Purple Patches

     If you are playing golf this time of year you will notice the purple patches on our greens. This happens during the winter time.  The patches can be very small to 2 to 3 feet in diameter.  This is not a disease but segregated clones that develop over time as the bentgrass ages.  Our greens were seeded with Penncross creeping bentgrass 20 to 25 years ago.  Penncross is very susceptible to segregating.  The purplish color occurs when temperatures get cold in late fall. During relatively warm sunny days (60 to 65 F) the plants are actively photosynthesizing creating photosynthates (sugars). At night the sugars are translocated down into the storage areas of the plant. However, if nighttime temperatures are cold, some of the sugars fail to translocate. This causes the turf to turn purple.  The purplish color will persist through the winter and into early spring. Once temperatures rise and turf growth begins the purplish color will disappear. Below is picture of 17 green.

This patch is in the middle right of 17 green.

My Leatherman is 4 inches long