Founder’s Park, previously known as Carolina Stadium, is the home of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team. If you are a fan of baseball in the Columbia, SC area, you have likely attended a game in this impressive ballpark. When you compare Founder’s park to other collegiate baseball stadiums in the Carolinas, you won’t find another stadium that compares in size or quality.
One of the most notable features you will notice when you enter Founder’s Park is the immaculate condition of the playing field. The grass on the field at Founder’s Park is lush, green, and usually has a pattern of some sort mowed into it. Founder’s Park has some of the best looking grass in all of college baseball. Some have stated that the grass in Founder’s Park rivals the conditions in some professional ballparks.
Fans that visit Founder’s Park are often curious how the ground’s keepers manage to make the grass look so good. They also wonder what kind of grass is used in Founder’s Park. Below we will discuss some of the details about the grass in Founder’s Park in Columbia, SC.
How Do They Make The Founder’s Park Grass Look So Good?
The grass in the South Carolina Gamecock’s home baseball stadium is kept in amazing condition. It looks so good that some people think it is fake. The key to making the grass in Founder’s Park look so good is meticulous maintenance. The grass maintenance at Founder’s Park consists of frequent mowing, timely fertilization, and application of the correct pre-emergent pesticides.
It takes a bit of time but you can make the lawn at your home look as good as the outfield at Founder’s Park.
What Kind of Grass is in Founder’s Park?
When Gamecock fans or fans of the visiting team visit Founder’s Park, they often marvel at the condition of the grass. It is always a lush green color and has beautiful designs mowed into it. The question most people have about Founder’s Park grass is what species of grass is in Founder’s Park? There are many different types of grass that are used in baseball stadiums around the country. However, each species has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here is the species of grass used in Founder’s Park in Columbia, SC.
The species of grass used in Founder’s Park is Bermuda Grass. More specifically Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass. This species of Bermuda Grass is very tolerant of heat and drought which is important if the playing surface is to survive the extreme heat in Columbia, SC. The drought tolerance also allows the University to save money by using less water to maintain the grass. Bermuda is a popular choice for lawns around the Columbia, SC area for the same reasons that it is used for Founder’s Park grass.
How Do They Make The Designs in The Grass at Founder’s Park?
One of the most satisfying details about the turf grass at Founder’s Park is the designs that are mowed into the grass. At times there are stripes, checkers, diamonds, or waves on the grass at Founder’s Park. Many people wonder how these designs are created. The simple answer is with a mower. But not any mower. The mower’s used to make the grass designs at Founder’s Park are outfitted with rollers that bend the grass blades down. The bending of the grass blades is what makes the designs in the grass on the infield and outfield.
It is easy to create these same effects at home with your average mower. You can also buy roller attachments that can be used with your home push or riding mower to create designs in the grass at your home!
Is The Grass in Founder’s Park Real?
If you look at college baseball stadiums around the country, you will find a number of ballparks with synthetic grass. Founder’s Park is not one of them. Schools such as Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, and Kentucky play baseball on an AstroTurf surface. AstroTurf is a synthetic grass that looks very similar to real grass but is made out of plastic.
It seems like more college baseball stadiums are starting to use fake grass but Founder’s Park is sticking with natural Bermuda.
