Golf Course Superintendent Rob Vaughan of Brunswick Plantation Golf Resort kicked off a trend of painting fairways in Myrtle Beach three years ago, spurring others in the area to follow suit in recent years.
Now, three years later the trend is going national and international as told in Superintendent Magazine by writer Anthony Pioppi.
Since 2011, about nine other courses in the Myrtle Beach area have followed suit using turf colorant, particularly as an alternative to overseed.
The estimate is that in Florida nearly 30 courses are painting fairways, and the trend has spread to Arizona, Georgia and Alabama, as well as England, Italy and Australia– that list continues to grow quickly.
“We did it for turf health. We did it for economics,” says Vaughan, who has been bestowed the nickname “Dr. Paint,” of the course’s reason for abandoning overseeding.
Vaughan notes that by painting instead of growing ryegrass, he is saving $75,000 annually at the 27-hole course, and that includes the cost for painting, which averages about $15,000 a year.
Vaughan lauds the product effectiveness as does Jennifer Seevers, the turf colorants division manager at Naples, Fla.-based Geoponics Earth Chemistries, which supplies Vaughan with his colorants.
Superintendent Magazine: Growing trend, painting fairways is saving golf course superintendents time and money, while being a more environmentally sustainable option.
Geoponics recently released its newest Endurant Turf Colorant. Endurant FW.
Read more about the growing trend of painting fairways here.
Learn more about Endurant Turf Colorants, including Endurant TC (for dormant grass), Endurant TE (with turf enhancer for actively growing grass) and the newest Endurant FW (specifically formualted for use on fairways by contacting Geoponics Turf Colorant Division Manager Jennifer Seevers, jseevers@geoponicscorp.com, calling 1-877-ECO-GROW (1-877-326-4769) or emailing info@geoponicscorp.com– or contact your sales representative directly.
Endurant turf paints also include colorants for mulch, pine straw and ponds.
The trend is catching on because it saves time and money! It’s more environmentally responsible than overseed!