Research That Begets Research

The 2018 Virginia Tech Field Day and Research Golf Tournament overcame a postponement in May, Hurricane Florence in early September, and tornadoes and more flooding the day before it took place at Independence Golf Course (IGC ) in Richmond on September 18. Kudos to Dan Taylor, IGC ’s superintendent for having the course in such good shape despite all the roadblocks. This joint effort between the Virginia Turfgrass Council and Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association raised a record $67,491 for Virginia’s Turfgrass research.

The Virginia Tech Turf Team

Panoramic view of the beautiful short course at Independence Golf Course

Hosting this event at Independence Golf Course is a natural pairing. The collaborative effort between Virginia Tech’s Turf Team, Dan Taylor and IGC provides just the type of quality, innovative research that the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation supports. A wide variety of bermudagrasses and other warm season grasses are being established and evaluated on the short course at IGC . David McCall says, “Independence will be the northern-most course in the country to test these hybrid bermudagrasses.”

Mike Goatley and friends get ready for a shotgun start.

Field Day Attendees

The money that is raised each year in this tournament is paramount to the very research that is done at this facility and was the greatest contribution made to the VTF this year. We want to especially thank the planning committee; Marc Petrus, Tyler Eastham, David McCall, Eric Snelsire, Jordan Booth and David Norman, who worked endless hours to make this a success. To our sponsors who were generous and compassionately flexible when the tournament was postponed we owe a special thanks:

Drones on the golf course

Harrell’s, Landscape Supply, Virginia Green and BAS F. Other significant donors were Bayer, A.H. Green Design (Green Golf), PBI Gordon, Trugreen, Buy Sod, Meadowspring Turf & Homefield Fertilizer, Virginia Sand & Stone, Syngenta, Smith Turf & Irrigation, Turf Equipment & Supply, Toro and Innovative Turf Services. In all, over 60 companies contributed. Additional revenue was raised through a raffle and an auction managed by Bayer.

Michael Evans gives a shout out from the newly formed School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

Shawn Askew explaining his magic as only he can

Most of all I want to say from my own personal observation -- this is a fun event! It is a time to learn as was witnessed by the more than 40 field day attendees and the 120 golfers who participated in this opportunity for fellowship with their friends and support of the research that makes their job easier.

Next year’s event has been set for Monday, May 20, 2019 back at Independence Golf Club.

Betty Parker

Betty B. Parker, VTF Manager