REPORT The exclusive Golf de Cannes Mougins in southern France is the first golf course along the Riviera to renovate its fairways from cool-season grass to Tahoma 31 bermuda. The course, one of the most prestigious in France, has been renovated several times since it first opened in 1923. A green-by-green renovation, which began in 2015, continues at one hole per year to disrupt play as little as possible. In summer 2024, the club closed the course for two months to renovate all 18 fairways, going from cool-season grass to a dense and drought-resistant warm-season bermuda. The project was spearheaded by Alejandro Reyes, director of agronomy for consultancy firm Turfgrass Agronomy & Services. Prior to the renovation, Reyes tested Tahoma 31 against other varieties on-site at Cannes Mougins, then expanded to a full fairway. Once Tahoma 31 proved itself as the best performer, the membership approved an 18-hole fairway regrassing. Grow-in was facilitated by golf course superintendent Thibaut Perez and the grass was grown by Marco Bindi and his team at Bindi Prato Pronto Nord at a farm near Rome, Italy. Perez and Reyes agree that selecting a turf with a dense canopy was imperative to address two issues – herbicide restrictions and playability. “We have very little herbicides to use in France, and our intention is to reduce the use of them as much as possible, while keeping playability high,” says Reyes. “Not having access to herbicides to eradicate grassy weeds such as poa annua is very difficult.” “We like the density because goosegrass, paspalum and crabgrass are problematic, and we currently have no effective way to control them,” says Perez. “We needed something to conquer and push these weeds out of play naturally, while controlling them mechanically.” In addition, Tahoma 31 fairways are maintained at nine millimetres (the cool-season grass was maintained at 14). “Tahoma 31 allowed us to cut the fairways much shorter during the season,” says Reyes. “Comparatively, the Playing firm and fast in France Photo: Tahoma 31 Golf de Cannes Mougins has regrassed its fairways with Tahoma 31 bermuda. Stacie Zinn Roberts spoke with agronomist Alejandro Reyes and superintendent Thibaut Perez about its performance. 78
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