LAS VEGAS, NV (Aug. 1, 2013) – One of the world’s most famous soccer teams, Real Madrid, will compete in a match at Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Stadium in Las Vegas Aug. 5. It’s the biggest soccer event ever played in Las Vegas.
Had it not been for the outstanding work of golf industry turf expert Pro Turf International Inc. (PTI) over the past few months, however, this high-profile soccer match between Real Madrid and Santos Laguna, and the revenue it brings to the Las Vegas economy, might have never materialized.
PTI was signed by the soccer event promoter, Justice Entertainment Group, to turn the artificial surface at Sam Boyd into a perfect, natural playing surface.
“We don’t do this game if we don’t have grass – perfect grass,” said Daren Libonati President & COO at Justice Entertainment. “I had worked with PTI on previous projects, so when this came up I knew where I needed to go for help.
“They went out and did their special tricks with their special sauce, and the growing process went well. We now have a beautiful field for the match.”
The “special sauce” Libonati spoke of is PTI’s Ultimate Turf™ fertilizer. And this wasn’t the first experience Libonati and his team had with Ultimate Turf.
This story began with the annual USA Sevens Rugby championships that were scheduled for the Las Vegas stadium back in February. The producers of that event required natural grass as well, so PTI was hired make the transformation. If their efforts failed, the rugby event was going to be moved. And that would most likely have led to the cancellation of the big soccer match between Real Madrid and Santos Laguna.
PTI, calling on the expertise developed through years of successfully maintaining golf courses throughout the southwest, utilized a sod farm for the production and harvest of the Tifway 419 Bermuda grass. The company’s super successful fertilizer, Ultimate Turf, was used throughout the process.
Ultimate Turf is known for its root enhancement ability, and that was extremely important in this particular project. Heavy plastic sheeting was laid over the 95,000-square-foot surface at the stadium, and then the thick cut sod was placed over the plastic sheeting.
“We used the Ultimate Turf fertilizer weekly on the sod as it was being grown at the sod farm,” said Jeremie Smith, Ultimate Turf Director of Sales. “Then, after we installed the turf at the stadium we continued the application of the fertilizer through the temporary irrigation system.”
The result was a beautiful and safe natural playing surface that held up well during the nationally and internationally televised 45 rugby matches played in two and one-half days.
USA Sevens Rugby was so impressed by PTI’s efforts, they signed a new five-year contract to keep their event in Las Vegas.
And all the while, the chief agronomist for Real Madrid soccer was monitoring the miraculous creation of the natural turf at Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Stadium. He eventually gave the go-ahead for the soccer match, with PTI under contract to oversee the turf. And, he purchased five gallons of the Ultimate Turf fertilizer to take back to his field in Spain.
The process has been repeated this month as PTI preps the stadium turf for Sunday’s high-profile exhibition, featuring Real Madrid, one of the most decorated teams in the history of soccer, and its star player Ronaldo.
“This is a great event for Las Vegas, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” said Kip Wolfe, Principal at PTI. “The Rugby Sevens tournament is also positive for the area. It is nice that our efforts worked out for both of these events. We look forward to being involved in the future.”
Libonati says that will be the case, as this transformation will be necessary for future events like Rugby Sevens and big-time soccer events. After Sunday’s soccer match, the grass will be removed and the stadium field returned to its artificial surface.
“Whenever the grass needs to go back onto the field, PTI will be the go-to entity,” said Libonati.
ABOUT PRO TURF INTERNATIONAL INC.
Pro-Turf International, Inc. (PTI) is a unique corporation combining the finest talent available in the golf course and landscape construction industry today. With a combined experience of over sixty years, the PTI team has been involved in several of the most prestigious golf facilities in the country including; the Tournament Players Clubs of the PGA Tour.
PTI provides a wide range of services with the experience to offer consulting, golf course architect selection, design and budget review, project management and supervision, full-line construction, remodeling and complete golf course grow-in maintenance. In short, PTI can simplify the process of completing your golf course or landscape project by providing a reputable package of services.
Partner companies include Key Golf Management which provides course owner/operators with skilled golf course maintenance teams that leverage Pro-Turf International’s talent & expertise; BunkersPlus, which does bunker refurbishing; and Solutions 4 Earth, which produces the Ultimate Turf fertilizer and other eco-friendly products.
Contact:
Mike Jamison (407-328-0500, ext. 1
mike@jamisongolf.com
