Grass, Grain and Greens Lately it seems the tendency of golf broadcasters to talk about grain on tour courses has some people in the golf course management business up in arms. To find out, we asked Jon Scott, TOUR Director of Agronomy. The very word stirs fire in the eyes of golf course superintendents and professional tour players alike. Talk to PGA TOUR Players and the television analysts who are trying to explain the sometimes unexplainable, and grain is everywhere. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Grain is simply the direction grass grows.
It is mostly influenced by slope. Water flow and gravity tend to lay the blades downhill. Another factor is the tendency for plants to lean toward the sun. This creates a force of leaf orientation, generally toward the south and west. If the surface is flat, it's the dominant cause of grain.