Revolutionary Grass Discovery Helps Sod Industry

By Mark Hoerrner

Phillip Jennings is pretty pleased with himself these days. He’s stood on the 50-yard line at the 2005 Super Bowl, worked with internationally famous golf course designer Pete Dye and is jet setting all over the world. But why shouldn’t he?

"It’s the miracle grass," he says. "It has made golf course development feasible in places where golf courses could never be built – Aruba, Greece, the Caribbean, Dubai - any place where water is scarce."

The grass he is referring to is his Sea Isle Supreme Paspalum, a project developed jointly between Phillip Jennings Turf Farms and Dr. R. R. Duncan at the University of Georgia’s Griffin Experiment Station. So far, the grass has proven to use about half the water of traditional Bermuda grasses and thrives in salt-based environments. Using the right maintenance, the grass can be watered directly with ocean water, creating a host of opportunities for Georgia’s coastal communities. In addition, the grass requires less fertilizer, thereby limiting runoff into the local water system.

"So many people are talking about this grass," Jennings says. "You can use it from tee to rough to fairway to green just by changing the mowing height and management. And it stripes better than any grass I have ever used – a course can look like Augusta anytime, even in winter."

While Jennings’ grasses have been featured at golf courses and athletic events around the world, his 3000-acre Soperton, Ga., farm serves a multitude of residential clients, including PGA Tour pros Vijay Singh and Mark McCumber. And more members of the Tour are calling every day, Jennings says.

"We still love to do the homeowner at Hilton Head or Savannah or wherever – that’s the way this business started," Jennings recalls. His Turf Farms still believes in "one pallet at a time."

Jennings noted, "One of the things that this company was built on was customer service. If you wanted sod on Sunday at 8 a.m., we would be there to deliver it. We ship basically every day of the year, including Christmas Day."

He says Sea Isle Supreme is also resistant to weed growth when properly maintained. It is more costly than traditional Bermuda or Zoysia grasses, but he is confident the savings on watering alone will make the cost even out.