Athletic Fields and Sports Turf

Athletic fields are high-traffic areas that require proper maintenance to sustain optimal performance and keep players safe. Penn State Extension provides information on managing golf courses, as well as baseball, football, and soccer fields. Tips on sports turf care and repair – as well as fertilization, field drainage, and irrigation – are available.

Sports Turf Field Maintenance

A successful sports turf management program incorporates eight basic athletic field facelift steps. These steps include practices such as soil testing, fertilizing, and mowing.

A soil test is key for understanding the soil’s health and nutritional needs. The test results, and accompanying recommendations, will help determine the amount of fertilizer needed. Late fall fertilization is advised due to benefits such as enhanced spring green-up, increased rooting, and prolonged turf color of cool-season grasses into early winter.

Sound mowing practices are among the most significant factors contributing to a long-lasting, well-groomed athletic field. Important considerations in the field turf maintenance program include the height of cut and the frequency of mowing.

Athletic Field Turf Protection

Protecting sports fields from heat is a big concern for many landscape professionals. Summer heat is an environmental stressor that can weaken turf, making it more prone to wear, disease, and drought damage. To help turf fields survive hot, dry conditions, ensure proper fertility, and reduce weed populations in the spring, raise the mowing height, and scout the thatch layer for insects.

Note that during summer insects can cause significant damage to turf fields. To restore grass destroyed by insects, it’s vital to continue practices such as mowing and irrigating, as well as incorporate overseeding and pest controlling strategies.

On this page, find Penn State Extension resources on open grass and athletic fields care. Information is also available on topics such as maintaining football fields during and after season, ensuring proper soccer field maintenance, and keeping baseball fields at their best condition.

Golf Course Turf

The type of turfgrass you choose is determinant for the long-term performance of the putting surface. The kind of turfgrass used on golf courses varies per region, depending on its ability to stand up to the local climate conditions.

Bentgrass is a commonly used grass type for golf course fairways and tees, as well as putting greens. To choose the right cultivar or cultivar blend for your situation, it’s important to obtain sufficient information on bentgrass cultivars' performance.

Another aspect to consider when establishing a golf course is incorporating areas of infrequently mowed grass stands. Also known as native areas, naturalized grass stands are often a good way to improve golf course aesthetics and design, as well as reduce labor and resources.

In this section, access Penn State Extension’s conferences on golf course management and turf and ornamentals. In addition, green industry professionals can join the green industry conference and stay up-to-date with the latest research and techniques.