When H.T. Page, CGCS at The Westlake golf course in Virginia, lost his fungicide budget, he decided to convert his bluegrass fairways to a warm-season grass. Working with Dr. Mike Goatley (at Virginia Tech) and Brian Walker (at Riverside Turf), Page intersprigged 15 holes on the course with Zeon Zoysia and took out the bluegrass gradually. A year later, after the Zeon grow-in was complete, Page anticipated using 40% less water, up to 50% less fertilizer and 80% less fungicide — making the course much more environmentally friendly — and the club’s players love the new fairways.

The August 2013 issue of GCM magazine spotlighted how this project was conducted, as well as a similar conversion from bentgrass/Poa annua fairways to Zeon Zoysia at Crofton Country Club in Maryland. To read the full story, click here.