Joel Beason was a golf course superintendent for 10 years before joining SiteOne Landscape Supply as a sales representative. He has been with SiteOne for more than two years, now.
“I’m focused on applications versus install of plants. So, chemicals, fertility products, control products, that’s my line within SiteOne,” said Beason.
He was the superintendent at Moore’s Mill Club in Auburn, Alabama. There, Beason managed turf grass that did not go 100 percent dormant in winter.
Beason is experienced in using both pigments, such as Endurant TE, and paints, including Endurant Premium. Now, Endurant has a brand new product, a hybrid of pigment and paint, Endurant FLEX. The other Endurant turf grass colorant options include the original Endurant TC, Endurant FW (Fairway) and Endurant PR (Perennial Rye). Mulch and tree colorants also have their benefits.
“If we had an unusually cold winter or cold snap, often in the January or February timeframe, we could be on the brink of complete dormancy. Then, we made paint applications,” said Beason.
For the purposes of the Alabama golf club, he used a combination of pigments and paints but only on the greens. He did not use them on fairways and tees at that time.
“When I was at that golf course is when Endurant became popular on social media,” he said.
“We did our research and like everyone was saying, the superintendents and everyone, the consensus was that Endurant was the top of the line when picking brands,” said Beason.
Other benefits of Endurant include the ideal shades of green provided by the colorant. Secondly, Endurant offers longevity of color. Third, the service from Geoponics, the makers of Endurant is the best in the field, said Beason.
Application tips and other advice were easy to come by with Geoponics’ service. This is true whether as a superintendent using Endurant, or now as a salesperson working with Geoponics through SiteOne. Geoponics offers clients the best service possible.
“My go-to Geoponics and Endurant rep Brad [Driggers] is easy to get a hold of, follows up, helps with my clients and pricing and all that goes along with it,” said Beason.
On the golf course, Beason used a mixture of the handgun application technique and the boom spraying method on the greens. He used Endurant Premium, a rich dark shade of green on the Bermuda grass greens, he recalled.
“Selling in a territory where I once worked and having used the product, it really helps selling it,” said Beason.
SiteOne began offering Endurant to customers more than a year ago.
“I was so excited when I found out we would be able to sell it. It’s the most popular product out there. Especially in my area,” said Beason.
Most Endurant customers include golf courses, lawn care operators, universities, high schools and municipalities.
“University of Alabama really likes the product. Athletic Field Manager Jon Dewitt has been several places and used Endurant everywhere he’s been,” said Beason. “We do a ton of work with Alabama, in Tuscaloosa and with trendsetters having a good influence on others doing sports fields,” said Beason.
We’ve got Kathy Harrison, Supervisor of Athletics, at University of Alabama Birmingham, and the Birmingham Legion pro soccer team, started painting last year with Endurant, he said.
For golf, users look for ways to increase rounds and revenue on the backside, and that can be having the competitive edge of Endurant providing pristine color, getting tournament ready and/or TV ready.
LCOs, landscape operators, benefit from Endurant in multiple scenarios, also in terms of competitive edge, at least in terms of increased curb appeal for their customers. A short term chemical burn or herbicide application gone awry can be masked with Endurant while the grass recovers.
“There is a lot of opportunity,” said Beason.
The most eye-catching and competitive might be the athletic fields. The high profile fields they’re on ESPN and they want to be as green as possible in HDTV (high definition TV).
In transitions, an application of Endurant can help mask that dormant leaf blade as the bright green rye grass comes in as well, said Beason.
We get people enjoying Endurant’s quicker green up of Bermuda in the spring time as the colorant helps hold the heat, bring in that sunlight and naturally boost chlorophyll production for added agronomic benefits as well as aesthetic benefits.
