extension, and plant pathology sources are fairly consistent on the big-picture recommendations for transition-zone bermudagrass in spring:
• protect the turf from excess traffic during late winter and early spring,
• be patient with green-up,
• identify disease and winter injury correctly before making aggressive interventions,
• and understand that some damaged areas recover only when sustained warm weather arrives.
In short: April is often ugly because bermudagrass in the transition zone is biologically behind the calendar. That does not necessarily mean it is being mismanaged. In many cases, it means the course is dealing with the exact seasonal trade-off that comes with choosing bermudagrass in Middle Tennessee.
Additional Information From USGA
Key Scientific Explanations
• Soil Temp vs. Air Temp: While air temperatures might feel like spring, soil temperatures at the 1–2 inch root depth often lag behind. Bermudagrass generally requires soil temperatures to be consistently above 65°F for sustained lateral growth and recovery.
• The 150-Degree Rule: For active growth, the sum of daily high and low temperatures must consistently reach roughly 150°F. For example, even if it is 80°F during the day, 50°F nights (totaling 130°F) will keep the plant from growing aggressively.
• Nutrient Uptake Delays: Forcing growth with nitrogen in early spring is often ineffective. According to USGA agronomy experts, spring tissue tests often show that bermudagrass isn't actually taking up nitrogen yet, making heavy fertilization a waste of resources until soil temps rise.
• Energy Management: Early spring is when the plant is rebuilding its root system and using up stored carbohydrates. Pushing top growth with fertilizer too early can over-stimulate leaves at the expense of the vital root system.
Why Fairways Struggle Before Green-Up
Warm-season grasses—like bermudagrass and zoysiagrass—experience significantly reduced growth or go completely dormant in winter. Because the grass isn't actively growing, it lacks the "recuperative ability" to heal from standard wear and tear.
• Cumulative Traffic Damage: Every cart path departure or footfall on dormant turf causes injury that stays until spring. This damage adds up over several months, peaking just before the grass begins to green up.
• Compaction and Ruts: Winter often brings saturated soils and less sunlight. Traffic on wet, dormant turf causes soil compaction and ruts that persist into the growing season.
• Root Shearing: On days when the top layer of soil thaws but the roots remain frozen, traffic can actually sever roots from the plant, a condition known as "root shear".
The United States Golf Association (USGA) advises that the "spring thaw" is one of the most critical periods for turf management, as saturated soils and the process of breaking dormancy create a highly vulnerable environment.
Why Traffic Causes Damage During Thaw
Traffic on wet, thawing soils is a "dangerous combination" that leads to long-term agronomic setbacks:
• Crown and Stolon Injury: As turf emerges from dormancy, traffic can physically crush and injure the crowns (the plant's growing point) and stolons, which are essential for spring recovery.
• Root Shearing: When the surface thaws while the layer beneath remains frozen, traffic can "shear" turf roots at the interface between these two layers, severely compromising health.
• Soil Compaction and Ruts: Saturated soils are easily displaced. Traffic on soft, wet surfaces causes ruts, deep compaction, and puddling, which restricts the vital movement of air and water to the roots.
Consequence: Delayed Green-up and Thinning
Because the turf is not yet actively growing, it cannot self-repair the damage caused by early-season play.
• Delayed Green-up: Injury to the crowns and roots means the plant must spend its limited energy reserves repairing tissue instead of producing new green leaves, significantly lagging behind healthy areas.
• Thinning: Direct wear and compaction reduce turf density. This thinning often requires expensive sod replacement in high-traffic areas later in the season because the grass cannot recover naturally.
USGA Recommendations for Minimizing Damage
To protect the course during this transition, experts suggest several proactive measures:
• Restrict Traffic: Implement "cart paths only" rules or limit rounds to walking only.
• Use Temporary Greens: Shift play to temporary surfaces to allow primary putting greens to dry and firm up.
The USGA Special Report: Winter Injury in the Transition Zone explains that winter damage on bermudagrass is a complex issue because it is rarely caused by a single event, but rather a combination of environmental and management factors.
Why Injury is Complex and Uneven
Injury often shows up unevenly across a single course due to microclimates and varying stress levels.
• Temperature Cycling: Damage is frequently caused by rapid swings between extreme cold and unseasonable warmth, rather than just sustained low temperatures.
• Moisture Extremes: Both overly wet soils (which lead to ice formation in tissues) and overly dry soils (which cause desiccation) can cause injury on the same course.
• Shade and Exposure: Shaded areas have colder soil temperatures, while exposed, windy areas are more prone to "freeze-drying" or desiccation.
• Management Stress: Factors like concentrated cart traffic, low mowing heights, and poor drainage significantly weaken the turf's ability to survive winter.
From GCM / GCSAA – “What We’ve Learned About Spring Dead Spot”
Spring Dead Spot (SDS) — What It Is (Plain English)
Spring Dead Spot is a fungal disease that attacks bermudagrass during winter dormancy, but you don’t see it until spring.
By the time you see it:
• The damage is already done
• The plant’s roots and crowns are weakened or dead
• Recovery is slow because the grass is just waking up
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What It Looks Like (What you’re seeing right now)
• Circular or irregular dead patches (few inches to several feet)
• Sunken / depressed areas
• Turf around it greens up, but patches stay brown
• Eventually fills in—but slowly
Why It’s Worse in the Transition Zone (Your Region)
Middle TN is basically SDS headquarters because:
1. Freeze/thaw cycles → stress turf
2. Cold + wet soils → ideal fungal environment
3. Bermuda is already dormant/weak
4. Spring arrives unevenly → slows recovery
From The University of Tennessee
Tennessee is located in the turfgrass transition zone, a challenging region where both warm-season and cool-season grasses can grow, but no single species thrives year-round. According to UT Extension, choosing a grass involves accepting specific trade-offs based on the season and your management goals.
The Transition Zone Challenge
This zone is a "balancing act" at the crossroads of northern and southern climates.
Summer Stress: Winters are cold enough to damage some warm-season types, while summers are often too hot and humid for cool-season varieties to remain healthy without intense maintenance.
