The Villages - February 2018 - 39

Upgraded greens

IntervIew wIth rIckey craIg, dIrector of golf maIntenance

a

new type of turf is taking over championship
courses in The Villages. TifEagle is a genetically
engineered Bermuda grass. More sustainable
and pure, the new turf just might enhance the game for
avid golfers.
"They won't notice the change visually, but from a
playability perspective, it's going to make a difference," said
Rickey Craig, director of golf maintenance.
As for the first courses to sport the new turf, Craig
said the upgrades begin with nine holes on the Ashley
Meadows course at Lopez Legacy and all 18 holes at Tierra
Del Sol. Moving forward, every championship course will
change over.
Replacing the primary putting surface (Tifdwarf
Bermuda grass), TifEagle has taken the lead in the
Southeast, Craig said. As for maintenance, the turf may be
the answer to some prayers.
"It's cold tolerant, so we don't have to overseed (plant a
cool-season grass on existing turf) and then worry about the
transition and watering and all of the things that go with

that," Craig said. "It's just a more
pure, sustainable surface than what
we're dealing with now. In the golf
Rickey Craig
industry, it's the direction we've gone
for the long-term viability of the turf."
But there's more. Better bunkers are another
improvement on the agenda, Craig said. Switching from Bin
C to G Angle, a sturdier type of sand, will help with erosion
and eliminate some common golf course annoyances -
"Fried lies," Craig said.
"We did our first golf course at Bonifay, and we're
changing the sand type and our methods," he said. "G
Angle is fractured sand; it's not as soft and it's more
sustainable. All the champion facilities will have it."
As for Craig's overall game plan, making golf better is
always the goal. New turf and sand are a start, with more
sustainability in mind. And maintaining the integrity of the
courses is a must.
"It's all about providing a product we're proud of and our
residents can be excited about sharing with guests," he said.

MAGAZINE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - February 2018

Contents
The Villages - February 2018 - Cover1
The Villages - February 2018 - Contents
The Villages - February 2018 - 1
The Villages - February 2018 - 2
The Villages - February 2018 - 3
The Villages - February 2018 - 4
The Villages - February 2018 - 5
The Villages - February 2018 - 6
The Villages - February 2018 - 7
The Villages - February 2018 - 8
The Villages - February 2018 - 9
The Villages - February 2018 - 10
The Villages - February 2018 - 11
The Villages - February 2018 - 12
The Villages - February 2018 - 13
The Villages - February 2018 - 14
The Villages - February 2018 - 15
The Villages - February 2018 - 16
The Villages - February 2018 - 17
The Villages - February 2018 - 18
The Villages - February 2018 - 19
The Villages - February 2018 - 20
The Villages - February 2018 - 21
The Villages - February 2018 - 22
The Villages - February 2018 - 23
The Villages - February 2018 - 24
The Villages - February 2018 - 25
The Villages - February 2018 - 26
The Villages - February 2018 - 27
The Villages - February 2018 - 28
The Villages - February 2018 - 29
The Villages - February 2018 - 30
The Villages - February 2018 - 31
The Villages - February 2018 - 32
The Villages - February 2018 - 33
The Villages - February 2018 - 34
The Villages - February 2018 - 35
The Villages - February 2018 - 36
The Villages - February 2018 - 37
The Villages - February 2018 - 38
The Villages - February 2018 - 39
The Villages - February 2018 - 40
The Villages - February 2018 - 41
The Villages - February 2018 - 42
The Villages - February 2018 - 43
The Villages - February 2018 - 44
The Villages - February 2018 - 45
The Villages - February 2018 - 46
The Villages - February 2018 - 47
The Villages - February 2018 - 48
The Villages - February 2018 - 49
The Villages - February 2018 - 50
The Villages - February 2018 - 51
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The Villages - February 2018 - 53
The Villages - February 2018 - 54
The Villages - February 2018 - 55
The Villages - February 2018 - 56
The Villages - February 2018 - 57
The Villages - February 2018 - 58
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The Villages - February 2018 - 60
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The Villages - February 2018 - 63
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The Villages - February 2018 - Cover3
The Villages - February 2018 - Cover4
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