Del Rio Country Club

Modesto, CA

The impact of California’s drought is a well-known problem for Dave Bermudez, superintendent of Del Rio Country Club in Modesto, CA, and a member of the Northern Golf Course Superintendents Water Task Force.

“Two years ago we recognized the drought, so we put together a contingency plan. For part of that plan, we reduced irrigation to those areas of the course that we thought could handle a 10-15 percent decrease. We also dropped the water to the out-of-play areas, the perimeter of the course and driving ranges, to 60% of our normal irrigation rate,” said Bermudez in a recent interview with the Central Valley Business Journal.

But he didn’t stop there. As the drought became more pressing, he researched new ways to both combat the water problem and still keep the turf healthy. An integration of Dakota Peat and Dakota REV Turf Pro products became the answer.

“Straight sand does absolutely nothing for the plant,” says Dave. “Dakota Peat enhances the root zone, eliminating hydrophobic soils and reducing the amount of fertilizers, chemicals and water. Dakota Peat and REV are simply indispensable tools for growing and maintaining my course.”

Dave’s new program now includes:

•  90/10 Dakota Peat sand blend for tee boxes and divot repairs
• 95/5 Dakota Peat blend for greens top dressing after aerification
• Dakota REV Turf Pro, a liquid application to accelerate seed germination
• One cubic-foot Dakota Peat bags for direct application to dry spots on the course