Modernizing golf turf with creeping bentgrass: decades of development

A shot of the 007XL bentgrass nursery at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo Courtesy: Richard Hurley)

New name

I identified Super Bents varieties and trademarked the name to create an easy-to-understand catchphrase to denote the highest-turf quality standards for a creeping bentgrass.

Photo: Richard Hurley

Super Bents advanced-generation, highly refined bentgrass varieties are bred for genetically enhanced disease resistance and scientifically designed for use on closely maintained golf greens.

Super Bents varieties — including 007 and 777 — are unique and distinct and perform at the highest level on greens, tees and fairways. Additional bentgrass varieties include MacKenzie, MacDonald and Flagstick. I fully expect the fifth generation of 007XL to be the next must-have Super Bents variety. Rutgers University data reports this variety to be No. 1 in putting green turf quality and the fairways and tees test for the past four years in a row.

Team effort

Nothing in life is accomplished on an island. My creeping bentgrass journey has been a team effort, as none of the above would have been possible without C. R. Funk, Ph.D., my mentor; Stacy Bonos, Ph.D.; Bill Meyer, Ph.D.; James Murphy, Ph.D.; Bruce Clarke, Ph.D.; and all of my associates and collaborators over the years at Rutgers University. 

Throughout the past 25 years, Bonos, Meyer, Rutgers staff members and graduate students added significantly to the creeping bentgrass germplasm pool on collection trips that included visits to Europe.

Also, great appreciation goes to Leah Brilman, Ph.D.; Bill Dunn; Steve Reid; and Barbara Hinds-Cook of Seed Research of Oregon/DLF Pickseed.

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