Club de Golf México

There may not be any true silver bullet when it comes to eliminating the environmental impact of a golf course, but the closest thing to it is probably hearty, drought-resistant, golf-friendly turf grass. Seashore paspalum is a great species of grass for water conservation—as well as a host of other challenges that come with the twin goals of protecting the environment and offering a world-class golf experience.  

But with modern-day botanical sciences, golf courses can do better than just a particular species of grass. The paspalum cultivar, SeaDwarf®, is the latest greatest plant variety for golf courses and a new favorite of many groundskeepers across Mexico and other tropical areas. It’s not hard to understand why given the list of characteristics that this turf boasts.  

• True ‘dwarf’ paspalum 
• Beautiful blue-green color with excellent cold weather color retention 
• Very tight, dense surface with excellent striping color contrast 
• Mow heights of 0.1 inch or infrequent mowing for 2-3 inch grass 
• Salt tolerant with irrigation sources of salinity levels of up to 20,000 ppm  
• Rapid recovery from divots and general wear 
• Needs only very limited use of pesticides 

Deep roots and growth characteristics make this a great choice for the entire golf course. Highly drought resistant grasses are only important for expanding the places where golf courses can be built and maintained. Having easy geographical access to a golf course is imperative for a regular golf habit. In places like Mexico City as well as other towns across Mexico, there can be wide disparities in infrastructure and available water resources. Water pressure can range from as little as 500g (insufficient for even a basic sprinkler system) to as much as 14kg per square centimeter.  

Why It Matters 

Nobody is trying to say that golf course maintenance and growth is as important as drinking water and basic sanitation. However, with responsible water use policies, there can be enough to go around for all these purposes included drought-resistant golf courses. Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s impossible to have golf courses and sustainable communities.