Turfgrass Notes from Iceland (photo gallery)

Turf tourism Iceland Fescue

Last updated on 2021-04-08 1 min read

I was in Iceland to speak with the Icelandic Green- and Groundskeepers Association about turfgrass nutrient requirements. See my notes about turf in Iceland, along with presentation slides and handout, here.

Click any of the photos to open the annotated gallery.

7th and 17th greens at Westman Islands GC: Three holes at Westman Islands GC are the oldest holes in Iceland, dating from the late 1930s.

The 18th at Grindavik GC is a new green and is now all fine fescue (*Festuca rubra*); no *Poa annua* has invaded. The links section of the course is in the background, near the sea at one of Iceland's most popular surfing spots.

Behind the 18th at Keilir GC: Keilir GC in Hafnafjordur is one of the busiest clubs in Iceland

downhill 2nd at Hveragerdi GC: After successfully navigating past and to the right of the steam vent, one plays downhill to the wide open fairway.

The Strokkur geyser erupts behind what will become the 9th at Geysir GC.

fairway undulations caused by frost heaving: One of the challenges at many courses in Iceland is frost heaving, which leaves the ground uneven in the most affected areas. This fairway at Keilir GC shows the result of frost heaving that occurs each winter.

The 27 hole Korpa course at Reykjavik GC has primarily fine fescue greens. The Korpa River is in the background.

Icelandic horses graze in a pasture adjacent to the 1st at Hveragerdi GC. After a recent earthquake, hot gasses came to the surface, killing the grass on about 20% of this green, requiring it to be out of play for one season.

Geysir GC is in the town of Geysir, named after the geyser of the same name, and is the root of the English word **geyser**. Strokkur geyser is erupting here.

GKG Golf Club near Reykjavik: The relatively rich soil at GKG GC results in greener turf and provides a footing for trees to grow. This is a parkland style golf course, a few kilometers from the sea and thus unaffected by salt spray, resulting in a green turf into late September.

The river running through Geysir GC has no fish. The water is too cold, coming from a nearby glacier. The turf here is fine fescue (*Festuca rubra*). No irrigation is applied to this course, which allows the fescue to thrive and reduces the amount of *Poa annua*.

green and lava at Oddur GC: No artificial hazard or shaping is necessary at this green site, where hills of lava and colorful plants sit right next to the smooth putting surface.

At Grindavik GC, one plays some holes on linksland near the ocean, before moving inland, across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, into holes set dramatically into the lava. This grass on this green is fine fescue (*Festuca rubra*), a species of grass especially well-adapted to this climate.

The Korpa course at Reykjavik GC is the newer of the two courses at this club. The Korpa River, known for its salmon runs, twists though the course. Icelandic horses graze in the surrounding pastures.

The 9th green at Grindavik GC has lots of contour, requiring a carefully controlled shot to get the ball near the hole. This green sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary that separates the Eurasian Plate from the North American Plate. The average spreading rate is 2.5 cm per year.

Keilir GC has a stretch of holes playing through lava, with other holes on more open grassland above the ocean. Wind-driven salt spray can be a particular problem on this section of the course.

Geysir GC is Iceland's most inland course. It is about 63 km from the ocean. This inland course sits in a landscape unlike any other in the country, where most of the courses are so near the ocean.

The 2nd at Sudernesja GC plays down to the ocean. Fairways are primarily fine fescue (*Festuca rubra*), and greens are *Festuca rubra* with *Poa annua*.

Seltjarnarnes GC with Snæfellsjökull in the background: Seltjarnarnes GC is on a peninsula near Reykjavik. This course is know for the many birds that flock here, and on clear days, the Snæfellsjökull volcano is visible across the sea. Snæfellsjökull was the setting, in the Jules Verne novel [Journey to the Center of the Earth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_Center_of_the_Earth), in which the protagonists find the entrance to the subterranean passage.

Sudernesja GC is a popular course near Keflavik airport, on a beautiful piece of land beside the sea.

The uphill par four 1st at Hveragerdi GC is a blind shot towards active steam vents.

The 2nd at Hveragerdi GC plays downhill with a steam vent to the left. The correct line is well to the right of the steam vent.

The par four 10th hole at Grindavik GC has a unique natural hazard. The entire right side of the hole, especially pronounced near the green, is a depression from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, also known as the Reykjanes Ridge. This tectonic plate boundary separates the Eurasian Plate from the North American Plate and is moving apart at an average rate of 2.5 cm per year.

13th green, Grafarholt Course of Reykjavik GC: The Grafarholt Course at Reykjavik GC is the older of the two courses at the largest club in Iceland. It sits in a valley with the sea at Reykjavik visible to the left, and snow covered mountains visible here on a fine late-summer day.

view from the maintenance building at Westman Islands GC: Westman Islands GC sits on an amazing piece of land, and the course plays through natural grassland with a few outcrops of volcanic rock. A few holes out of the frame to the left play through lava along the ocean. At far right is the site of the town festival, held each summer and one of the most popular festivals in Iceland. The grass-roofed stage is seen, with a natural amphitheater behind it.

Sudernesja GC is more open than many of the courses in Iceland, with less lava to capture wayward shots.