Shear Strength Testing - Bermudagrass and Bluegrass

I travel the Midwest with a Turf-Tec Toma Shear Strength Tester.  Why?  I use it as a tool to compare the strength of turf across all sports.  Here are a few recent findings:

St Luke Catholic Church - Patriot Bermudagrass Sod - June 2012 - 25 ft. lbs:

DePauw Soccer - Riviera Bermudagrass Seed - May 2012 - 15 ft. lbs:

DePauw Field Hockey - Patriot Bermudagrass Sprigs - June 2011 - 25 ft. lbs:

Needless to say, a seeded field is weaker than a sodded field during the first year of play.  Secondly, a field that is in its second year is as strong as a newly sodded field.

Bottom line:

A "normal" blue/rye field will test 15-20 ft lbs.  A "normal" bermudagrass field after a year of establishment will test 25-35 ft lbs.  So, the first year of a seeded/sprigged field will act more like a cool season turf in regards to shear strength.  The second year will produce a field with superior shear strength.

Look for a post from St Luke tomorrow with photos of play after 3 inches of rain......

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer