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Are Champion Bermuda greens more expensive to build/maintain?

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Jeff_Brauer:
Chris,

I have seen more than a few muni's in Texas that used the old Tif Dwarf in the name of lower maintenance costs, but most any course in the mid to upper range will use Champions or Mini Verde now.  Tif Eagle seems to be less popular since Mini Verde came in, but really between the three, its sort of a Chevy-Ford-Dodge question, each with its supporters for various reasons.

Those can include cold tolerance, color, etc. 

Chris Cupit:
Chris,


Champion is a terrific ultra-dwarf and I am glad you are enjoying it but I too would caution you about thinking there is any such thing as a "silver bullet" when it comes to grass.


My family is from Texas and my unlce still has older bermuda on his public course.  In Atlanta, we recently converted to TifEagle from A-1/A-4 bent and my choices were:  Champion, Mini-Verde and TifEagle.  There is no one perfect grass for everyon and even among the ultra-dwarfs while TifEagle was the right choice for my course, it may not be at the course down the street.


I do think I was able to look at excellent research and data and I know I did not rely soley on salesman and marketing nor did I have a board who may have been influenced by the "what other clubs were doing" syndrome.  As mentioned TifEagle is 20 years old, has not seen the segregation that Champion and Mini-Verde have been seeing and at least one research paper measuring ball roll showed it to be the best performer.


Having said all that, TifEagle may not be the right choice for the course next door.  SO many factors go into the decision and at the end of the day, grass is grass--a living breathing creature that can be fickle.  Sometimes you do everything right and the grass struggles and some grasses succeed despite their management!


The new ultra-dwarfs are fantastic and any choice among the three mentioned will likely yield a great result.  I would urge any group considering a change to:


1.  DO your own reserach and reading.  There is a lot of data out there.  Do not rely on what others tell you.  Educate yourself so you can ask intelligent questions of your superintendent.
2.  Despite that warning, talk to area supers and see what they have experienced and what they would reccomend.
3.  Absolutely, positively do not pick a grass just because XYZ club did it and their greens are great.  Each situation is unique.
4.  Listen to YOUR superintendent.  He should know your course and conditions better than anyone and he or she is the primary expert you should listen to.  If you do not "trust" their expertise then maybe you have a superintendent issue more than a grass issue  :o

[/size]Again, all three ultra-dwarfs are terrific and miles better than bermudas from decades ago.  But don't get hung up thinking anyone of them is perfect.  [size=78%]

Jeff_Brauer:
Chris,

Nice, more detailed summary.  Those 3 are really close together.  At least, I can't tell a huge difference when putting, but when it comes to choosing a turf, it can get pretty emotional.

In some ways, it recalls an old home remodel where my wife was obsessing over cover plates for electrical switches between off white and eggshell.  I asked if she had ever actually looked at those plates in the ten years we had the house, and she hadn't, but once you have to make a decision, it gets really, really micro managed by all.

My standard joke is that there is more talk about grass varieties in golf boardrooms than college dorm rooms.......

Mike_Young:
I just used this grass on a course and have been asked to use it on another....seems to be pretty good from all I can see...http://www.sundayultradwarf.com   It will take less maintenance on some of the lower budget places than the other three ultras...will maintain more like TifDwarf.

Chris Pearson:

Interesting info, guys.


Mike, your link to Sunday Ultra-dwarf is wildly appropriate—it turns out that Jimmy Clay used this on their recently renovated greens (which I complained about in my original post!).


These new greens certainly need time to grow in and establish a proper root base, and I suppose my commentary is both premature and ignorant.


I'm actually thrilled to know that the Parks & Rec department had the wherewithal to try something new, and I look forward to playing Jimmy Clay once these greens have grown in and been mowed to a reasonable height.


Aside from Jimmy Clay, my preference for Champion is merely a local observation. Within about 50 miles of Austin, Champion greens seem to be the best—and most robust from season to season—by a mile.


Tif dwarf greens are rampant here, and while they can be decent on occasion (Morris Williams muni and Bluebonnet Hill are good examples), they are just as likely to be shoddy (see: Roy Kizer muni's problems over the past year). I am also under the impression that tif dwarf requires a ton of work throughout the year and a lot of aeration, but this may just be because I see these greens more often than Champion or other varieties.


Finally, in Houston, which gets a lot more water annually, my favorite greens have been mini-verde. So to me, this seems like a an issue that is very much tied to the local climate (as well as maintenance practices and overall budget, obviously).

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