In 1928, a few Pennsylvania golf course superintendents traveled to The Pennsylvania State College, entered President Ralph Hetzel’s office, and told Hetzel that they’d like to have the same kind of help for professional turf growers that Penn State was providing to farmers. Hetzel agreed readily and assigned H. Burton Musser, a young red-clover breeder in the Department of Agronomy, to work half-time on turfgrass. This was the beginning of Penn State’s Turfgrass Program—a program that has grown to become one of the finest of its kind in the country. Today, nine faculty members from the Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Plant Pathology, and Entomology, as well as numerous support staff and graduate students, are involved in turfgrass research and education at Penn State. In 2004 the turfgrass program celebrated its 75th anniversary.

It has been said that the sun never sets on a Penn State turfgrass variety. H. Burton Musser and Joseph Duich, pioneers in Penn State turfgrass breeding, developed varieties such as Penncross creeping bentgrass, Pennfine perennial ryegrass, Pennlawn creeping fine fescue, and Pennstar bluegrass, which are found all over the world. Penncross, one of the best-known Penn State varieties, is used worldwide on putting greens and tennis courts. It serves as the standard against which all new bentgrasses are compared.

Under the leadership of professors emeritus Donald Waddington and Jack Harper, Penn State research contributed to many aspects of athletic field management, improving safety and playability on fields throughout the country. Waddington also initiated research on turfgrass nutrition, and current research projects are building on his early work. Thomas Watschke, professor of turfgrass science, studies weed control and growth regulators and was instrumental in establishing research projects focusing on runoff from home lawns. Research in disease and insect management also has played an integral part in the turfgrass program.

From its early days, the turfgrass program has had a strong outreach component. Research field days, initiated in the early 1930s and held every other year at Penn State, provide an opportunity for turfgrass managers from around the state to look at turf selections in evaluation plots and to learn about the results of new research. Penn State turfgrass specialists also participate in annual conferences and trade shows, conduct workshops, and produce publications covering topics such as selecting grass varieties, controlling weeds, and diagnosing and managing turf diseases.

Penn State offers several educational programs in turfgrass. The four-year bachelor’s degree program in turfgrass science prepares students for a wide variety of careers in the turfgrass industry, and master’s and doctoral programs offer opportunities for advanced studies. The Golf Course Turfgrass Management Certificate Program, established in 1957, is for those interested in becoming golf course superintendents. This highly competitive, two-year program is well known for turning out quality golf course superintendents. Graduates have parlayed their Penn State turf education into careers overseeing such prestigious golf courses as Augusta National Golf Club, Congressional Country Club, and Oakmont Country Club. Penn State’s online World Campus is another option for students who want to earn credits through distance learning. These programs have graduated thousands of turf managers who can be found in the industry throughout the world.

From 1992 until 2004, the two-year certificate program ran under the direction of George Hamilton, who passed away in July 2004 after battling cancer. Hamilton also taught courses in cultural turfgrass management and golf course specifications, construction, and renovation. He conducted research in turfgrass management and developed and evaluated new technologies for the turf industry. Most notable among Hamilton’s research accomplishments is the invention of PennMulch, a commercially successful mulch made from recycled newspaper that retains moisture and warmth in the soil. Hamilton contributed much to the program and is sorely missed, both in the college and in the turfgrass industry.

“From its outset, Penn State’s turfgrass program has been committed to research directed at finding solutions to problems encountered in the field, and to educational efforts to share knowledge with students and constituents in the industry,” says Al Turgeon, professor of turfgrass management. “Today, this commitment is as strong as ever and the program is among the most respected and successful of its type in the world.”

—Krista Weidner