# Maintaining HIGH Traffic (volleyball court)



## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

Hi all, so I have a large area of lawn that my family uses for volleyball come summer. We usually play once a week (sometime twice) and the area gets packed down and creates dirt spots rather quickly.

I'm just looking for ways to prevent this from happening this year and keep the lawn in that area alive.

Also the lawn is just natural grass, weeds, etc. nothing fancy done but I'm taking suggestions on seeding the area with a grass that will be better suited for the abuse. I'm in USDA zone 5b

I'm new to the whole lawn care thing, other than mowing, so I apologize I don't know my grass type and such.

Thanks in advance!


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

A_Hobbes_B said:


> Hi all, so I have a large area of lawn that my family uses for volleyball come summer. We usually play once a week (sometime twice) and the area gets packed down and creates dirt spots rather quickly.
> 
> I'm just looking for ways to prevent this from happening this year and keep the lawn in that area alive.
> 
> ...


Perrennial ryegrass, overseed it 1x or perhaps 2x a year if you need to get it in shape now. Lots of golf fairways, tee boxes, etc are PRG up in that area. I used to live in Southern NY which is 5Bish. There are now Rhizomatous (somewhat self-repairing) Perennial Ryegrasses that'd I'd be tempted to play around with in a situation like yours. No experience with them however.

Core aerate it a couple times a year, when temps allow, to alleviate compaction. Follow with sand top dressing if leveling is needed or the soil drains poorly.

Is it irrigated? I would probably rotary mow it fairly low (sub-2") a couple times a week to encourage denser growth as well. But you'll have to be able to keep it moist through any dry spells.


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

Thanks MasterMech! I'm if Northeast PA near the border of NY so roughly the same are you were in. I was thinking PRG, so its good to hear you say that as well.

It is not irrigated, it is 80yds from the closet hose source so water would be a pain, but doable, especially if it means keeping it green. It is at the "base" of my yard but drains well, so the grass usually grows fairly decent as i assume the water drains through that area.

I have also been looking into sand leveling, although the whole area needs massive leveling, but at least sand leveling might help the court area.

Thanks again!


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Not sure what would work in your area but here we either do this:



Or this:


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

Redtwin said:


> Not sure what would work in your area but here we either do this:
> 
> 
> 
> Or this:


I love the enthusiasm, but I don't have a pool, and as the area is surrounded by woods, I feel as though sand would be a pain to maintain. Although we have a large group that plays it is solely me who wants to maintain it and the others, most of which played back in school, don't want to play on sand (as i have thrown the idea out there)


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

@A_Hobbes_B Yeah, sand can be pretty exhausting to play in compared to a firm surface. I think @MasterMech's recommendation of just doing PRG and making repairs might be the best bet. How do you think bentgrass would handle the abuse?


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

@Redtwin I think my lawn is mostly PRG from the look of it (although I'm no expert so idk) so I think if I keep with PRG it will blend better with the rest of the lawn. I also believe it to be that as when my grandpa was alive and lived here he made the yard into a "chip and putt" golf course so it seems PRG would've been a good choice for him to put down


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

A_Hobbes_B said:


> Thanks MasterMech! I'm if Northeast PA near the border of NY so roughly the same are you were in. I was thinking PRG, so its good to hear you say that as well.
> 
> It is not irrigated, it is 80yds from the closet hose source so water would be a pain, but doable, especially if it means keeping it green. It is at the "base" of my yard but drains well, so the grass usually grows fairly decent as i assume the water drains through that area.
> 
> ...


I was in the Middletown NY area - just east of you on I84.

You really only have about 4-6 weeks of truly stressful weather to nurse cool-season grass through up there. (Mid July-August) One or two sprinkler heads and a 2+ zone timer on the end of a long hose run would do nicely.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Redtwin said:


> @A_Hobbes_B Yeah, sand can be pretty exhausting to play in compared to a firm surface. I think @MasterMech's recommendation of just doing PRG and making repairs might be the best bet. How do you think bentgrass would handle the abuse?


Creeping Bent would recover better, but the upkeep on creeping bent is pretty demanding. Especially during the hottest points of the season. Reel mowers, fungicides, etc. It's a lot to jump into, and a fairly easy upgrade from cheap PRG should the OP want to go to that level. PRG under the same maintenance regimen would produce fairway caliber turf without the verticutting needs/thatch issues that can come with creeping bent. Plus you can start just rotary mowing PRG @ 2" and work your way down as time and budget allows.


