Shade and Wear Tolerance Make Celebration Bermudagrass a Golf Course Favorite

Turfgrasses used on golf courses traditionally are tough, fast-repairing varieties that can withstand a lot of traffic. Golf course grasses often differ by region based on how the grass stands up to heat or cold.

Several studies by leading research universities rank Celebration® Bermudagrass as the turfgrass leader in shade tolerance, drought tolerance and recovery, wear tolerance and divot recovery. Studies also revealed that Celebration reduced player injury due to lower surface hardness.

For example, a two-year study conducted at the Clemson University greenhouse complex compared the shade tolerance of 42 bermudagrass cultivars. The objective of the research was to determine how eight weeks of full sun and 64 percent continuous shade would affect turfgrass growth and development. Celebration showed the greatest shade tolerance of all cultivars in the study.

At TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, shade tolerance had been a major issue prior to the installation of Celebration Burmudagrass, according to TPC Stadium Course Superintendent Clay Breazeale.

“We have some fairways with some pretty significant shade on them, and areas that we struggled with and had to baby along during the year,” Brezeale said. “Those areas have shown some dramatic results since we switched. Before we went to Celebration, especially in the wintertime, we would have to switch to some pretty conservative measures to make sure we had a good playing surface. With Celebration, we keep right on with our normal practices that are relatively aggressive to provide a great tournament surface.”

With a growing zone that stretches from coast-to-coast and reaches as far north as Nashville, Tenn., Celebration Bermudagrass is the turfgrass of choice at hundreds of golf courses and sports venues. Golf course designers and superintendents often cite its excellent drought and wear tolerance, and reduced fertilization as top reasons for its selection.

“The two things that impress me the most are its drought tolerance and low fertility requirements,” said Chip Powell, President of  Powell Golf Design Co. in Bradenton, FL.  “Side by side plots with 419 in the field strongly suggest that you can produce superior turf with Celebration using significantly less water and fertilizer inputs.”

Learn more from the Celebration Fact Sheet.