When Mike Settle caught Covid-19, it wasn't only his health that suffered. While the athletic director recovered, the football field he manages for Lake Wales Highlanders Boys Football took a hit. The interim person was seemingly not too experienced in turf grass management.
"They basically killed my field. I've been trying to get it back since," says Settle.
Painting sports fields using Endurant turf colorants is preferred at the university and pro sports levels. Agronomic expert Jason Smith, Director of Sports Turf at the University of Florida, shares his turf tips to assist peers and other professionals. Further, Smith shares his main reasons for preferring Endurant turf colorant, specifically. In short: it’s for Endurant’s natural appearance and staying power on turf.
“Endurant looks awesome. The colors are just unbelievably natural looking and it doesn't come off on the uniforms. That’s what sums it up for me."
Jason Smith, Director of Sports Turf, University of Florida, Gators
Painting sports fields is also becoming an increasingly viable solution for high school and municipal sports field managers, as well as landscapers. The more multipurpose the field, the more opportunities and challenges in sports, track and field maintenance.
Use this customizable Endurant program for painting sports fields and maintaining year round green.
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Endurant turf colorants provide TV-ready turf under pressure.[/caption]
McCormick was a golf course superintendent in Virginia for years before joining SiteOne. He knows the benefits of using Endurant turf colorants as a regular practice instead of overseeding with rye grass – and the benefits of using Endurant in emergencies when something goes awry.
“We used dyes, then pigments in the summer, then paints when everything went dormant,” said McCormick.
Many years ago, McCormick had tried several brands and varieties of turf colorants before landing on Endurant as the best option for professionals while he served as superintendent at Hanover Golf Club in Virginia, he said.
“We got a hold of Endurant while working with Virginia Tech,” said McCormick of the early years using the product.
“Back in the day, everyone was figuring out what nozzles to use and what rates and speeds. Most of all, I always remember the color,” he said.
“It didn’t look fake,” he noted.
That could not be said of the other colorants on the market, which were off-colored or faded to blue.
Ten years later and Endurant now has a variety of shades to match various turfgrass species. Unlike competitors, Endurant colorant lasts and when it does begin to fade, it fades on tone, noted McCormick.
He started with tees and using Endurant during transitions as a superintendent in VA.
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Endurant FW provides the perfect look and play for a high stakes football game aired on ESPN under the scrutiny of high definition TV.[/caption]
When Ryan DeMay, owner and principle with Field Source sports field management and a part-time City of Columbus employee, reached out to McCormick, DeMay knew instantly that feeling of wanting to get things just right on the field.
DeMay was concerned about a chemical burn on a Pickerington football field just days before a game was to be televised on ESPN.
“He had a little issue with an herbicide,” said McCormick.
While the troublesome spot would have eventually recovered, it wasn’t going to look good on TV.
“Endurant was easy to find and it stuck with me. Jay Wade and everyone was talking about it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Everyone sees what's going on. So I didn’t need to chase a company down. I already have a good one,” said McCormick.
He had been keeping informed on the product, how, where and when to use it simply by following along on social media.
“And, no matter how good a fertility program you have it will never look as good as painted,” noted McCormick.
So DeMay reached out knowing McCormick had the experience with Bermuda and Endurant, although the Endurant can be used on just about anything from providing full color on dormant turf to sprucing up a dull fescue.
“There is nothing the entire line of Endurant cannot do,” said McCormick.
Geoponics, SiteOne landscape supply and Field Source sports field management provide Pickerington Ohio football field with the perfect solution to get TV-Ready turf quickly using Endurant FW turf colorant.[/caption]
Contests through Dec. 27, 2020. Win a $500 Visa Gift Card by showing us how you use Endurant.[/caption]
As Endurant celebrates its 10th Anniversary, join in the celebration by showing the use of Endurant from any time over the past 10 years.
Approximately every two weeks from October 5, 2020 through December 27, 2020, there will be another chance to win a $500 U.S. Visa Card with a new category.
New contests begin on Mondays and end on Sundays, every other week, giving you almost 14 days to encourage friends and followers to boost your post’s attention to increase your odds of winning.
In the rare likelihood of a tie, Geoponics may choose the post that best portrays the benefits of the product.
Contestants may be required to verify their purchase of Endurant through Geoponics, a sales representative or a distributor upon request. The verification must be sent by email to geoadmin@geoponicscorp.com by end of business day on the Monday following the end of the contest or earlier if requested.
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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Endurant revs up the NASCAR turf as seen in this before and after photo. Endurant Premium provides a deep, even green color to get the turf and track ready for a stadium full of NASCAR fans. Getting TV-ready just got faster with Endurant turf paint.[/caption]
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Endurant TE is colorant used on actively growing grass for turf enhancement. Endurant TE is often used in turfgrass management as an indicator dye alternative because of its natural vibrant green grass color with lasting turf enhancement and cost savings compared with other spray indicators. Purchase Endurant TE at www.TurfPaint.net[/caption]
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