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Celebration Bermudagrass has been gaining popularity in the United States for use in major stadiums. Now other countries are following suit. Recently two facilities used by some of the best soccer teams in South America and Europe have changed their grass over to Celebration.

Botafogo FR, a soccer (futebol) club from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has put down Celebration on its home field of Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium, simply known as Engenhao. Botafogo FR belongs to the Major National League and recently won a State Championship.

 

 

The grass was put down last December because the Tifway 419 they were using was having issues dealing with heavy foot traffic and shade caused by the stadium overhangs. Celebration has rated best in test for both of those issues. The sod was provided by Itograss and installed by Greenleaf Gramados.

The other huge stadium recently installed hails from Spain. Spanish first division club Valencia CF put down Celebration leading into the 2009-2010 season at their home field since 1923, Estadio Mestalla. Sod was provided for the 55,000 seat stadium by Spanish company Ibergreen and put down last September. Valencia is one of the more successful clubs in Spanish football and has an extremely large worldwide fanbase.

 

 

Bermudagrasses and shade usually don't get mentioned in the same breath. Bermuda cultivars just don't handle the conditions like other grass varieties. In fact, the quest to find that elusive shade tolerant bermuda has been the bane of many golf course superintendents over the years. There are a few select types of bermudagrass, however, that clearly handle limited sunlight locations better than others. The top-tested bermudagrass on the market for shade continues to be Celebration® Bermudagrass. Originally developed in Australia, Celebration has been the most consistent, best performing bermuda in diminished sunlight locations around the world. Celebration even beats out the University of Georgia's latest bermudagrass release TifGrand^TM, which was selected specifically for its shade tolerance.

In the hunt for bermuda shade tolerance, university research has put these grasses to the test. Clemson University did a two year shade study of 42 bermudagrass cultivars in 2007. This study included both Celebration and UGA's TifGrand (then known as Tift No.4). Celebration was the only grass to get a "six" rating for overall shade tolerance. TifGrand finished in a three-way tie for second in the study with a "five" rating.

Celebration is known for its high marks in wear resistance and divot recovery, but many golf course employees have seen firsthand how it deals with shade. Courses having issues with trees and shaded tee boxes have seen Celebration work when others simply would not.

Consumers in any capacity, from golf superintendents to homeowners, must remember that all grasses need some amount of sunlight to survive. In some instances, grass itself just might not be the right option. An area completely devoid of direct sunlight might call for replacements like pine straw or mulch. But it you get a few hours of sun and are in the market for a bermudagrass that has the ability to handle and grow well in a shady area, you can't beat Celebration.


2007 Clemson University Shade Study