Joe Robbie Stadium as It was being prepared for the last game of the Dolphin's 1988 season. Joe Robbie Stadium Prepares For Super Bowl XXIII

ifty-four million households are ex- With the help of HOK Sports Facilities Bowl replaced with a Prescription Athletic pected to have their television sets Group in Kansas City, MO, Robbie satisfied Turf (PAT) system. Ftuned to Super Bowl XXIII this month. the NFL committee that he could indeed When it was time to decide what type of The contest for the National Football finance his dream. He also realized that his surface the new stadium would have, Rob- League Championship has become one of plan would be more likely to succeed with bie again chose PAT.HOK's Dennis Wellner the premier televised sporting events in the a commitment from the NFL for the 1989 recalls, "Joe Robbie wanted natural turf world. And, perhaps the first time, it is being Super Bowl. from day one. He was very realistic about held in a stadium that was designed in large The plan hinged on preselling tickets and the limitations of a natural field, but he part as a multi-million-dollar stage for the long-term leases for more than 200 insisted on it anyway:' Super Bowl - Joe Robbie Stadium in skyboxes and 10,000 club seats, far more The field was also the largest PATsystem Miami, FL. than had ever been built in a stadium at the time. It was proportioned by HOK to The NFL selected the stadium as the site before. meet international soccer standards, .in for Super Bowl XXIII when it was nothing To win the confidence and support of addition to football and baseball (with some more than a set of architectural drawings. Miami fans and the NFL, Robbie had to alterations). As a result of its size, the Joe Robbie, owner-of the Miami Dolphins, build a better sports facility than the famous stadium is almost certain to be used in 1994 wasn't even certain he could finance con- Orange Bowl. In addition to providing park- during the World Cup Soccer tournaments. struction of the $120-million stadium when ing, comfortable seating, and convenient Robbie was a tremendous influence in con- he unrolled the blueprints on the confer- concessions for 73,000 spectators, he vincing FIFA, the international soccer feder- ence table at NFL headquarters in New needed the ultimate field for both the ation, to select the United States for the York to show the Super Bowl Site Selection players and the extremely important televi- games. Committee. . sion audience. Cancellations are a definite threat in He wanted to own the stadium, building For a long time, Robbie had shown spe- Miami, where tropical storms are common- it without financing from state or local cial interest in the field conditions at the place and the annual rainfall averages 60 governments. To obtain private financing, Orange Bowl, home for his Dolphins from inches. The patented sand-based field with something few sports authorities believed 1965 to 1987. He has been a fan of natural suction drainage can remove four inches of was possible at the time, Robbie developed turf since 1976, when he was instrumental water from a field in one hour. The plastic a unique plan. in having the artificial turf in the Orange continued on page 30 January, 1989 29 Joe Robbie Stadium the barrier. The pattern of the pipe was tion properly, a fou r-inch crown was continued from page 29 designed to drain and subirrigate the field installed so water could run off tarps. The liner below the field also prevents salty sub- in three sections, one for the center of the NFL requires that all stadiums have a tarp surface water from intruding and allows the field and two for the sidelines. to cover the field during a pre-game or field to be subirrigated. The drain lines feed into "wet Pits" game-time rain. Salt-water intrusion is a distinct possibil- located behind both goalposts. Under nor- To provide additional moisture retention ity, because the stadium is located on the mal circumstances, the pits serve as large and to improve the cation (chemical) Snake Canal in Davie, FL, a few thousand collector drains, removing excess water by exchange capacity of the sand, calcined feet from the ocean. The water table is just gravity. When rainfall exceeds normal clay was mixed into the top three inches. one foot beneath the surface. To stabilize drainage, suction created by two pumps Ten pairs of Aquamiser moisture sensors the foundation of the stadium, 500 cubic underneath the stands is utilized to pull were then imbedded at two depths in the yards of fill were brought in to raise the water through the root zone. To subirrigate, sand, two inches and four inches. The sen- stadium ten feet. The grass parking lots, the process is reversed by adding water to sors were connected with wire to a con- however, remain at the original elevation. the wet pits. troller next to the irrigation controller. The Southern Turf Nurseries (STN) of Nor- At the same time, STN installed the risers and sprinkler heads were installed cross, GA, is the licensed PAT installer in mains and laterals for the surface irrigation and the sand was irrigated before the sod the Southeast. As the stadium took shape, system. It consists