DLF’s impossibly green grass is once again in the spotlight as the best golfers in the world converge on the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for THE PLAYERS Championship. The headquarters of the PGA TOUR and host of its flagship event since 1982, TPC Sawgrass remains one of the most recognizable and challenging venues in golf — anchored by the iconic par‑3 17th “Island Green,” ranked among the top public courses in the United States by Golf Digest.

An overseed program built for championship performance

When the TOUR moved THE PLAYERS from May to March back in 2019, Sawgrass shifted to a full‑course overseeding program to ensure championship‑quality playing surfaces. The course’s warm‑season bermudagrass simply cannot provide elite conditions in early spring — it requires several nights above 60°F (15°C) before waking from winter dormancy.

To deliver the dense, uniform, competition‑ready turf the TOUR expects, the agronomy team overseeds every playable surface with cool‑season species from DLF. They plant the seed in the fall and then meticuously grow in the different areas of the property over several months. The DLF varieties included in this year's overseeding plan included:

Tees, fairways & roughs: Champion Fine Mix (80% Champion GQ Perennial Ryegrass Blend + 20% Chewings fescue)
Approaches & surrounds: Champion Fine Mix + Maximum Poa Trivialis Blend
Greens: Champion Fine Mix + Maximum Poa Trivialis Blend + Dominant Overseeder Bentgrass Blend
Landscaping: Remedy Intermediate Ryegrass

This wall‑to‑wall combination of A‑LIST® and Competition Grade™ varieties forms the intensely green, TV‑ready playing surfaces millions tune in to watch each March.

Superintendent Lucas Andrews with DLF's Dr. Leah Brilman inspecting the turf at TPC Sawgrass before The Players Chamionship

A new superintendent, and one of the toughest winters on record

This year marks the first PLAYERS Championship led by Lucas Andrews, the new Director of Golf Course Maintenance Operations. Andrews has been with TPC Sawgrass for 15 years and served as Assistant Director under Jeff Plotts for the past six years before being promoted in October. Although much of the agronomy team remains unchanged, Andrews stepped into the lead role during one of northeast Florida’s most challenging winters in memory.

After a warm, dry December, January and February turned historically cold. Multiple nights dipped into the low 20s, water features froze, and soil temperatures hovered near freezing — highly unusual for Florida. According to Andrews:

Growth of the overseeded turf slowed significantly
Roughs only reached tournament readiness a few weeks before event week
Landscape plant material across the property was “decimated,” requiring extensive replacement
The team had to maximize every hour of sunlight to keep the overseed moving

Despite these obstacles, Andrews credits a skilled and experienced team — including 100 agronomy employees and 90 tournament volunteers — for getting the course to the finish line.

With favorable weather finally returning in the two weeks leading up to the tournament, the Stadium Course has rebounded impressively. The result is a vibrant, uniform, championship‑level presentation — a testament to both agronomic skill and the reliability of DLF’s overseeding genetics.

← Superintendent Lucas Andrews with DLF's Dr. Leah Brilman at TPC Sawgrass before The Players Championship 2026

Sit back and enjoy the view

After months of preparation and some truly unforgiving winter weather, an emerald carpet of natural DLF grass once again awaits 144 of the world’s best golfers. Whether you’re on site or watching from home, THE PLAYERS continues to showcase what elite cool‑season overseeding can achieve at one of golf’s most iconic venues.