b"Getting the turf ready for a championship takes nearly 100 people. PHOTO: QUAIL HOLLOW CLUB.Wood believes one of the most fascinating aspects of Quail Hollow's preparation is its ability to offer the best of both worlds when it comes to turf. Were fortunate in Charlotte that we can grow both warm and cool season grasses, Wood shares. We maintain the ber-mudagrass throughout most of the year, but when the cooler months roll in, we switch to ryegrass to give the course the den-sity and color needed for championship play.The Role of Seed Innovation in Golf Melodee Fraser, Director of Research-East at Pure-Seed Testing, Reflecting on the future of golf course management, WoodRolesville, North Carolina, plays a pivotal role in developing the emphasizes the vital role of the seed industry in the sports evo- varieties that turf managers rely on. Her work focuses on solv-lution. Disease resistance, drought tolerance and sustainabilitying the problems that cool-season grasses face in warm, humid are driving forces in turfgrass innovation. climates as in North Carolina.The best way to get out of problems is through breeding,We work on problems that cool-season grasses have in this he notes. Look at gray leaf spotit used to be devastating, butwarm, humid climate, particularly in the summertime, Fraser now we have varieties that are completely resistant. As we faceexplains. But we also do warm-season turfgrass breeding here more environmental regulations, especially those related to pesti- too. cide use, the seed industry is going to be vital in developing turfOverseeing the breeding and testing of turf varieties, Fraser that can handle these new realities. and her team help ensure that superintendents like Keith have Wood emphasizes that the TWCA is a key player in his effortsaccess to grasses that not only look great but also withstand because of their investment in funding research to breed grassesthe environmental stresses placed on them during high-stakes that require less water and fewer inputs. For courses like Quailtournaments.Hollow, which host events under intense scrutiny, these innova- Frasers role goes beyond the laboratoryshe regularly col-tions are crucial to maintaining a reputation for excellence. laborates with golf course superintendents and turf managers across the country, providing insights on turf performance and The Science Behind the Seeds helping to troubleshoot specific challenges. At the heart of selecting the best turfgrass for the PGASuperintendents or turf managers often contact us directly Championship is years of scientific research and breeding.to ask about problems or new projects, she says. They want to 12/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2024"