ABSTRACT
The quality of the playing surface is a major factor attracting players to a new course or encouraging the return of players to an existing facility. Although the day-to-day maintenance of a course is important, the essential decision associated with the construction of a new course or renovation of an existing course is the selection of appropriate turfgrass varieties for tees, fairways, and greens. Turfgrass selection is an investment decision because it affects the construction cost and the course characteristics, while the replacement of a turfgrass variety with another on any portion of a course results in renovation expenses and a loss of revenue due to suspended use of the course. In general, renovation is expected to provide golfers with a consistent playing surface [14]. The course condition refl ected in, for example, turf density, weed presence, poor drainage, or green speed affects the demand for golf at a facility, assuming that other factors are constant [14,17]. Consequently, the choice of the turfgrass impacting the condition has direct implications for revenue. Older facilities can be under pressure to renovate, especially if a new facility has been constructed nearby [1]. In the survey results reported in this chapter, the average distance from the nearest competing golf course was 11.3 mi., but 51% of respondents indicated that the nearest competing golf course was no more than 5 mi. away.
