Here is a closeup of an approach area at the practice green. In the season, these areas are currently mowed at 0.350". In a cool season climate, Poa annua is always an issue. It invades creeping bentgrass, often times out competing it because of its ability to acclimate to just about any environment thrown at it. At Highlands CC, we have a tremendous amount of shade and Poa annua is one grass that can tolerate that environment compared to other species. In late winter and early spring, Poa annua gets a huge jump on growing, as it resumes active grow at a much cooler temperature than bentgrass requires. However, it isn't all that bad. For one, Poa has an extremely dense growth habit. Just look at the photo above. The density of the Poa is much more than that of the bentgrass. If you counted how many blades of grass were in a square inch of Poa vs. how many blades were in a square inch of bentgrass, you would be amazed. On new bentgrass, Poa germination can be ugly! However, if I gave you a golf ball and told you to set it on the turf, giving yourself what you consider to be an ideal lie, my guess is 99% of you would place it on a patch of Poa annua. This is what creates the love-hate relationship with Poa annua. It certainly has it's negatives, but when it's at its best, it is very hard to beat. This goes for putting surfaces as well as fairway turf. Its extreme density can't be topped by any other turfgrass species.