Florida Swing: Why does Bermudagrass make chipping and pitching so hard?

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The Florida Swing starts this week with the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort and Spa, and that means pros are facing significantly different types of grasses and turf than they played on in Arizona and California over the last few weeks.

Here’s a primer on what makes chipping, pitching and short-game shots more challenging on the Florida Swing, how the game’s best players handle those challenges and what you can do the next time you play golf in the Sunshine State.

Grass and Turf: California vs. Florida

Most golf courses in California — especially those in the cooler, coastal regions — feature bentgrass and Poa annua on their greens and fairways.

There are different types of bentgrass, but they all thrive in cool and moderately warm climates and have fine, uniform blade structures. Bentgrass creates smooth, predictable putting surfaces, and when grown longer, it can produce thick, lush rough. Poa annua can get bumpy in the afternoon because the grass, which on close inspection looks like it is topped by tiny heads of broccoli, tends to grow unevenly throughout the day.

Courses in Northern and Central California also tend to have clay-based soil, which makes them firmer, while many Southern California courses, especially along the coast, have softer, sandy soil.

In Florida, golf courses, particularly those in the southern part of the state, are dominated by Bermudagrass. This warm-season grass has wider blades and thrives in heat and humidity. The soil in Florida is usually soft and very sandy, which is why Florida courses drain rainwater so quickly.

Why is chipping and pitching from Bermudagrass so hard?

If you watch golf broadcasts from Florida events, you are going to hear commentators talk a lot about grain, but they are not referring to grains of sand. Instead, grain refers to the direction the grass is growing, and it can make a massive difference in how golfers need to play shots.

“It can make a very simple pitch shot a completely different shot,” said six-time PGA Tour winner Rickie Fowler, a California native who moved to nearby Jupiter, Florida, several years ago. “Having the grass laying back into you and the ball sitting down a little bit, there are times you’re just hoping you have a chance or there’s an option of being able to putt it. You don’t want to mess with trying to clip it perfectly.”

The direction the grass grows also makes chipping and pitching from tight lies around the green extremely challenging. If the grain is growing away from your target, forcing you to hit a shot into the grain, the grass often slows your clubhead significantly. Pros describe this as being sticky or grabby, and it can lead to chunks, shots coming up short or a wedge’s leading edge striking the ball and causing thin contact.

Spencer Rothluebber, a PGA Tour rep for Ping Golf, said, “If you’re playing in Arizona or California, technique-wise, some guys open up the face and intentionally use the bounce on pitch shots, hitting behind the ball and letting the wedge slide. That doesn’t work as well here.”

He explained that balls that fall to the bottom of Bermudagrass rough can be especially hard to deal with because the grass gets between the grooves of your wedge and the ball, reducing spin. The soft, sandy soil also makes it easy for the leading edge of a wedge to dig into the turf.

“You really have to nip it,” Rothluebber said.

Keys to chipping and pitching in Bermudagrass

“It goes back to maintaining speed through the strike,” said Shane Dyel, a PGA Tour rep for Titleist Vokey Design wedges. “You have to consciously make sure you keep going, you can’t stop. (The grain) is gonna push against you more than you’re used to at home on bentgrass. It’s so important for you to judge your lie according to where you are—whether you’re in the rough, with a perched lie or a low lie.”

Dyel said the key to hitting good short-game shots into the grain or from Bermuda rough is to make ball-first contact and maintain the clubhead’s speed.

“Get steep and get fast. Florida is a ‘strike-first’ area. Really, the southern East Coast portion is a strike-first area, and it is really important to be able to find that low point,” Dyel said. “Scottie Scheffler is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players that I’ve ever gotten to be around and work with, who hits that ball at that low point. He uses his technique so well, and he loads that left side immediately as soon as he starts bringing the club back, and he’s got massive rotation—even on a wedge shot.

“Watch him and see how he does things. I mean, that’s one of the reasons why he doesn’t change week to week.”

Asked whether living in South Florida and practicing year-round on courses with Bermuda is an advantage for golfers who want to sharpen their short game, Fowler said, “It’s definitely going to let you know where your technique is at when you’re chipping well down here. You go anywhere else and you have a lot of confidence. Any of the places around here, especially this time of year, are in great shape and they’re usually going to be pretty tight. Hitting shots around the greens, if you’re hitting them how you want here, you’re going to have zero issues elsewhere.”

Wedges: The right sole grind can help in Bermuda

The ideal sand wedge and lob wedge for handling soft, sandy soil with Bermudagrass is one that resists digging, meaning it has ample bounce.

While narrow-soled wedges work well on the West Coast because they help the club get in and out of the turf quickly, Dyel said wider-soled, higher-bounce wedges can make chipping and pitching easier on courses that feature Bermuda. The added bounce can keep the leading edge from digging and help golfers maintain speed through the low point of their swing.

Here are several high-bounce and wide-sole wedges you might want to consider trying if you are coming to Florida or playing courses with Bermuda grass this season.

Callaway Opus W Grind, $179.99 with True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115 Wedge shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips

“This is the widest-sole option and comes in 12- and 14-degree bounce options, making it more forgiving and excellent in soft turf and fluffy greenside bunkers.” Read the full review.

Cleveland RTZ Full Sole, $169.99 with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip (Tour Satin); $189.99 with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts (Tour Rack)

“These wedges have 12 degrees of bounce, making them suitable for fluffy sand or soft turf and for players with steep angles of attack who take large divots. The rounded leading edge minimizes digging.” Read the full review.

Cobra King D Grind, $169 each (Satin Chrome and Dark Finish), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Spinner shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips; $189 (Raw)

“A high-bounce option that is ideal for golfers who have a steep swing into the ball or who play in soft conditions.” Read the full review.

Mizuno T3 P Grind, $180 each with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 shaft shafts and MCC grips.

This is a new grind option for 2025. The P Grind has a higher effective bounce to make it better in soft conditions, fluffy sand and for golfers who tend to make steep swings into the ball.

Ping s159 W Grind, $197 with Z-Z115 steel shafts and Dylawedge grips. $212 each with Alta CB Black graphite shaft.

Available in lofts from 54-60 degrees, the W grind has a wide sole, 14 degrees of bounce and is meant for golfers who play in soft conditions and have a steep attack angle. Read the full review.

PXG Sugar Daddy 3 BP Grind, $299.99 in Chrome, $349.99 in Xtreme Dark

The BP Grind wedges feature a high-toe design that offers a larger hitting area on open-face shots, along with a wider sole and grooves that cover the entire hitting area. This sole grind is ideal for golfers who play in soft conditions, players who tend to have a steep angle of attack and people who struggle in greenside bunkers. Read the full review.

TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 ATW Grind, $179.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue 115 shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips

The ATW stands for all-terrain wide, and this wedge has the widest sole of any Hi-Toe 4 offering. With 14 degrees of bounce, it is the most forgiving wedge in the family and is designed to handle soft turf, fluffy sand and thick greenside rough. Read the full review.

Titleist SM10 K Grind, $189 with True Temper Dynamic Golf S200 shaft

Available in 58- and 60-degree versions, the K grind is the highest-bounce option in the SM10 lineup. It features the widest sole and significant camber, making it especially good in bunkers and thick rough. Read the full review.

Wilson Staff Model ZM HT, $149.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner stock shaft and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips

Forged from 8620 carbon steel for a soft feel at impact, the Staff Model ZM wedges have a straighter leading edge and gentle heel relief so golfers can open the face and get the leading edge under the ball when chipping and pitching from a tight lie. Read the full review.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Bermuda grass at PGA National makes chipping and pitching harder