Adding to the class of 

is the 007XL variety.

007XL is the most advanced bentgrass available today.

Photo: Colonial CC, Fort Worth, TX. Seeded September 7, 2021. Picture taken May 27, 2022. .Currently mowing at .100 inch height. 

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. 

007XL* is the new 5th generation variety.

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

Photo: A 10 month old planting of 007XL,  August 26, 2021 at the Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, TX.

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 for sale in the spring of 2022 -- limited quantities.

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.

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Seven Oaks CC, Bakersfield, CA. Seeded 007XL on nine greens in October of 2021. 

Twenty weeks later on March 15, 2022 the nine new greens were opened for members play. 



Seven Oaks CC, March 15, 2022. Close up photo of 007XL at a .110 height of cut -- 20 weeks from the date of seeding.

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.

Photo: 007XL bentgrass nursery at the Colonial CC, Fort Worth, TX.

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.

  July 2021 photo of a trial putting green seeding in southeast, GA. 

Rutgers University Putting Green Trial

Three year turf quality ratings,

2017 - 2019.

Photo: Rutgers Hort Farm II. Thousands of bentgrass progeny plots (3x5') along with standard varieties are frequently rated for perfomance when maintained under putting green conditions.

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

Photo: 007XL seeded at Colin Boyd's sod farm near Pittsburgh, PA.  This is custom grown 007XL is for the Camargo Golf Club, Cincinnati, OH -- all greens will be resurfaced with 007XL in September of 2022.

Photo: Seven Oaks CC, Bakersfield CA. 007XL greens seeded October 2021. Massive root system in May 2021. 



Photo: 007XL greens seeded at Raindance National, CO.

At this time,007XL sod is currently available for sale at East Coast Sod and Seed, NJ.  Contact Kevin Driscoll at 609 760 4099. kdriscoll@

eastcoastsod.com

East Coast Sod maintains an active inventory of 007, 777 and now 007XL bentgrass sod -- both greens grade and for fairways and tees grown on a sand base on their southern New Jersey farm. One additional option is the ability to deliver "washed sod," free of soil.

East Coast Sod will ship bentgrass sod in refrigerated trucks to destinations as far as southern Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Chicago and all points in between.