The Tribute Golf Club Completes Greens Conversion

It’s hard to believe that The Tribute Golf Links & Guest House has been open now for over 18 years. And with those years have come some wear and tear, so we’re pretty excited about our recent renovations to the course over the summer.

The main renovation involved converting the greens from Bent Grass to TifEagle Ultradwarf Bermudagrass. This decision was made due to the age of the Bent Grass, the amount of foot traffic from all the play, and to achieve course conditions closer to the to the authenticity of Scottish courses. Additionally, the greens had slowly shrunk in size due to the aggressive growing patterns of the 419 Bermuda collars and surrounds. So we have brought all the greens back to their original sizes.

The process we used for the greens conversion is called a “Till” version. This method involved stripping the existing Bent Grass and then roto tilling the greens mix profile in two directions at six to eight inch depths. By breaking up any layering that has developed over the years, it allows the existing organic matter to be blended into the cleaner mix down lower resulting in a brand new growing base full of healthy organic matter – which Ultradwarf Bermudagrass loves. It’s basically like putting in new greens from the gravel layer up.

Once this was completed, we did a rough float of the greens surface and checked all our greens mix for consistent depths. Then we laid the collars and prepped the edges for final floating. At this point, our original golf course architect, Tripp Davis, came on board and helped with the final floating of the greens surface to allow for the best putting surface possible.

“It was truly an honor to have Tripp Davis come out and help us in preparation for the sprigging of the new greens here at The Tribute Golf Club,” said Dan Boley, golf course superintendent. “It was a rare treat to watch him in action as he floated each and every green to his exact specifications. I’m very excited to grow the new greens in and to offer a premier putting surface back here at The Tribute for all of our guests to enjoy.”

The next step involved installing pre plant soil amendments and fertility, sprigging all the greens by hand and then cutting in with a machine in two directions. We kept the sprigs moist for several days until they were starting to tack down into the surface material. Once this occurred we slowed down on the watering and the sprigs began to move across the top of the profile. We then fertilized the greens with a quick release fertilizer to help the plant spread quicker across the greens surface. And finally, after two weeks, we began the mowing process to speed up the plant growth until they were completely filled in and ready for play.

“I really enjoyed helping Dan get the greens at The Tribute ready for the conversion from Bent Grass to TifEagle Bermuda,” said Davis. “I originally wanted Bermuda greens but at that time these ‘new’ Bermuda greens were untested and everyone else wanted Bent Grass. I like that the Bermuda will play a bit firmer, withstand traffic better and overall provide a better playing surface year round. It will also be more ‘authentic’ in playing quality or similar to what you see in Scotland. I am really excited!”

Along with the greens conversion project, we used the down time to work on the interior of the clubhouse to refresh everything. We painted the majority of the exterior and interior of the clubhouse, and added new carpet to the Ballroom, Crowne suite, and Skye room. We also added a meeting space in the Argyle Room to offer smaller groups an opportunity for private meetings and parties. Our new restaurant space received some additional updates, and was officially re-named “Ye Olde Pro Shop” in keeping with the Scottish feel, and because, yes, it’s actually the former pro shop location! Lastly, a new menu was unveiled with the re-opening of the Ye Olde Pro Shop.

Our goal at The Tribute Golf Links & Guest House is to create the finest experience in golf, food and beverage. From the level of service, excellent dining, and magnificent course conditions that we have created, we truly want to be the best in the Metroplex for public golf and hospitality.

Cliff Coffelt
The Tribute Golf Club PGA General Manager