Intelligro supports Bethpage State Park Golf Courses for 2019 PGA Championship

Photo: Intelligro

Intelligro is supporting The Bethpage State Park Golf Courses during the 2019 PGA Championship held at Bethpage Black.

The five golf courses at The Bethpage State Park, a 1,500-acre natural area in the center of Long Island, N.Y., have achieved Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status by Audubon International. Intelligro, a gold sponsor of the course maintenance staff, is part of the management program of these environmentally responsible properties, according to the company.

Bethpage State Park courses were among the early adopters of the progressive technology in Civitas Turf Defense more than 10 years ago. During this time, the product’s proactive approach has been a key component in making Bethpage a sustainable golf course, reducing its pesticide use while delivering a quality and aesthetically pleasing turf, Intelligro said.

“We’re extremely excited to be supporting Bethpage State Park for the 2019 PGA Championship,” said Oriana Persechini, category manager, Intelligro. “It is a great moment for the world-renowned course and a fantastic opportunity to showcase the championship standard of Civitas Turf Defense. We work closely with superintendents every day to help create healthy, strong, high-caliber turf, and using the product during testing times like a PGA tournament will demonstrate the benefits that it can deliver for superintendents at the very highest level in the golf course industry.”

Additionally, Frank Rossi, Ph.D., of Cornell University and colleague Jennifer Grant, Ph.D., have conducted research at Bethpage since 2000 evaluating progressive integrated pest management (IPM) programs. The ongoing results of this work demonstrate how progressive IPM programs are less reliant on traditional pesticides and mindful of environmental risk can deliver championship conditions.

“Early observations at Bethpage suggested that turf treated with Civitas was able to tolerate a variety of pests and stress while reducing nutrient and pesticide inputs by as much as 45 percent,” Rossi said. “Over that time, Bethpage has hosted a US Open, two PGA Tour events and now the 101st PGA Championship. Civitas has been a part of each of these events, and now with the additional challenge of hosting in May rather than August along the cool Atlantic Ocean, getting the turf going early is key and the Civitas Turf Defense spring training program has delivered.”

More information about Civitas Turf Defense and the spring training program is available here.