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

MasterMech said:


> Creeping Bent would recover better, but the upkeep on creeping bent is pretty demanding. Especially during the hottest points of the season. Reel mowers, fungicides, etc. It's a lot to jump into, and a fairly easy upgrade from cheap PRG should the OP want to go to that level. PRG under the same maintenance regimen would produce fairway caliber turf without the verticutting needs/thatch issues that can come with creeping bent. Plus you can start just rotary mowing PRG @ 2" and work your way down as time and budget allows.


Maybe in the future, I do have a reel mower, so that's not a issue. I think the biggest issue will be keeping up with water, I also need to get about 150ft more of hose so that i can reach down there. I'm also on a well but water just that 30x60 area won't drain me but can't really afford to water everywhere lol.

question for everyone, is there anything I can do on like a weekly basis that would help, like before or after play?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Wimbledon uses Perennial Rye grass if that helps. While bent will recover faster, I don't know that it will tolerate wear as well. Golf is rather sedate compared to Tennis (or Volleyball). Overseed 1-2 times per year as needed and switch to a high intensity maintenance schedule with foliar spoon feeding, plenty of water, and close monitoring for fungal disease. I would soil test this year and next at least to get pH, Phos, and Potassium dialed in. It is amazing how much better grass performs after improving soil nutrients. Mow frequently to maintain the desired height (1.5 inches?) and post lots of pictures for us. The last is the most important...


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

bernstem said:


> Wimbledon uses Perennial Rye grass if that helps. While bent will recover faster, I don't know that it will tolerate wear as well. Golf is rather sedate compared to Tennis (or Volleyball). Overseed 1-2 times per year as needed and switch to a high intensity maintenance schedule with foliar spoon feeding, plenty of water, and close monitoring for fungal disease. I would soil test this year and next at least to get pH, Phos, and Potassium dialed in. It is amazing how much better grass performs after improving soil nutrients. Mow frequently to maintain the desired height (1.5 inches?) and post lots of pictures for us. The last is the most important...


Thanks! I will! I'd post a before picture but we just had another snow storm today, ugh. I'll try to document the whole thing


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

bernstem said:


> ... Golf is rather sedate compared to Tennis (or Volleyball)...


Yes and no. Maybe on TV. :lol:

Go outside and throw rocks at your lawn all day then host a square-dance hoedown on it. That's pretty much what a golf green sees, if we are discounting the maintenance/mowing traffic, while being mowed at .125" or less. Fairways see the same, albeit a bit better prepared for the perpetual meteor shower with a thicker turf cover. But they also see much more cart traffic and heavier equipment (than greens/tees) in addition to constant excavation efforts (divots). Then there are the tees. Carve off a section of your skin several dozen times a day and let's see how you look at the end of the season. :mrgreen:

There's good reason that turfgrass science puts so much effort around the golf industry.


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

MasterMech said:


> Yes and no. Maybe on TV. :lol:
> 
> Go outside and throw rocks at your lawn all day then host a square-dance hoedown on it. That's pretty much what a golf green sees, if we are discounting the maintenance/mowing traffic, while being mowed at .125" or less. Fairways see the same, albeit a bit better prepared for the perpetual meteor shower with a thicker turf cover. But they also see much more cart traffic and heavier equipment (than greens/tees) in addition to constant excavation efforts (divots). Then there are the tees. Carve off a section of your skin several dozen times a day and let's see how you look at the end of the season. :mrgreen:
> 
> There's good reason that turfgrass science puts so much effort around the golf industry.


I feel like maybe he meant for the actual footing on the grass? like golf you are usually soft footed whereas volleyball and tennis you are trying to dig in and grip as much as possible?
Different types of abuse


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## A_Hobbes_B (10 mo ago)

Update, after looking around the only PRG I found was a "tri-rye mix" from Agway. I also noticed a starter fertilizer, and bought a bag, should I use it? I'm also going to go out and take a few before pictures of the area.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

A_Hobbes_B said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > Yes and no. Maybe on TV. :lol:
> ...


Not really, divots and compaction - and the remedies are the same be it a golf tee or a sports field.

If we are talking strictly about wear imposed by the game, golf is not easy on turf, even if we are a little more conscientious of the turf compared to other sports. Light-footed, on the greens perhaps, but players still twist and grind their shoes when swinging, and that certainly shows up on the tee boxes. Especially if soft spikes are allowed and nobody golfs in bowling shoes. :mrgreen: Did I mention all the divots and ball marks? Even if you are the absolute best at repairing your ball marks and replacing your divots, this still requires the greens crew to come through periodically and level/seed to finish the healing process. We may not do the majority of the damage with our feet, but we certainly still punish the turf at least as hard as any other sport.


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