Cool-Season Turfgrass Succession on Two Former Golf Courses in Michigan.

Visits during August of 2005 and 2007 to two defunct golf courses in Michigan were conducted to observe turfgrass succession.  The purpose of this study was to determine if established stands of commonly used cool-season turfgrasses are able to remain competitive and dominate in the absence of a regular maintenance program.  Matheson Greens Golf Course, defunct since fall of 2000 is located in Northern Michigan and was predominately constructed on sand to loamy sand soil.  The Four Winds Golf Course, defunct since 2003, is located near Lansing, Michigan and was constructed within a wetland area composed of mainly native organic soils.  At both locations putting greens were established on a sand based root zone.  Global Positioning System coordinates were used to determine the center of the former putting greens and 100 meters transects were run on angles of 90, 180, 270, 360 degrees.  Vegetation abundance was measured at designated distances along alternating sides of each transect within a 1 x 1.5 meter quadrat by using a cover class method.  Vegetation groups were used to hasten data collection and the following plant groups were delineated: creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) fescues (Festuca spp.), other grasses, dicots and woody vegetation.  We found turfgrass abundance has decreased significantly and invasive dicot species have become abundant at both locations since maintenance operations have ceased.  Creeping bentgrass was abundant on many putting and low lying areas at Four Winds Golf Course but not at Matheson Greens Golf Course.  Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe L.) and St. Johnswort (Hypericum spp.) dominated the sandy soils of the former Matheson Greens property and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense [L.] Scop.) was the primary vegetation on the former putting greens at Four Winds Golf Course.