Ben Ellis, superintendent of The Courses at Andrews, is no stranger to biosolids. The golf turf specialist originally turned to Bloom after he had difficulty finding another local biosolids product he’d become accustomed to using on one of his prior courses, Fort Belvoir Golf Course. Bloom was a lifesaver there, with the tough assignment of growing turf on two holes devoid of topsoil.
“Bloom is incredibly effective on our grounds, and much easier to spread than the biosolids product we had been using,” says Ben, who is also Executive Director of the Maryland Turfgrass Council. “It really helps to have a natural source of organic matter to help hold water and nutrients and build our soil back up in these compacted areas with thinning topsoil.”
Located on Andrews Air Force Base, The Courses at Andrews spans 750 acres and boasts two 18-hole championship courses for golfers at all levels. The facility also includes a Top Golf-style indoor range, which is where Ben’s latest Bloom project came in.
“They brought in junk soil with no nutrients to landscape the front area, and nothing would grow. Synthetic fertilizers didn’t even cut it, even after putting down more seed along with the sod. The sucker greened right up when I finally resorted to Bloom.” Ben hopes to renovate one of Andrews’ courses in the future, and will turn to Bloom when the time comes.
Read more about some of the 15 golf courses now using Bloom to strengthen turf and build healthier soils.
