Nestled in the picturesque Bluffton, South Carolina, Palmetto Bluff strategically decided in 2023 to carpet its new golf course, Crossroads, with NorthBridge Bermudagrass.
King-Collins Golf Course Design and Sod Solutions Professionals worked hand in hand to select a grass that would hold up to the desires and needs of the new reversible nine-hole course, stretching across and expansive 3,100 yards.
“What’s unique about what King-Collins did here is just the way the course is laid out and the number of options that it’s going to create for us as managers, for the golfers and for the members. It’s really 18 holes in a nine-hole footprint. So there are 11 greens out here – some greens are double greens, some greens are triple greens and some greens are only played in one direction,” said Crossroad’s Golf Course Superintendent Adam Deiwert. “You can literally walk in fairway from one side of the course to the other side of the course and never leave the fairways.”
The choice of NorthBridge, renowned for its resilience during droughts and cold snaps, was further validated by its endorsement from numerous prestigious facilities nationwide. NorthBridge was also selected due to its rapid establishment and ability to be kept low and fast. With two par-threes, five par-fours and two par-fives, the course offers an invigorating golfing experience for players.
“Seeing the difference from zoysias to bermuda with NorthBridge has just been amazing. I know bermuda roots in and establishes quickly, but this seemed to take it to a whole other level on the speed that it was able to grow in,” Deiwert said.
The NorthBridge was harvested from Green Acres Turf Farm in Furman, SC and Carolina Turf in Raeford, NC. Sod Solutions Professionals oversaw the entire project and its team emphasized the project would not have been possible without partners and growers like Joe Poole and Gary Youmans.
Working alongside both farms, Sod Solutions Professionals was able to secure the acreage and quality needed to successfully install the grass, which was completed by Kirkpatrick’s Turf & Landscape Management, based in Georgia.
The NorthBridge harvested from Green Acres Turf Farm grew in at a record 100 days on the farm after planting. The superior color and condition of the sod when it left the farm are impressive examples of the rapid growth and density of NorthBridge.
