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Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council Establishes Permanent Endowment to Support Turfgrass Research

“Growing the Game” campaign will fund the new trust

For more than 70 years, golfers around the world have benefited from the turfgrass research conducted at The Pennsylvania State University. Now, the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council (PTC) has announced the establishment of an endowment fund to ensure a permanent source of funding for critical ongoing research.

The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Research Fund will yield annual income for Penn State’s Turfgrass Project, and will allow those who benefit most from top-quality golf courses to contribute to the continued improvement of golf courses everywhere.

To raise money for the fund, PTC has initiated the “Growing the Game” campaign, creating awareness of the fund and the research it will support, and offering suggestions of ways in which to support the fund.

According to PTC President Jerred D. Golden, “We believe this endowment is a major step in ensuring that the world class research being conducted at Penn State will not be interrupted because of lack of funds. And, we believe the “Growing the Game” campaign will provide an important avenue to reach out to golf club superintendents and to individual golfers to help them understand the value of the research being done.” He added that the trust will provide a reliable, consistent stream of funding for research.

PTC Establishes Research Endowment

Golden said that in the past PTC has contributed about $200,000 annually to the Project from membership and educational activities fees.

Penn State’s research is available to all turfgrass managers. In their continuing research, in 2003 alone, Penn State conducted 55 different field research studies, covering 623 weed control treatments including 122 for broadleaf weed control.

The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council promotes professionalism in all facets of the turfgrass industry by providing educational opportunities, grants and support for education and research projects, encouraging future industry leadership through scholarship and awards, and promoting interaction with government agencies, private institutions and the general public.

Members include golf course superintendents, owners/operators of lawn care services, nurserymen, landscapers, sod growers, sports field managers and industrial representatives.