3 of 4 winning courses grassed with this environmentally friendly turfgrass
AVON PARK, Florida (Friday, March 9, 2007): SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum, an environmentally friendly turfgrass from Environmental Turf, continues to rack up favorable reviews and world rankings. Just announced, THREE of the TOP FOUR International Developments of the Year are grassed with SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum.
The rankings were published by Golf Inc. and Golf Development Word magazines.
For "Development of the Year," a full 20-percent of the judges’ criteria was based on course aesthetics. The fact that aesthetics weighed so heavily in the decision-making process points to the environmentally friendly yet highly playable golf surface created by SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum turfgrass. The grass can be used from tee-to-green and in the roughs, creating a golf course that has only one grass to manage.
As far as playability, SeaDwarf greens produce virtually no grain. The upright nature of the turf in the fairway makes a golf ball sit up almost as if it were on a tee.
The grass also has what many experts, including USGA Southeast Regional Agronomists Patrick O’Brien and Chris Hartwiger in a recent USGA report, have termed the "Wow Factor" because of its bright green color, natural striping ability and smooth playing surface.
In the February 2007 USGA report, O’Brien and Hartwiger said SeaDwarf provides a "an extremely high quality playing surface" and noted that "the quality of the SeaDwarf putting surfaces was impressive. Green speeds are typically 9 feet or higher and the surfaces are smooth and true. The mowing height is 0.125 inch at most times."
According to O’Brien and Hartwiger, "Sea Dwarf is the only dwarf-type paspalum variety and is well adapted as a golf turf on all playing areas."
For environmentally friendly features, SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum requires up to 50% less water for irrigation than the bermudagrasses traditionally used on warm-season golf courses. It also requires approximately 75% less nitrogen for fertilization than bermudagrass. SeaDwarf may be irrigated with nearly any quality water, from potable to effluent, even seawater under proper maintenance. Plus, salt may be used as an herbicide.
The three golf developments grassed with SeaDwarf to make the cut as Developments of the Year are:
â?¢ WINNER: The Links at Las Palomas located in Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, was designed by Forrest Richardson. The 18-hole, par-72, links-style course is grassed entirely with SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum. Architect Richardson said of the grass, "It’s a great turf and it putts terrific."
â?¢ RUNNER UP: Coco Beach Golf & Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, was designed by Tom Kite and Bruce A. Besse Jr. The 36-hole layout features four nines–the Ocean, Mountain, Palms and Lakes courses–all with SeaDwarf greens. One of the judges of this year’s competition, Allan Irwin, chief operations officer of Empire Golf, cited the golf course’s "beautifully integrated design" in his decision to rank Coco Beach as the 2nd place finisher.
â?¢ FINALIST: Playa Mujeres is located in Puntana Sam Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, just five miles north of Cancun. Designed by Greg Norman, the 18-hole, ecologically friendly Playa Mujeres offers several holes with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. The course is grassed 100% with SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum on the tees, collars, greens, fairways and roughs.
SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum is available through Environmental Turf and its domestic and international network of certified licensed sod producers. Please contact Environmental Turf for more information at: www.environmentalturf.com or 772-460-5575.
Contact:
Stacie Zinn
Cell: 239-398-4224
Office: 239-774-1293
stacie@environmentalturf.com