Out With Old, In With The New

After the final tee time Sunday evening, The Stadium Course began what will be an amazing transformation into an even more premier status then once before. MacCurrach Golf Construction will be heading up the project with our assistance. The installation of new Celebration Bermudagrass throughout the Stadiums fairways, approaches and tees will provide a better playing surface. Celebration is a deep blue-green bermudagrass that is the best choice proven by studies for better wear tolerance, recovery, shade issues, and drought resistance. It requires less nitrogen inputs and provides an aggressive growth habit which helps prevent off-type bermudagrass from invading the turf.

 

On top of the fairway renovation, we are adding new spectator mounds to enhance the fan experience with more viewing areas closer to the greens. Material is being used from the fairways to build the new spectator mounds.

 



2 approach being stripped of 419 sod.

2 Fairway

3 collar/approach being prepared for new Celebration



The spectator mound left of 3 green is being extended closer to the green



6 fairway



7 fairway

8 spectator mound is going to be extended closer to the green



Driving Range Update

The driving range tee at TPC Sawgrass is nearing completion.  Over the past two weeks the area has undergone a major renovation.  The existing 419 Bermudagrass was stripped and a layer of organic material below it was removed.  The teeing surface was then sandcapped, graded, and prepped for the installation of Celebration Bermudagrass.  Our team is applying water until the new Celebration  has begun to root into the sand based mix. 

Stadium Fairways Renovation

Starting next week, the fairways on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course will be stripped and re-sodded with celebration grass. To prepare for this, an application of roundup was applied to the front nine fairways. This will ensure that no contamination will surface after the new sod is laid. First an outline was sprayed around the fairway, then a boom sprayer filled in the rest. 

 

Outline spray

#1 fairway

One day later #9 fairway

Two days later #9 fairway

 

Driving Range Renovation Update

The renovation to the TPC SAWGRASS driving range is underway. The driving range had 8 target greens to aim for, with 5 bunkers scattered in between. We are now adding 3 new target greens at different distances for the guests to practice with allowing them to take aim at more areas of the driving range. The bunkers are being filled in and sodded also.

The 5 existing bunkers before renovation.

Pallets of 419 Bermuda Grass used over removed bunkers.

  

Crew member lays sod over top of filled in bunker.

Sod is laid out over a new target green.



Tropical Storm Andrea Takes Aim for TPC Sawgrass

Tropical Storm Andrea touched down around 7am this morning on the gulf coast. Despite recieving 4" of rain within the past 3 days, the goal on the Stadium this morning was to have all of the greens on the course mowed at a heigth of 0.135" before the storm hit.  Andrea is nothing the agronomy team hasn't battled before so we are ready whatever outcome she produces.     



Dye's Valley Aerification

For the past week Dye's Valley Golf Course has been closed for aerification. 

The greens were topdressed wheel-to-wheel for a more uniform application of sand.

The greens were aerified with the Toro Procore 648 at a spacing of 2" x 2" with a 5/8" tine.  The core harvester attachments were used to produce a very clean surface and drag sand into the aeration holes.

 

After being cleaned, we broomed all greens in order to work the sand into the holes

The fairways were aerated at 2 x 2.5" spacing with 1"tines.

After aeration the tees and fairways were verticut, swept, topdressed and dragged with a steel drag mat.

All processes were completed last week

THE PLAYERS Stadium Summer Cultural Practices

The summer turfgrass cultural practices are now in full swing as temperatures have steadily been in the mid 80’s.  The agronomy crew will frequently be verti-cutting the greens on THE PLAYERS Stadium course throughout the summer.  This operation consists of a triplex with a special reel that cuts vertically into the canopy of the turf.  The height of this unit is set at “-0.03” which will improve the vertical movement (reducing grain) of the leaf blade increasing the plants photosynthetic rate.  This process will allow for better penetration of topdressing sand and water.  The final product will insure that our customers and members are provided with fast and firm putting surfaces. 

Greens were verti-cut one direction up and back the same pass

They were then topdressed lightly and dragged in