Bladerunner FarmsPress Room Archive
Zoysia Renovation of Oak Hills Country Club course close to completion (Type: post)
A renovation and restoration project at the historic Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, Texas, is close to completion.
November 23, 2017 | Sean Dudley
Led by architect Tripp Davis, the project has aimed to renovate the infrastructure of the course, which was designed by A.W. Tillinghast and opened in the 1920s.
GCA caught up with Davis to discuss the project, and find out how he looked to incorporate Tillinghast’s design tendencies into the recent work.
“The course had reached a point that it needed to have a lot of the infrastructure renovated, like the greens, bunkers and tees,” Davis explained. “The course needed to be regrassed with the best modern turf types for the area. The club needed their practice facilities enhanced, and there was an opportunity to restore some of the subtler elements to give the course more of a classic Tillinghast feel.”
Oak Hills hired Tripp Davis & Associates a few years ago to prepare a masterplan to organise various projects at the club. This ultimately led to a campaign to develop a financially sustainable way to move the golf course, and the club, into the next 30 years.
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The zoysiagrass solution for salinity (Type: post)
November 22, 2017 | Milt Engelke, Ph.D.
Zoysiagrass is different from other salt-tolerant species. Discover the science behind how this game-changing grass thrives in salt-heavy soils.
With zoysiagrass, salts are absorbed by the roots, are moved into the plant without tissue injury, and accumulate on the leaf surface through the biological characteristic of having very active salt glands — a characteristic unique to zoysiagrass. Photos courtesy of Team Zoysia.
The Paspalum problem
The science behind dealing with salinity has been somewhat heavily skewed toward containment or mechanically moving excessive salts through the soil profile through leaching, flushing and/or chemical treatment. Paspalums are known halophytes — they exclude salts from concentration in the leaf tissue to avoid salt tissue injury, and, as such, they can tolerate exceptionally high concentration of salts in the root zone and soil profile, at least up to a point.
Seasonally, nearly every environment will experience prolonged periods of low rainfall and possibly even drought, during which time evaporation of surface waters draws saline-laden moisture to the surface where the salts accumulate. Once salt accumulation reaches a critical level, even the Paspalums will begin to suffer. At this point, the only true resolve is to dramatically increase the level of water application to 1) help resolubilize the accumulated salts, and 2) force downward movement of these salts lower in the soil profile, from which they will rise again and require that the process be repeated, usually on a 15- to 30-day cycle, once to several times during the season. Hearsay suggests that as much as 30 percent of the total water needed for turf maintenance of Paspalum is required for flushing and/or leaching salts.
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NTEP, USGA in Turf News Calls Zeon the Standard (Type: articles)
In the most recent issue of Turf News, the results from trials of 35 bermudagrass and 35 zoysiagrass established in 2013 have been reported. In conjunction with the United States Golf Association (USGA), a unique trial of 15 bermudagrasses, 11 zoysiagrasses and two seashore paspalum grasses were evaluated as well.
Setting the standard for zoysiagrass were Zeon and Meyer.
“Zeon is a standard for use on golf course fairways and tees because it can develop a dense turf at mowing heights of 0.5” or lower. Both grasses are included in the new trial as standard entries,” as reported in the July/August 2017 issue of Turf News.
Among the many experimental grasses in these categories, Zeon performed well and held its own at Fayetteville, AR as well as other locations.
About Bladerunner Farms
Bladerunner Farms is the world’s largest privately held zoysiagrass and buffalograss research and development facility. Current releases include: Zeon Zoysia, L1F Zoysia, Lowrider Zoysia, Y2 Zoysia, JaMur Zoysia, Density Buffalograss and Eco Buffalograss, Cutlass Zoysia and Habiturf. Bladerunner works in conjunction with the University of Georgia to conduct research. Grasses are licensed for sod production by Doguet Ventures, and The Turfgrass Group and outside of the U.S. by Team Zoysia International. Bladerunner Farms is headquartered in Poteet, Texas, just south of San Antonio. 830-276-4455, info@bladerunnerfarms.com , www.bladerunnerfarms.com
Media Contact:
Stacie Zinn Roberts
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing Agency
360-941-4595
Stacie@whatsyouravocado.com
Are You Immortal if You Name a Grass Variety? (Type: articles)
From Golfdom Magazine
Some people believe that the good product names have all been taken. Is that true? Who knows? But have you ever wondered how new grass varieties are named?
Well, wonder no more – and perhaps become a variety namer – because on the show floor this week Team Zoysia (booth 432) will take suggestions from GIS attendees to name two new zoysiagrass putting green varieties. And you could win a new Scotty Cameron putter for your trouble.
