TPC Scottsdale closes to resod fairways

[Tom Yost]

John Davis
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 1, 2007 07:59 PM
The TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, home of the FBR Open on the PGA Tour, has shut down temporarily so that fairways can be resodded.

Course General Manager Bill Grove said this week that the decision was made because of a poor transition from winter rye grass to summer Bermuda grass. The course closed to golfers on July 23 and plans are for an Aug. 28 reopening.

"Any golf course in a desert climate such as ours and goes through the transition process with the water quality and other factors, it can be a rough time," Grove said. "This year it was a little worse than normal."

Sales and marketing director Tiffany Nelson said the root structure on the course has deteriorated since 2000, when it stopped irrigating with Central Arizona Project water and switched to reclaimed water.

The reclaimed water has a high salt content, which drains into lakes on the course and then is pumped back onto the course for irrigation.

Nelson said plans are to install a new drainage system next year that will filter out the salt.

"It's something that we knew was coming because the root structure has gradually become more and more shallow," Nelson said. "We were hoping to make it through another year, but it reached a point where the turf wasn't the quality golfers are used to experiencing at the TPC."  ...


Complete story here:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/articles/0801tpccourse0802.html



Tom

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for posting this.

I'm headed to Scottsdale in September.  We were undecided about playing the TPC.  It's a lot of fun, but there are definitely better choices.  This should help everyone agree to skip it on this trip.

[Eric Morrison]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

[Forrest Richardson]

They must have some leftover $$$ from the expensive re-do of the Desert Course. The shame of bermuda here in Phoenix is that is really serves as "carpet padding" to the seasonal overseeded turf that brings in the $$$. That is not to say that the bermuda is not important...it is.

[Bill_McBride]

They must have some leftover $$$ from the expensive re-do of the Desert Course. The shame of bermuda here in Phoenix is that is really serves as "carpet padding" to the seasonal overseeded turf that brings in the $$$. That is not to say that the bermuda is not important...it is.

Forrest, are there any courses in the area that don't overseed fairways?  I have a hazy recollection of brown fairways at the Biltmore but maybe 30+ years ago.

Ironically, the best our fairways ever play at Pensacola CC - all bermuda - is in the winter when they aren't overseeded.  Fast and firm at its finest.

[Forrest Richardson]

There are a few courses that do not overseed fairways. Desert Forest used to be among them, but I hear they now have returned to overseeding. Many of Phoenix's municipal courses stopped overseeding fairways, but they, too, have returned in some cases. There is a trend to not overseed fairways every few years. The thought being to give the bermuda a rest. I am not sure about this as turfgrass develops annual memories — to alter the regime is likely not a healthy method, even though overseeding is, in itself, destructive to the warm season plant.

[Anthony_Nysse]

If a golf coruse is any bit worried about their bermudagrass fairways, the worst thing you can possibly do is to overseed them. We've opted to not overseed for the past 3 years and our fairways have never been better-no transition issues. I've been told, for every year you overseed with out giving the grass a year to recover is like riding your fairwyas of 10% of the bermudagrass. Unfortunatly, we will be overseeding fairways this fall.....so much for fast and firm like they have been in the past....

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Scott Weersing]

They must have some leftover $$$ from the expensive re-do of the Desert Course. The shame of bermuda here in Phoenix is that is really serves as "carpet padding" to the seasonal overseeded turf that brings in the $$$. That is not to say that the bermuda is not important...it is.

Forrest, are there any courses in the area that don't overseed fairways?  I have a hazy recollection of brown fairways at the Biltmore but maybe 30+ years ago.

Ironically, the best our fairways ever play at Pensacola CC - all bermuda - is in the winter when they aren't overseeded.  Fast and firm at its finest.

I think that courses should not be overseeded with rye because it closes the course for two to three weeks in the fall or the course needs to be watered heavily. And then there are all sorts of problems in the spring.

I really like playing off of dormant bermuda but unfortunately, tourists want a green course year round.

Another question, how are they going to resod bermuda? And why? Are they not going to overseed with rye in september?  

[Forrest Richardson]

Scott — The chances of the TPC Stadium Course not overseeding before the FBR Phoenix Open is about as good as there being no good looking women at the FBR 2008 Phoenix Open.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Scott,
  You have to have a good base of bermudagrass to overseed into to have a good overseed. The bermudagrass acts as a bed for the ryegrass and also protects the juvinile plants.

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Greg Cameron]

Still learning about bermuda,but was under the impression that it is "sprigged" as opposed to sodded.What are advantages/disadvantages of both methods,cost comparisons,and what did tpc do?....thanks guys ....Greg

[Anthony_Nysse]

Greg
  Bermuda can either be sodded or sprigged, not seeded unless your using a Riveria Type bermudagrass.
 ADVANTAGES to sodding is instant grass-No worries about wash outs and golf can be played safely in 2 months or less. Also if water is an issue, sod needs to be watered less than springs do.
 DISADVANTAGES-Much more expensive to sod. For our possible renovation in 2009, were looking at a number of $15,000 per acre to sod as opposed to $1500 to spring.
  ADVANTAGES to sprigging-Cheap, don't having to worry about "tie-ins" with exsisting grass
  DISADVANTAGES-ALOT of topdressing, ALOT of water, possibilities of washout with strong rains and a 3-4 months time frame before golf can be played on a suitable surface. Hope this helps.

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC