A turfgrass research team from Clemson University, in South Carolina, is looking into utilizing 'diamond zoysiagrass' for putting greens at golf courses.

Texas A&M University first introduced diamond zoysiagrass in 1996 and it is reportedly very tolerant to salt, making it more suitable for golf courses located close to the ocean than the standard Bermuda grass that is commonly used today. Furthermore, diamond zoysiagrass is supposedly better suited for shaded areas and decreased temperatures than the ultradwarf bermudagrass and bentgrasses currently used for putting greens.

In an article found on the Clemson news website, horticultural professor and leading practitioner of the study Bert McCarty stated, "The niche that diamond appears best adapted to in the Southeast region is on putting greens that receive too much shade for an ultradwarf bermudagrass to prosper and an inability to increase sunlight levels through removal of trees. Additional research is needed, but I believe diamond zoysiagrass is going to be found on many golf courses."

One problem that the team is having is that diamond zoysiagrass produces a high amount of seedheads, which would disrupt golf ball trajectory and velocity. The group is currently looking into modifying the turfgrass in order to lower the quantity of seeds created.