R.H. Hurley, PhD

is the bentgrassdoctorTM offering Horticultural Services.

Turfgrass Specialist: Golf and Sports Turf.

Rutgers University,

Center for Turfgrass Science, retired

Dr. Hurley is known as the bentgrassdoctor and has been breeding Improved bentgrasses since 1982 to Include the advanced generation varieties 007, 777 and 007XL.

These advanced generation bentgrasses have the greatest opportunity for success in cool season climates for grassing greens, tees and fairways.

Now designated as a class of "Super BentsTM" these varieties will produce a turf showing greater disease resistance / lower fungicide use, finer leaves, a denser turf that is more tolerant to close mowing.

Within the "Super BentTM" class are the varieties 007, 777, 007XL -- as well as MacKenzie, Flagstick and Tyee.

For "Super BentTM" information contact https://sroseed.com/super-bents

For "Super BentTM" variety qualities contact

https://www.sroseed.com/find-a-product/bentgrass

ph: 570-350-8906
hurlrich1987@gmail.com

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Richard Hurley is the bentgrassdoctorTM offering horticultural services.

Richard Hurley, PhD, CPAg, is a turfgrass specialist with over 50 years' experience in the turfgrass industry: turfgrass breeding, selecting the most desirable grasses for use, best turf management practices and procedures, and use of grasses on golf courses, sports fields, home lawns, and landscaping.

Dr. Hurley is one of only a few agronomists in the world who has been awarded a PhD degree (1983) in turfgrass breeding. Most importantly, he studied under the direction of Dr. C. Reed Funk, the world renown cool season turfgrass breeder, while attending Rutgers University.

Photo: Rutgers Univeristy Hort Farm II turf research farm. 30+ acres devoted exclusively to turfgrass science activities. A major part of the farm is devoted to putting green, fairway / tee variety evaluations -- 10 acres of putting greens.

Photo: July 2021 summer fine turf field day at Rutgers Hort Farm II. Over 350 fine turf managers attended to hear the talks and presentations.

It was 38 years ago, when Dr. Hurley asked Dr. Funk to join him in initiating a creeping bentgrass breeding program designed to improve the qualities of bentgrasses for golf course use.

Subsequently, after 10 years of germplasm collection, parental evaluations, putting green turf trials, and hybridization, it was time to develop the first varieties from this bentgrass breeding program. It was the early 1990's, when Dr. Hurley, working in cojunction with Dr. Funk and Dr. Virginia Lehman, developed the very successful L-93 creeping bentgrass variety. The "93" in the name L-93 was selected to indicate the year (1993) the variety became fully commercially available.

Dr. Hurley utilized the year (2007) in the naming of his, Rutgers bred, creeping bentgrass variety known as 007. At this time, 007 bent is widely accepted by golf course superintendents, with seed demands skyrocketing.

Photo above: 007 greens at the Kasumigaseki CC for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In 2017, Dr. Hurley working with Dr. Stacy Bonos at Rutgers released the variety known as 777 (Triple Seven). The 777 bentgrass has shown to provide excellent heat tolerance while producing a putting surface that is fine and dense while tolerating a close height of cut.

Photo above: 007 / 777 bentgrasses featured at Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course, near Detriot, MI -- total renovation 2020.

Photo above: 777 Triple Seven bentgrass seeded on the new greens at the Shady Oaks Country Club, Fort Worth, TX -- total renovation 2020.

Most recently, Dr. Hurley, again, working in conjunction with Dr. Stacy Bonos at Rutgers have deleloped a totally unique variety named 007XL. This is not just an improved 007 but a distinct and highly refined bentgrass variety.

Commercially released in the fall of 2021 / spring of 2022 the 007XL variety sets a new standarf for performance -- as 007XL is the most advanced of the "Super Bent" class of varieties.

The 007XL is a 5th generation bentgrass variety that was bred to tolerate a mowing height of cut down to .100 of an inch (2.54 mm). The 007XL was developed using enhanced breeding techniques best adapted for closely mown greens and for use on fairways and tees, allowng for a more disease resistant turf.

Photos above: 007XL bentgrass seeded on a bentgrass greens nursery at the Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, TX -- September 2021.

With a reputation for practical and easy to follow recommendations designed to solve your turf problems, Dr. Hurley responds to troubleshooting on golf course renovations, shade issues, weed control, water quality, fertilization, diseases, and insects. He is also an excellent source for developing long-range plans and efficiency audits.

Project history includes sites in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Russia, Japan, China, Australia and South Africa.
Consultations by arrangement -- yearly retainer with scheduled site visits; or individual full- or half-day site visits.

Photo: Richard Hurley, PhD