The Cat’s Meow: Tiger Woods Kicks Off US Design Efforts With Augusta-Inspired Bluejack National (Type: articles)
CatsMeowArticle 
Golfweek Magazine features an article on Tiger Woods’ new course, Bluejack National, which is grassed with L1F and Zeon zoysia. The article comments: “The tight, firm Zeon Zoysia fairways ensure a lot of roll when the ball lands.” It also mentions L1F zoysia: “Here at Bluejack National, recovery is played from firm, fast L1F Zoysia grass that frames the greens.”
For Arthur J Milberger — It All Starts With Grass (Type: articles)
TPI Magazine features an article on Team Zoysia co-founder Arthur Milberger and tells the story of his business ventures, life, and the way it all comes back to turfgrass.
Name the New Zoysia Greens Grasses at the Golf Industry Show, Win a New Putter! (Type: press_release)
January 11, 2017, Orlando, FL: Ever wonder how new grass varieties get their names? Find out at the 2017 Golf Industry Show in Orlando this February when Team Zoysia takes suggestions from trade show attendees to help name two new zoysiagrass golf green varieties. One lucky attendee will win a new Scotty Cameron putter for participating.
The two new zoysia greens grasses, yet to be named, were developed by renown turfgrass breeder David Doguet of Bladerunner Farms in Poteet, Texas. The grasses are currently known by their designation used during the research and trial period: M85 and M60.
M85 is a fine-textured zoysiagrass for greens, tees and fairways has a naturally very dark green color with slow vertical growth. Mowing will be reduced in every area of use. Leaves grow from the rhizomes at 90 degrees producing less grain than other varieties. M-85 was selected for genetic color, disease resistance and growth habit. It has shown great promise for greens in San Antonio and Atlanta—especially for excellent cold weather color retention in those locations. The texture is as fine as the ultra dwarf bermudagrasses.
M-60 provides a fine-textured putting surface with good recuperative potential for tees and fairways. M-60 for greens tees and fairways has a natural dark green color along with reduced vertical growth rate. M-60 was selected for fine texture, extensive rhizome system, disease resistance and growth habit.
“Zoysia for greens is the future of golf. We are so excited to introduce these new varieities at the 2017 Golf Industry Show and give attendees the opportunity to see them up close, ” Doguet said.
Potential grass names submitted by attendees at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando will be considered for use on either of the grasses. Name selection will be made following legal due diligence and trademark requirements, common for new product naming. Attendees who submit a potential grass name will be entered into a drawing to win a new Scotty Cameron putter, approximate retail value $300. Winner will be selected from all names submitted, no matter if it is eventually used in commerce.
Both grasses will be renamed and officially released by 2018.
About Bladerunner Farms
Bladerunner Farms is the world’s largest privately held zoysiagrass and buffalograss research and development facility. Current releases include: Zeon Zoysia, L1F Zoysia, Lowrider Zoysia, Y2 Zoysia, JaMur Zoysia, Density Buffalograss and Eco Buffalograss, Cutlass Zoysia and Habiturf. Bladerunner works in conjunction with the University of Georgia to conduct research. Grasses are licensed for sod production by Doguet Ventures, and The Turfgrass Group and outside of the U.S. by Team Zoysia International. Bladerunner Farms is headquartered in Poteet, Texas, just south of San Antonio. 830-276-4455, info@bladerunnerfarms.com , www.bladerunnerfarms.com
Media Contact
Stacie Zinn Roberts
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations
1125 S. 2nd Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
(360) 428-2878
Stacie@whatsyouravocado.com
Golf Digest Names Bluejack National Best New Golf Course (Type: articles)
November 29, 2016: Golf Digest
Golf Digest named Bluejack National Best New Private Golf Course. In the article by Ron Whitten, the course is described this way: Being in a Southern climate, the fairways at Bluejack are tightly bladed Zeon Zoysia, the same superturf used at Rio’s Olympic Golf Course (which wasn’t considered for 2016 Best New because it was closed for public play until after the Olympics).
Bluejack’s tee boxes and green surrounds are an even newer Zoysia breed, L1F, for a shorter, tighter cut. Says Woods: “This will allow the ground to be used as a friend on approach shots and create lots of options for recovery shots around the greens.”
One of the panelists judging the competition said of Bluejack and its zoysiagrass: “greenside areas are seeded with L1F Zoysia to promote firm, fast roll.”
Making a Case for Zoysia and Sports Fields
November 2016: Sports Field Management Magazine
Sports Field Management editor-in-chief Robert Meyer visits Poteet, Texas, home of Bladerunner Farms, to meet David Doguet and learn more about Zeon Zoysia at the Zoysiagrass Field day held there in September. He reviews the popularity of zoysiagrasses and the history of their development, and interviews Brian Schwartz of the University of Georgia on what makes the grass exceptional.
Go For It: Rio Course will Tempt Olympics (Type: post)
June 13, 2016: Golfweek
Rave reviews for Olympic Golf Course. Writer Bradely S. Klein says Architect Gil Hanse deserves a Gold Medal for course architecture.