Specific questions about the Bent to Champion conversion

[A.G._Crockett]

My club here in Georgia is almost certainly going to convert from bent to Champion next summer.  To my surprise, there has been some push-back from the membership, and especially from some of the better players, in the form of a lengthy email discussion.  I'd be curious to have the following questions addressed by those who have been "before and after" members.

As a general FYI, we would probably be in the middle third of maintenance budgets for private clubs.  Our bent greens are generally good throughout the year, given a very high rate of aerification and sanding as compared to a few years ago.

1. How many aerations was your club doing per year and per summer on the bent greens before the conversion?
2. How many aerations are generally performed on the Champion and when?
3. How often did your club sand the bent greens?
4. How often do are the Champion greens sanded?
5. Has the process of covering and uncovering the greens during cold weather in any way interfered with/delayed play?
6. Given that we know the positives of Champion vs. bent, what have you seen as the biggest negative of Champion since the conversion?
7. Finally, if you owned your club and could go back in time, would you again make the conversion or not, and would the general membership agree with you?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful replies.

[Patrick_Mucci]

AG,

Was "Champion" the only grass you considered ?

What type of grass do nearby clubs have ?

Have any nearby clubs undergone a conversion in the last few years and if so, to what grass and what were the results ?

[JMEvensky]

1) 2 (spring and fall)--with small tine aerification as needed throughout the summer

2) 1--right after July 4th weekend (assuming a good forecast)

3) weekly top dressing

4) weekly top dressing

5) not really--they're only covered when temps get below 28*

6) A) grain (relative to bent) B) there's no way of knowing what Champion will be like 10+ years out

7) yes and yes--it's no contest

The above is in Memphis (6 or 7 years ago) which is much worse for bent grass than Atlanta--hotter nights,more humidity,etc.I was President when the decision was made and I'm happy to answer any questions.I've sent you an IM.

[Adam Lawrence]

I think I'd advise talking to Ken Mangum at AAC, which converted the Highlands to Champion a few years back.

[Bill_McBride]

Bob Crosby at Cherokee would be another good guy to talk to, although I'm not sure it's Champion on the North greens. 

With regard to negatives about Champion, and other hybrids, superintendents have told me that the maintenance practices become increasingly intense over the years. 

[Don_Mahaffey]

If you contact Mike Brown at Champion Turf farms you can get a list of all the courses in your region that have made the change.

I strongly disagree with JM's comment about not knowing what Champion might be like in 10 years. There are hundreds of courses with 10+ year old champion out there to research. Mike Brown will give you that list as well if you ask.

One other note, if you are going to use Champion, I strongly encourage your club to listen to the people who developed the grass and who have been planting it for 20 years, Morris and Mike Brown.
Their advice often contradicts modern agronomy practices, and so it is often ignored leading to problems with the resulting blame placed on the grass. These guys have planted thousands of greens and assisted hundreds of superintendents. They have way more experience with this grass then any USGA advisors or other agronomists. If you plant their grass, listen to them.

[JMEvensky]

If you contact Mike Brown at Champion Turf farms you can get a list of all the courses in your region that have made the change.

I strongly disagree with JM's comment about not knowing what Champion might be like in 10 years. There are hundreds of courses with 10+ year old champion out there to research. Mike Brown will give you that list as well if you ask.

One other note, if you are going to use Champion, I strongly encourage your club to listen to the people who developed the grass and who have been planting it for 20 years, Morris and Mike Brown.
Their advice often contradicts modern agronomy practices, and so it is often ignored leading to problems with the resulting blame placed on the grass. These guys have planted thousands of greens and assisted hundreds of superintendents. They have way more experience with this grass then any USGA advisors or other agronomists. If you plant their grass, listen to them.

Not a Super,so I'll defer to your specific knowledge on the 10 years out.But,your last paragraph is the key part--not every club follows the Browns proscribed methods to the letter.

In my part of the world,small changes to their methods have lead to some widely disparate results.

That said,the Browns are good people and obviously know more about Champion than everyone else combined.They should be the first call for any club looking for answers.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I agree with Don on that one.  We just did a redo with Champions greens, and they do a great job of planting and give you full specs on how they think it should be grown in, which the superintendent followed.

In Texas, we have heard very few complaints after ten years.

BTW, as to good players, I have told the story before, but several years back, they put Champions on the PG at Barton Creek as a test, and because it was wearing out.  The course remained bent at that time.  When the senior tour got there, all the supposedly knowledgeable players wondered why the putting green had better grass than the course, and didn't even know it was Bermuda.  IMHO, so much for the better players asking to keep bent.

Face it, in the south, bent needs a life support system.  It's hard to justify it based on a few good players.  In fact, from memory, the whole movement got started because JN insisted it could be done in Houston, at a low play, high end club.  Not that he was the first - Marvin Leonard at Colonial had the same idea back in 1935 or so, and made it work for a long time.

[A.G._Crockett]

Perhaps I should have been more specific.  The decision has been made by the club's owner, and I support it.  I have played a multitude of courses that have made the conversion, and I don't need to be sold.  The club is also not looking for my input.

I simply am trying to answer questions that have been (and will continue to be) raised in discussion among the membership.  I was curious as to what golfers (not supers or GCAs) thought about the before and after situations.