007XL is the most advanced bentgrass variety available today.

Generations of Improvements in bentgrass breeding do make a difference.

Photo January 25, 2021: 007XL bentgrass at the Colonial Golf Club -- nursery green, Ft. Worth, TX.  Seeded in October, 2020.  

One point is clear:  Over the past 20 years, the Rutgers University bentgrass breeding program has been dominant in developing varieties possessing the most advanced turf qualities, to include genetically enhanced disease resistance. 

There is no comparison.

007XL* is a new 5th generation variety.

* 007XL was developed in part with financial support received from the United States Golf Association (USGA).

The 007XL sets a new standard for creeping bentgrass performance -- 007XL is the most advanced "Super BentTM" variety to be commercially released. 007XL is not an improved 007 but a totally unique variety that dispalys enhanced disease resistance, is fine textured, will produce a dense turf that is not prone to scapling all while tolerating a close height of cut on putting greens.

007XL has shown to be widely adaptable to perform equally well for seeding or sodding greens, tees and fairways -- a unique quality to offer a wide range of uses on golf courses in cool season and transition climates. 

The new 007XL bentgrass is exclusively produced and marketed by Seed Research of Oregon, USA.

Seed of 007XL will be available in limited quanties in the fall of 2020 and 2021.

To request a one pound seed sample of 007XL bentgrass please email JSturgeon@dlfna.com and provide your name, golf course, mailing address and contact information.

My advice for golf course superintendents and golf course architects is to assume a discriminating criteria when searching to identify the most advanced, adaptable, and performance based  bentgrass to specify for seeding or sodding  greens, fairways, and tees.

Using an analogy with the selection of golf clubs, "Would a PGA Tour golfer select a persimmon wood driver for use at the Masters Tournament." The answer is obvious, a PGA Tour golfer is most likely using an advanced generation club and shaft designed to produce the best qualities for performance.

A high priority within the Rutgers University breeding program has been to develop bentgrass varieties that offer a greater genetic resistance to  fungal diseases, to include dollar spot, brown patch, anthracnose, and snow mold.   With each cycle of bentgrass breeding, the overall performance values for selected varieties has been significantly improved -- finer leaved, denser turf, greater disease resistance / less fungicide use -- all while producing a more resilient and attractive turf.

Remarkable scientific accomplishments.

What we now have, through the efforts of genetically enhanced breeding, is a total transformation of random creeping bentgrasses,"wild strains," into highly refined varieties. These advanced generation bentgrass varieties are best adapted for closely mown greens and for use on fairways and tees, allowing for more disease resistant turfs. This is truly a remarkable scientific accomplishment.

007XL, a new 5th generation creeping bentgrass was bred to tolerate a mowing height of cut down to .100 of an inch (2.54 mm). Even while maintained under the lowest height of cut the 007XL bentgrass will produce a resilient putting surface on greens.

Photo: 3 x 5 foot test plots with 007XL (MGH experimental designation) on the left and Pure Distincton on the right. This photo was provided by Dr. Stacy Bonos, turfgrass breeder at Rutgers University. 

Rutgers University Putting Green Trial

Three year turf quality ratings,

2017 - 2019.

Turf Quality 9 = Best, 1 = Bare ground

007XL....................7.3

Coho......................6.5

Match Play.............6.5

Piranah..................6.5

777........................6.3

Chinook.................6.2

Macdonald........... 6.0

L-93XD..................6.0

Pin UP 2................5.7

Tour Pro.................5.5

Luminary................5.2

Declaration............5.2

Barracuda..............5.1

Pure Distinction.....5.1

Flagstick................4.9

Center Cut 2..........4.8

Pure Select ...........4.7

Shark.....................4.7

independence........4.5

Pin Up....................4.4

Proclamation..........4.4

Benchmark DSR....4.4

Center Cut 3..........4.2

CY-2.......................4.2

Focus.....................4.1

PC2.0.................... 4.0

Penn A-1................3.5

Memorial................3.4

V8...........................3.4

13M........................3.2

Crystal BlueLinks.3.2

T-1..........................3.1

Center Cut..............3.1

Kingpin...................2.9

Penn A-4................2.9

Century.................. 2.9

L-93........................2.8

Alpha......................2.4

Putter......................2.4

Southshore.............2.1

Penncross.............1.6

LSD at 95% confidence = 0.7

Note: In the Rutgers University putting green trials, three year (2017 - 2019) turf quality ratings, how poorly the following varieties performed to include; Penn A-1, V8, Crystal Blue Links, T-1, Penn A-4, L-93, Alpha and Penncross -- all of these varieties can be found at the bottom of the above reported turf quality ratings on putting greens.