The Greatest Show on Turf

This week's big event to feature DLF grass is the Waste Management Phoenix Open, hosted by the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. Commonly referred to as “The Greatest Show on Turf”, this annual PGA golf tournament will kick-off on Thursday, February 4th and run through Sunday, February 7th.

Over 750,000 people attended last year’s event, generating over $14 million in donations to local Arizona charities. This year with COVID-19, attendance is limited to 10,000 people per day with social distancing, hand sanitizing, and masks. Normally, the temporary 4-story stadium structure built around Hole #16 (pictured below) holds over 20,000 attendees at one time!

For the past 25 years, the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course has been overseeded in the Fall with 100% DLF grasses. A breakdown of the different grasses is below.

• Greens = Champion GQ perennial ryegrass blend + velvet bentgrass + poa trivialis
• Tees, Fairways and Roughs = Champion Fine Mix (Champion GQ perennial ryegrass blend + chewings fine fescue)
• The tees on Hole #16 (shown above) are also overseeded with SR5130 chewings fescue due to shade and colder soil temperatures caused by the tall spectator stands.
• The bunker mounds on Hole #18 = Tradition Fine Fescue Mix (creeping red fescue + chewings fescue + hard fescue + sheeps fescue)

Mike Hills, Regional Sales Manager at DLF Pickseed was on the course on Wednesday to check conditions and meet with the PGA Director of Agronomy, Collier Miller. He commented the course is in “great condition” and “ready for the tournament”. It should be a great event to watch!
Please see the PGA website for more details.