Chenal's new golf course features all Zoysia grass. (Golf Links).

WHEN CHENAL COUNTRY Club's new golf course opens this fall, it will highlight grass typically used on major courses.

Most Arkansas golf courses feature Bermuda grass, but Chenal's will have zoysia grass, which is twice the cost of Bermuda. A square yard of zoysia is $3, while Bermuda is about $1.50.

"I've seen it happen a number of times out of state in bigger markets, but for the Little Rock area it is unusual [for a course to be covered in zoysia]," said Frank Whitbeck, president of Winrock Grass Farm Inc. of Little Rock. "That's also a very high-quality way to build a golf course."

Neither Whitbeck nor an official at Little Rock's Chenal Country Club would say how much the course cost.

However, Whitbeck did say that Chenal spent money not only on high-quality fairways but also on high-quality roughs.

The main difference between zoysia grass and Bermuda is the environmental quality, said Whitbeck, whose company is installing Meyer zoysia on the 200-acre course.

Zoysia uses less water and fertilizer and requires fewer mowings because it grows slower, Whitbeck said.

"Zoysia grass looks more like a carper, where the Bermuda grass will grow around your feet it grows so fast," he said.

Quail Valley Grasses of Little Rock is grassing the fairways and the tee tops with a fairly new type of zoysia grass called Cavalier.

The Meyer type is an older variety that has been around for years, said Roger Gravis, owner and president of Quail Valley Grasses.

"There's nothing wrong with [Meyer]; there's just better games in town now," he said.

Players will notice a finer texture with the Cavalier zoysia, said Darby Colen, golf course superintendent for Chenal Country Club.

"The ball will sit up on it a little better [on Cavalier] than what it does on Meyer," Colen said.

Playing on zoysia grass is like playing golf on a carper, Whitbeck said.

"With Bermuda grass, they're used to seeing the piece of turf flying up into the air after the golf club hits the ground," he said. "That doesn't happen so much on zoysia grass."

Another benefit of the grass is it stays green longer going into the winter, said Mike Smith, head golf professional at Chenal. However, it takes longer to turn green in the spring, he said.

The new course is going to be 18 holes with a 72 par, just like the current course.

Construction began in February 2001 and the course could open in October, but Chenal will wait until next year if the grass isn't grown.

"We're not going to open the golf course until it's ready," Smith said. "We wouldn't get good accolades from the membership or anybody else if we opened it up too soon."