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Pinehurst, established in 1894, the host of the 2014 and 2024 US Opens, uses Endurant turf colorants to aid in providing its consistent natural look and ideal playing conditions all year long for the past 10 years. Take a look at the 5th Hole on famous Pinehurst No. 2 . Credit: Pinehurst.com[/caption]
“We couldn’t continue with overseeding and provide the firm and fast conditions, which is how course No. 2 is supposed to play,” said Jeffreys.[caption id="attachment_1413" align="alignleft" width="660"]
Pinehurst No. 2 Clubhouse[/caption]
“We let everyone know, we don’t have to overseed anymore,” said Jeffreys.The primary benefit to painting is that it provided better year round playing conditions. Using Endurant allowed all of the Pinehurst golf courses to have color without the disruptive late September overseed, said Jeffreys. No more overwatering to cause soggy, soft conditions in September. Instead, painting in October and November allows continual play throughout fall with ideal conditions.
“We don’t want them to ask, ‘when did you paint?’ We do not want them to say, ‘your paint looks good.’ We want them to say, ‘your course conditions are excellent,’” said Jeffreys.Endurant ensures Pinehurst accomplishes those intentions. Pinehurst maintains its look while improving playability using Endurant on the courses that have been dubbed “Perfectly Imperfect” for maintaining their natural look, which is also a testament to what Endurant organic colorants are meant to be able to provide, running the spectrum from the “see it from the moon, wow factor” aesthetic to the can’t tell the difference between natural green chlorophyll, overseed and the Endurant paint. That range of possibilities is made possible by the customization options of the several shades of Endurant turf colorants. [caption id="attachment_1414" align="alignleft" width="660"]
For the past 10 years, Pinehurst No. 2 Uses Endurant turf colorant on dormant Bermuda grass as Liquid Overseed.[/caption]
“We chose Endurant primarily because of the longevity of the color. It stays green longer. When it fades, it fades green. Otherwise, with other brands, it fades blue, becomes chalky looking or fades quickly,” Jeffreys said. “Endurant fades on tone. It doesn’t go changing color. So that is a big thing for us,” he added.
“Endurant provides a really huge business savings to have the flexibility,” said Jeffreys. “This past spring, we didn’t have to deal with rye grass that we had to continually mow when we cut the staff from 40 to five.”He added, “It was a warm year. We were mowing Bermuda grass early. So, I can’t imagine if it was rye grass.” [caption id="attachment_1416" align="alignleft" width="660"]
Pinehurst always looks to share golf industry knowledge, here hosting the 2018 USGA colorant seminar[/caption]
Spraying Endurant turf colorant on Pinehurst No.2[/caption]
Contests begin Sept. 1, 2020 and are planned through Dec. 27, 2020. Details on TurfPaint.net/blog[/caption]
The first category in the 8 Endurant Turf Colorant contests is showing your first use of any Endurant product over the past 10 years, including the NEW Endurant Flex. Contest starts Sept. 1, 2020 #FlexYourTurf #FirstTimesACharm[/caption]
Before and after photos show Endurant turf colorant on dormant warm season Bermuda grass.[/caption]
One of the challenges for some golf course superintendents, landscapers and turfgrass managers remains managing the transitions and transition zones, efficiently, economically, aesthetically and with optimal results agronomically-- all while providing optimal playing surfaces when applicable to golf courses and athletic fields.
Whether it's the time of year when turfgrass is transitioning from actively growing grass to dormant turf or the other way around, when dormant turf is on its way back in growing and producing chlorophyl, these in between times call for a flexible product, one that is in between two of Endurant's fan favorites-- Endurant turf paints and Endurant TE pigment.
Endurant colorant varieties. Check out the full line at TurfPaint.net[/caption]
Cherokee Country Club looks gorgeous year round as Golf Course Superintendent Jason Sanderson uses Endurant turf paint to get winter wow factor, color that pops and to avoid transition challenges.[/caption]
Using Endurant turf colorants as directed is easy and leads to success. Still, some users of Endurant have found ways to make the colorant fit their needs to a T.
In fact, the first area of the golf course that Sanderson ever painted were his tees. Often, golfers and members didn’t know they were painted and instead thought they were overseeded.
“Then someone noted how good the tees looked and asked, ‘well, why can’t we paint the whole golf course?’ ...So, we gave it a try,” recalled Sanderson.
That was 2010 and he’s been painting the course ever since.
