2021 Renovation Update #3 - TifTuf Bermudagrass

It has been a very productive couple of weeks since my last update on the 2021 renovation. Things continue to progress on schedule and as planned!

The Better Billy Bunkers on holes 3 - 8 have all been constructed and the new sand is installed! They look great! Bunker construction has now moved to the next six holes, which are 11-16. 

Note:    My last renovation update, which focused on the Better Billy Bunker construction method can be found by clicking on the following link: "Bunker Renovation".

Polymer Application (right) on a Better Billy Bunker Hole 8 - 6/1/21

In this update I am excited to report that grassing of the golf course is underway! We are currently installing Certified TifTuf Bermudagrass on holes 3 - 8, and other than the teeing surfaces (which will be sprigged), holes 3 and 5 are completely grassed with our new turfgrass. 

Hole 3 - 6/12/21

In this entry I will focus on TifTuf and provide details on why we selected the variety. 

In addition to several years of on-site evaluation of TifTuf at Olde Florida, I made numerous course visits as well as consulted with agronomists and university researchers prior to making the selection. 

The "1" tee on Hole 16 at OFGC - TiFTuf in 2020 & 2021

The development of TifTuf began in 1992 - the year we constructed Olde Florida! The research on TifTuf was originated by famed turfgrass scientist, Dr. Wayne Hanna. Dr. Hanna has been a good friend to me personally, as well as to the entire turfgrass industry. Dr. Hanna has made several visits to Olde Florida during my 29 year tenure with the club. His successor, Dr. Brian Schwartz also visits Olde Florida several times a year to evaluate current turfgrass varietal testing. 

Dr. Wayne Hanna (left) Dr. Brian Schwartz (right)

Dr. Hanna (and Dr. Schwartz) have already received recognition on TifTuf, their latest release and our new playing surface. This link will take you to the story on the recognition that Dr. Hanna and Dr. Schwartz's received on TifTuf: "General Assembly Recognizes UGA's TifTuf Bermudagrass".

Prior to TifTuf, Dr. Hanna is most known in the industry for his releases of  TifEagle and TifGrand. TifEagle is the turfgrass variety we've had on our greens at Olde Florida since 2000 and TifGrand is the turfgrass we have had on our collars since 2013.  My relationship with Dr. Hanna and the Tifton turfgrass breeding program dates back to the mid 90's when I performed testing at Olde Florida for Dr. Hanna on an experimental grass known as TW-72, which was released in 1997 and subsequently named TifEagle. 

The Tifton breeding program pride themselves on extensive testing. Since 1992, field testing on TifTuf was conducted in Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina and Florida, and after almost 25 years of testing and development TifTuf was jointly released in 2016 by the University of Georgia and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. No other bermudagrass released from the Tifton breeding program has had more data to support its agronomic qualities. This is a link to the: "History of the Turfgrass Breeding Program in Tifton".

TifTuf has numerous qualities that make it a sustainable surface for tees, approaches, fairways and roughs. Key agronomic benefits include:

• Drought Tolerance – TifTuf has exhibited superior drought tolerance compared to older bermudagrass varieties. TifTuf uses less water and stays green longer without irrigation because of its unique physiological characteristics. During testing, it was determined that TifTuf used 38% less water and retained 95% more green leaf tissue during drought stress when compared to TifWay 419. 

• Leaf Texture and Color – TifTuf has a very fine leaf texture and a vibrant green color. Visually, TifTuf blends well into areas with other hybrid bermudagrasses. 

• Wear Tolerance –  TifTuf has exhibited very good wear tolerance. This is one reason TifTuf was chosen for use on the University of Florida football field in Gainesville.                To read about the TifTuf installation at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium you can click this link:  TifTuf at the Swamp: Laying the Foundation for Excellence.

• Cold Tolerance – TifTuf has excellent cold tolerance in comparison to other bermudagrass varieties. TifTuf stays green longer into the fall, often greens up faster in the spring and seems to have a longer growing season than other bermudagrass varieties.

• Shade Tolerance – TifTuf has very good shade tolerance, surviving with only 25 percent sunlight transmission during testing.

For detailed information on TifTuf by Dr. Brian Schwartz, Turfgrass Breeder at The University Georgia you can click on this link to watch a YouTube video:  "TifTuf Certified Bermudagrass".

Holes 6, 4, 7, 3, 2, 8 and 10 - 6/12/21