A look at Marco Simone’s turfgrass

By Alistair July 26, 2023 08:00

As the 2023 Ryder Cup approaches, the host venue, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, stands ready with turfgrasses from Pure Seed and Atlas Turf International. For the first time in the competition’s history, the iconic duel between Europe and the United States will occur in Italy. When the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup begins in late September, the stage will be set with a complete portfolio of championship turfgrasses, including Pure Distinction Creeping Bentgrass, Pure Dynasty® Seeded Paspalum, and PureLinks Fescue.

Marco Simone, located in Guidonia just northeast of Rome, underwent a complete redesign in preparation for the Ryder Cup. Originally designed by Jim Fazio and opened in 1989, the golf course needed to be transformed to host the world’s largest golf competition. European Golf Design was selected for the job with lead architect Dave Sampson spearheading the redesign. For the turfgrass, the challenge entailed selecting the varieties best suited for the climate, possessing the ability to execute the designer’s vision, and most capable of delivering playability up to par with the legendary golf challenge.

The turfgrasses meeting the demanding criteria are nearly all developed by Pure-Seed Testing, distributed by Pure Seed, and co-marketed by Atlas Turf International. Pure Distinction Creeping Bentgrass is the greens selection. Tees, fairways, approaches, and collars feature Pure Dynasty Seeded Paspalum, and the roughs are Pure Links, a proprietary blend of tall and fine fescues.

Image from Twitter

“The Ryder Cup showcases the pinnacle of golfing excellence, where products are put to the ultimate test under the intense pressure of competition,” said John Holmes, president of Atlas Turf International. “It’s a testament to the quality, reliability, and performance of the Atlas Turf and Pure Seed products that they’ve earned their place on this grand stage.”

As a premium putting green grass, Pure Distinction is known for its smooth and true playing surface with dense, upright growth.

“The greens have been great,” said Sampson, who witnessed the turfgrasses under competitive conditions during the three previous Italian Opens hosted at Marco Simone since the completion of the redesign. “Every player has loved the greens and the roll that they have.”

In addition, Pure Distinction is heat and cold resistant, beneficial for the widely varying temperatures of Rome. The turfgrass has good disease resistance, excellent wear tolerance and offers quick recovery from injury.

Some of the many championship facilities featuring Pure Distinction include The Golf Course at Adare Manor in Ireland, Burning Tree Country Club in Connecticut, and The Club at Chatham Hills in Indiana.