Case study: a full course renovation and grow-in in South Florida, 2013 to 2015, on the Sigma Foundation Program from pre-plant on. Photos from the Sigma agronomy team’s field files, phase by phase, from bare subgrade to televised tournament play. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Result8 months
Bermudagrass sprigs and sod grown in to tournament quality, ready for television.
Program
Pre-plant Sigma 4-4-4 Bio on greens, tees and fairways
Granular again at months 3, 6 and 12 of the grow-in year
Sigma Bio and Sigma Seaweed sprayed monthly on all grow-in areas in year 1
Program continued through year 4
What the turf showed
Earlier maturity
Better stress resistance
Better water use efficiency
Steadier growth through the weak Florida winter months
Phase 01 · 2013
Strip and shape
Renovation starts by stripping the old turf and reshaping the ground underneath. On South Florida courses that often means limestone under a thin layer of sand and muck, so the subgrade has to be graded before any rootzone goes back.
What Sigma did here
Nothing to feed yet. Soil tests and the rootzone plan were set here, so the pre-plant step was ready the day the sand went down.
Phase 02 · 2015
Sand cap and pre-plant
A sand cap gives drainage and a firm, even surface. New sand is close to sterile: almost no organic matter and very little microbial life, and it holds nutrients poorly.
What Sigma did here
Pre-plant Sigma 4-4-4 Bio went into the rootzone on greens, tees and fairways before sprigging and sodding, so organic nutrition, humic acids and biology were in the sand from day one.
Phase 03 · 2015
Sod and grow-in
New sod and sprigs need fast rooting to knit into the sand. Under grow-in irrigation, nutrients leach quickly through a young sand rootzone, so feeding has to be light and frequent.
What Sigma did here
Sigma 4-4-4 Bio again at months 3, 6 and 12, with Sigma Bio and Sigma Seaweed sprayed monthly on every grow-in area through year 1. Sprigs and sod reached tournament quality in 8 months.
Phase 04 · 2014 to 2015
Aerify, verticut, topdress
Cultural practices keep a sand rootzone open: aerification relieves compaction and lets air and water in, verticutting thins the canopy, and topdressing dilutes organic matter and smooths the surface.
What Sigma did here
The program carried on through year 4 alongside regular cultivation, offsetting bermudagrass’s weak growth through the Florida winter months.
Phase 05 · 2014 to 2015
Turf up close
The scorecard is under the surface: rooting depth, shoot density and how well the canopy recovers after cultivation. Keys and a pocketknife give scale.
What Sigma did here
The superintendent saw earlier maturity, better stress resistance and better water use efficiency, with roots carried deep into the sand profile.
Phase 06 · 2014 to 2015
Ready for play
The finished product: firm, smooth, dense turf from tee to green, ready for championship conditions.
What Sigma did here
From bare sand to a televised tournament surface in 8 months, then held there through year 4 on the Foundation Program.
