Yellow tuft

What to look for

• Small yellow spots that sit slightly above the surrounding canopy, sometimes following drainage patterns.
• Dense bunches of shortened shoots growing from a single crown rather than normal, evenly spaced growth.
• Tufts that detach unusually easily, exposing a cluster of short, poorly developed roots.

Check the grass and site

Especially noticeable in creeping bentgrass and wintergrass (Poa annua) putting surfaces. Other turfgrasses can be affected, but this guide describes the tufted appearance in these fine-turf grasses.

Confirm it before you treat it

Inspect the individual plants as well as the pattern across the green. Yellow tuft can resemble wintergrass appearing in bentgrass, particularly during cooler weather. Ask a turf specialist to confirm the cause before treating the patches as weeds or a nutrient shortage.

What to do next

1. Trace where water gathers and improve surface or subsurface drainage where the site needs it.
2. Review irrigation so rainfall and routine watering do not keep susceptible areas saturated.
3. Plan suitable aeration and topdressing to relieve compaction and manage thatch, while improving airflow around the green.

Conditions matter more than dates.

Cool, wet conditions favour disease activity. Poor drainage, excessive irrigation and accumulated thatch increase concern, although frequent rain can also affect otherwise well-drained turf. Symptoms may be less obvious in summer, so temporary improvement does not necessarily mean affected plants have recovered.