Installing Bentgrass Sod on Golf Courses
Golf courses and driving ranges often distinguish themselves by the spectacular aesthetic of their surroundings, particularly in beautiful British Columbia. But golf courses get a lot of foot traffic; while we’re all focused on the ball, the grass on the tee deck will get punishment from the best of us, pros or amateurs. What is a golf course manager to do?
Today, we talked with Glenn Kitsul, Superintendent for the gorgeous Poppy Estate Golf Course in Langley, about how we help maintain their grass topsoil.
WTF. What does a golf course superintendent look for in a grass turf supplier?
Glenn. You want a grass turf supplier to be able to provide a bentgrass sod blend at a good price that’s going to stand up well to wear and tear and is also good for germination so it repairs quickly. We use a 4-way blended rye grass mix that’s been custom developed by Western Turf Farms. It can recover fast after the amateur golfers do their thing, particularly on the tee decks.
WTF. Why do you use a turf grass supplier for your golf course instead of just growing your own sod?
Glenn. It’s just more convenient compared with our cutting grass out of our own area. Growing your own turf is very time consuming. Western Turf Farms grows the custom blend we need at the right height and it’s already cut and delivered when we need it. Every year or two, we can just order as much as we need to patch and fix wherever golfers tend to hit more turf than ball. When we look at sod prices, you’re very competitive. It doesn’t hurt that Western Turf Farms is quite close to us in Langley.
WTF. Are there any other Bentgrass benefits that golf course managers might consider ‘must-have’?
Glenn. Color is important. Golfers come out to experience the outdoors, so you can’t have a grass that starts to go brown soon after a dry spell hits. Even on the wet west coast, you need to have good heat tolerance, as some summers you can get extended hot weather for several months – that goes double for golf courses in the BC interior or in Alberta.
WTF. How does a golf course superintendent need to prepare the topsoil before you install the Bentgrass blend?
Glenn. If your soil is already sandy and you’ve got good drainage, you’re pretty much there. Otherwise, you need to look at putting in a sand and organic mixture and potentially get an irrigation system to ensure your grass sod is getting the water it needs to stay healthy for the players walking on it.
This part of the country is a golfer’s paradise year round; we provide grass sod for a large number of golf courses and golfing ranges from Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland, BC Interior and southern Alberta. For our golf course customers, we create custom blends that combine Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Fine Fescue and Bentgrass, to achieve the results they need. Our Bentgrass comes in a few different varieties that are matched to local climate and terrain: A4, Pencross, 007, T-1, and Pure Distinction. These are grown on washed sand and are suitable for USGA specifications.
Learn more about our grass topsoil options to help your golf course look great and stay healthy from the fairways to the putting greens. Call Toll-Free
1-888-888-7072