Implementing art and science, Superintendent Jason Sanderson masterfully applies Endurant turf colorant during a winter frost in Knoxville, Tennessee getting one of the best looking courses year-round[/caption]
On a foggy day in Knoxville, Tennessee, it's still plain to see that Jason Sanderson has mastered the art of painting turf implementing agronomic science to avoid the litany of challenges caused by overseed by instead using Endurant.[/caption]
Mike Donahue, Golf Course Superintendent, Las Vegas, Nevada uses Endurant Turf Colorants instead of overseed.[/caption]
Now, as Endurant is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and is about to kick off a contest where turfgrass professionals show off their courses and the benefits of using Endurant, we take a look back at the painting experiences shared by Donahue over the past couple of years.
“I don’t think there’s a superintendent in the United States who actually wants to overseed,” says Donahue. “It’s hard on equipment, hard on the guys; the weather is always fluctuating. Nobody really wants to overseed,” he says.
What’s interesting is that some people will keep overseeding simply because it’s always the way things were done.
Also, there is a perception out there that painting isn’t natural and thus less environmentally friendly. Actually, Endurant organic turf paints present huge savings in water usage and in harsh chemical usage.
“I spend more money on water in a month than I spend on paint all year,” says Donahue.
While some superintendents may be reluctant to try painting grass, poor turf quality due to overseed led Donahue to easily make the switch.
“This is links golf, so in the winter, I want it firm and fast. I want the ball to bounce and roll. I don’t need to overseed to get that,” says Donahue.
“Using Endurant on Bermuda grass, the ball runs,” he adds.
[caption id="attachment_1341" align="aligncenter" width="660"]
Endurant Turf Colorant pops on dormant Bermuda grass in Las Vegas, Nevada[/caption]
While almost all players, members, owners and managers enjoy the benefits, every once in a while a player questions the use of paint on grass.
There’s often a relief once there’s an understanding that the grass is still real, it’s still very alive and the usage of the Endurant colorant requires fewer resources while improving playability.
Much more work, water and chemical treatment goes into overseeding with rye grass compared with painting a dormant Bermuda grass.
“Most reviews say it’s great,” says Donahue, who also described Endurant as the “best paint he’s ever used.”
The popularity of painting turf differs coast to coast.
[caption id="attachment_1344" align="aligncenter" width="660"]
In the past few years, painting grass became less of an oddity as west coast turf managers needed creative ways to conserve water. Endurant Organic Turf Colorant is a favorite for its natural color that fades on tone, unlike other brands on the market, retaining a natural shade of green[/caption]
“The guys in the Southeast, I see everyone on Twitter painting. Everyone there is doing it, like it’s normal,” said Donahue in 2018, about three years after he began using paint.
One of the great benefits to grass paint, in addition to water savings, is avoiding the transition and competition challenges of overseeding.
While on one of the courses that Donahue manages, the water comes from a water treatment facility next door offering lower rates, water rates are much more expensive in the area overall.
“Go to the valley, where you’re buying city water, I spend $60,000, $70,000, $80,000 a month on city water,” says Donahue.
So with rising water costs, users of Endurant began sprouting up all over the valley in the past two to three years especially.
Endurant adds wow factor to dormant turf grass, saving money, water and time while decreasing transition challenges and increasing playability.[/caption]
If you overseed, it tears up the course and it’s closed for three to four weeks.
Then it re-opens with cart-path only traffic and playing conditions aren’t great.
His golf course is as busy or more in the summer as it is in the winter and the summer conditions were notoriously poor after overseeding because the transitions were so bad, he said.
Transitioning from Overseed to Painting
“Superintendents are converting to paint due to water. Between cost, transition issues and really the fact you overseed for no reason,” says Donahue.
“I need the grass to be good for 12 months. By painting, I’ve eliminated transition issues. My Bermuda stand is better. It greens up faster,” he adds.
As the industry adage goes, "the better your overseed, the worse your transition, and the worse your overseed, the better your transition."
“To get a good overseed you’ve got to beat up the Bermuda. Bermuda doesn’t like to be beat up here,” says Donahue.
Nearby superintendents are also painting on Bermuda, as well as on bentgrass greens. A few will still overseed.
