March 17, 2008
Home of 2008 TOUR Championship Presented by Coca-Cola
REMBERT, S.C. – South Carolina-based Modern Turf has been selected by Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club to provide its signature MiniVerde® Ultradwarf bermudagrass to replace the bentgrass greens at the legendary course. East Lake is the annual host of the TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, where the season's top 30 PGA Tour money winners compete for a $7,000,000 purse.
Modern Turf will provide and plant the MiniVerde sprigs in late May or early June, depending upon weather conditions. Turfgrass America, based in Camilla, Ga., will assist on the project. The 2008 TOUR Championship dates are September 25 - 28, 2008.
East Lake golf course superintendent Ralph Kepple conducted extensive research on a number of ultradwarf varieties before selecting the MiniVerde. "I visited five courses in the south, and the greens at each verified the NTEP (National Turfgrass Evaluation Program) results. I was particularly encouraged with the positive results from Birmingham because their climate and growing conditions are quite similar to Atlanta's."
According to Modern Turf president Hank Kerfoot, MiniVerde's deep rhizome growth pattern and its aggressive root system require considerably less water and significantly fewer pesticides than several of the other varieties. "Water conservation is a major issue in Atlanta, and especially at East Lake," Kerfoot noted. "Not only does MiniVerde rank highest among most NTEP categories for putting green grass, it's an ideal solution in these drought-stricken areas."
"We are excited to be part of this transition at East Lake, one of the most prestigious courses in America," said Kerfoot. "MiniVerde is proving to be a major contender in the ultradwarf battle, and we see the future getting brighter all the time."
As of 2007, the TOUR Championship now simultaneously serves as the final leg of the FedEx Cup. Tiger Woods claimed victory at the event in 2007, winning both the TOUR Championship and the FedEx Cup. East Lake becomes the fourth PGA Tour stop to be played on MiniVerde greens, joining TPC Sawgrass (The Players), TPC Louisiana (Zurich Classic of New Orleans) and Redstone Golf Club (Shell Houston Open).
Modern Turf is a state-of-the-art turfgrass production company specializing in growing and installing a complete variety of high-quality turfgrass for the golf and landscape industries. For more information about Modern Turf and the MiniVerde Ultradwarf visit www.modernturf.com.
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