R.H. Hurley, PhD
is the bentgrassdoctorTM offering Horticultural Services.
Turfgrass Specialist: Golf and Sports Turf.
Rutgers University,
Center for Turfgrass Science, retired
Dr. Hurley is known as the bentgrassdoctor and has been breeding Improved bentgrasses since 1982 to Include the advanced generation varieties 007, 777 and 007XL.
These advanced generation bentgrasses have the greatest opportunity for success in cool season climates for grassing greens, tees and fairways.
Now designated as a class of "Super BentsTM" these varieties will produce a turf showing greater disease resistance / lower fungicide use, finer leaves, a denser turf that is more tolerant to close mowing.
Within the "Super BentTM" class are the varieties 007, 777, 007XL -- as well as MacKenzie, Flagstick and Tyee.
For "Super BentTM" information contact https://sroseed.com/super-bents
For "Super BentTM" variety qualities contact
https://www.sroseed.com/find-a-product/bentgrass
ph: 570-350-8906
hurlrich
Biography
Richard Hurley is the bentgrassdoctorTM offering horticultural services.
With a career as a turfgrass specialist, Richard Hurley, PhD, CPAg, has gained extensive international experience in selecting grasses for new golf courses and working with turf management issues on existing golf courses. This experience includes working as a golf course superintendent, participating in turfgrass management education and research at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and involvement with dozens of golf course design and construction projects throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, Australia and Africa. He has assisted in course preparation for 30 Masters Tournaments, 5 US Open Tournaments, attended 6 British Opens, in addition to dozens of other national golf events.
For over 39 years, Dr. Hurley has been involved with breeding improved turfgrasses (in association with Rutgers University), including creeping bentgrasses, starting with his highly successful development and release of both Southshore and L-93 creeping bentgrasses in the 1990's, to the very popular 007 creeping bentgrass -- commercially released in the year 2007.
His L-93 had a track record as one of the most widely used bentgrasses for tees, greens and fairways in the world. The 007 bent has proven to be a significant improvement over L-93 with 007 now performing well on golf greens, tees, and fairways on courses in the US, Europe, Japan, South Africa, and Australia.
In 2017, Dr. Hurley working with Dr. Stacy Bonos at Rutgers released a new variety known as 777 (Triple Seven). The new 777 bentgrass has shown to provide excellent heat tolerance while producing a putting surface that is fine and dense while tolerating a close height of cut.
Most recently, Dr. Hurley, again, working in conjunction with Dr. Stacy Bonos at Rutgers have deleloped a totally unique variety named 007XL. This is not just an improved 007 but a distinct and highly refined bentgrass variety.
Commercially released in the fall of 2021 / spring of 2022 the 007XL variety sets a new standarf for performance -- as 007XL is the most advanced of the "Super Bent" class of varieties.
The 007XL is a 5th generation bentgrass variety that was bred to tolerate a mowing height of cut down to .100 of an inch (2.54 mm). The 007XL was developed using enhanced breeding techniques best adapted for closely mown greens and for use on fairways and tees, allowng for a more disease resistant turf.
Dr. Hurley has authored three book chapters on grasses and grasses for golf courses, and in 2005 published his first book, "My View of the Green," which includes forty years of life experiences around the game of golf. My View of the Green available at www.authorhouse.com
In November 2018 a historial narrative was written by Dr. Hurley. THE BAYONNE GOLF CLUB, New York Harbor - A Most Audacious and Improbable Journey. Situated in New Jersey only five miles from lower Manhattan the Bayonne Golf Club has been recognized as one of the finest examples of a man-made links style golf course as found anywhere in the world. www.bayonnegolfclub.com
Copies of the book are only available for purchase through the Bayonne Golf Club pro shop. Contact: golfshop@bayonnegolfclub.com By phone 201-823-4800 Priced at $100 per copy in the pro shop, add $10 for shipping.
Bayonne Golf Club (Opened in 2006) is a links style golf course on the Hudson River in New Jersey. Fescue grasses were used extensively for seeding the hills and mounds, as well as all of the roughs.
Education
University of Rhode Island, BS, 1970, Plant Science, Turf Management
University of Rhode Island, MS, 1973, Plant Science, Turf Management. Thesis: Kentucky bluegrass and Chewings fesuce for sod production.
Rutgers University, PhD, 1983, Soils and Crops, Turfgrass Breeding. Thesis: Poa trivialis characteristic for turf and breeding. Led to the development of Laser Poa trivialis.
Teaching
Rutgers University - Instructor, "Professional Golf Turf Management School"
golfturf.rutgers.edu
Rutgers University - Advisor, "Professional Golf Turf Management School"
Rutgers University - Faculty member, Center for Turfgrass Science, College of Science and Environmental Biology
turf.rutgers.edu
Certification
CPAg (Certified professional Agronomist) by the American Registry of Professional Agronomists
Professional
Tavistock Golf & Country Club, Haddonfield, New Jersey - Superintendent 1973-1978
Lofts Seed, Inc., Bound Brook, New Jersey - Director of Research & Development 1978-1995
Adjunct Professor, Rutgers University, College of Science and Evironmental Biology. Faculty member, Center for Turfgrass Science, 1991 - Present.
Augusta National Golf Course, Augusta, Georgia - Advisory team and volunteer for tournament preparation 1978-2008
R.H. Hurley, LLC - Owner 1996-Present
Attended 42 Masters tournaments, 30 as a tournament volunteer and 12 years as a spectator.
ph: 570-350-8906
hurlrich