Sure overseeded rye grass can be pretty and fluffy, says Donahue.
“Look at it in terms of playability. I’d put the greens painted with Endurant up against any greens. They’re that good and they’re dormant. People don’t even know it’s not overseed,” said Donahue.
“You can’t tell me fluffed up rye grass is a better surface. The ball rolls faster on a dormant surface. Period. If you manage your Bermuda going into the fall, you can get it so it’s kind of fluffy too,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_1340" align="aligncenter" width="660"]
Endurant makes turfgrass management easier and less expensive all year long, coast to coast and around the globe.[/caption]
Credit: Four Seasons Costa Rica[/caption]
Remember that first double-digit birthday when you were a kid? One of your kids'? Grandkids'? Remember the excitement?
We want to share that enthusiasm throughout the year.
Geoponics has a lot of gifts, and we like to share them!
We hope you'll participate, and get rewarded for doing so!
Don't let stains delay the game. Endurant turf colorants won't mark up uniforms the way another top brand does.[/caption]
Other brands caused more staining to clothes, including some of the top brands.
The field studies of potential clothing blemishes on clothes after athletes contact turfgrass treated with colorants were initiated February 16, 2017.
When athletes make contact with the playing surface, colorants will adhere to the turfgras leaf blades.
[caption id="attachment_1290" align="aligncenter" width="660"]
Endurant turf colorant provides a full turfgrass makeover to this zoysia grass. The colorant stays on the field, not on athletes' uniforms! Before and after photos shared by Landscape Supply.[/caption]
In some cases though, some colorant brands other than Endurant also blemished clothing and for some brands the blemishing was significantly more than if the grass was left untreated with colorant.
K-State Turfgrass Research published the study in July 2017.
The study was led by Jared A Hoyle and Daniele L McFadden of Kansas State University.
"Effect of Dormant 'MidIron' Bermudagrass Colorant Applications on Clothing Blemishing" compared the blemishes created by four brands of turf pigments Endurant Premium left the least amount of blemishing, leaving no more blemishing on clothes than untreated turfgrass.
[caption id="attachment_1310" align="alignleft" width="295"]
Prevent clothes from becoming one big grass stain. Endurant turf colorants won't stain clothes like other brands, University study finds.[/caption]
According to the study, a brand called Envy left the most amount of staining on clothing that made contact with turfgrass treated with Envy grass paint.
The objective of the research was to determine if turfgrass pigments and paints blemish athletic clothing after the recommended dry time.
Endurant turf colorants, created by Geoponics, do not cause additional staining to athletes' clothes when compared with untreated grass.
As many athletes' clothes are quite expensive, the benefits for teams can be beyond aesthetic and into economic.
We're proud to share the results of the study.
Review the study by University of Kansas online: "Hoyle, J. and McFadden, Daniele L. (2017) 'Effect of Dormant ‘MidIron’ Bermudagrass Colorant Applications on Clothing Blemishing,' Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 3: Iss. 4. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7151"
Review the PDF of the study here:
Effect of Dormant 'MidIron' Bermudagrass Colorant Applications on Clothing Blemishing
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Zoysia gets an August color boost with Endurant. Turf colorant provides a full turfgrass makeover to this zoysia grass. Before and after photos shared by Landscape Supply.[/caption]
The images posted are a few of our favorite photos of Endurant turf colorants used on home lawns, farms, golf courses or sports fields that users shared in August. Endurant is used throughout the summer on cool and warm season grasses. Endurant is also the first choice for fall color preparations.
Endurant turf colorants are popular throughout the year on warm and cool season grasses, but fall is one of the most common times of the year for turfgrass professionals to consider color enhancers as cooler weather will begin to cause grass to lose color and chlorophyl, particularly in warm season grass varieties.
Nonetheless, cool season grasses were enhanced by the use of Endurant throughout this summer and leading into fall as well. Turfgrass professionals,
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Endurant eco-friendly turf colorant applied at Hillwood Country Club provides a vibrant turfgrass transformation during full winter dormancy. Endurant also provides a boost in color when low temperatures cause intermittent browning.[/caption]
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