of 44 Toro 640 heads was shipped from the farm to the stadium. STN was custom-growing three acres of Tif- placed in a square pattern 64 feet apart. At By May 1, all 128,000 square feet of sod way 419 bermudagrass on the sandy soil at Robbie's request, only 12 heads are located was installed and rolled. Both surface irriga- its sod farm in Lake Wales, FL. "We had soil in bounds. tion and subirrigation were activated to samples from the farm tested," recalls The other important ingredient of the encourage the sod to send down deep STN's Bill Wilson. "The lab said the sam- drainage system is the foot of sand that roots. The moisture-control system was set ples were the closest thing to a greens mix makes up the root zone of the field. Dr. Wil· between 30 and 50 percent. Frequent soil they had ever seen:' Iiam Daniel, inventor of the PAT system, tests were taken so that nutrient levels Construction of the field took place made sand part of the design for two could be kept at moderate-to-high levels at between February and May 1987. The Dol- primary reasons: It does not compact and all times. Granular slow-release fertilizers phins' first exhibition game at Robbie it drains better than soils containing clay or 'are the backbone of the nutrition program. Stadium was scheduled for August, so the silt. He selected fine to medium-sized sand Controversy seems to surround every sod had to knit in roughly two months. because it retains moisture better than new facility in professional sports, espe- STN began to prepare the flat subgrade larger sands. cially when it is hosting the Super Bowl. Not on February 9. No slope in the subgrade is For Joe Robbie Stadium, STN shipped in only does Joe Robbie take an interest in the required for the PATsystem to operate. The 8,000 cubic yards of properly sized sand playing field, the Dolphins' Don Shula is plastic barrier was then placed on top of the and carefully spread it over the drainage perhaps one of the most vocal coaches in subgrade. Three miles of wrapped, perfo- and irrigation lines. Although the system the NFL about field conditions. He listens rated drainpipe were positioned on top of does not require a sloped surface to func- continued on page 32

Mascaro's invention, the Vertislicer, was used to break through a subsurface layer and to encourage root growth. 30 sportsTURF Joe Robbie Stadium method of problem solving that Kuykendahl the challenge of managing a professional continued from page 30 could not match. When Kuykendahl had an field," Morris admits. "At PGA National I got carefully to his players' comments about opportunity to leave, he took it. used to the pressure of major events." field conditions and doesn't hesitate to call The Dolphins asked Mascaro to help Pressure is what he likes and pressure is in the groundskeeper for his response. He them find a new groundskeeper. He learned what he got - arriving at the stadium on a had done this regularly with Dale Sandin at that a golf course superintendent, who had Wednesday in early October, with a Dol- the Orange Bowl and continued the prac- applied for the job when the stadium was phins game on Sunday. "Tom had th~ tice with Dean Kuykendahl at Joe Robbie built, was still very interested. stadium turf in good condition, so I focused Stadium. Gary Morris, superintendent at Emerald my efforts on getting the field ready for the Try as he might, Kuykendahl could not Hills Golf Course in Hollywood, FL, was game, learning how to paint the lines and satisfy Shula or completely master the PAT very familiar with the needs of hybrid ber- emblems," Morris says. system. mudagrass in sand root zones. The bulk of Much of his time the first week was spent He'd solved early problems with thatch his learning experience was gained as at the Dolphins' training center in Hialeah, and loose turf through a topdressing pro- assistant superintendent at PGA National in FL, working on the practice fields and get- gram. He grasped the delicate process of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. "I really wanted ting to know the players and staff. "I wanted overseeding during the football season with to know how they felt about things at the perennial ryegrass. He got the field through stadium and training center. It gave me a a number of concerts without problems. starting point to work from and let the Nevertheless, as football season started players know I intended to be a good this past summer and the NFL started mak- listener, Morris explains." ing its standard inquiries in preparation for The two-and-a-half-field complex will the Super Bowl, support for his efforts serve as the practice site for the AFC cham- started to dissolve. pions the week before the Super Bowl. The Daniel suggested that the Dolphins hire NFC champions will practice at the Univer- turf consultant Tom Mascaro to help sity of Miami in Coral Gables. Kuykendahl out. Mascaro is a pragmatist Working together, Morris and Mascaro whose experience with turf and soils spans started to uncover the causes of some of more than 40 years. He is also an inventor, Kuykendahl's problems. The center of the with claims to the aerifier, verticutter, Ver- Super Bowl XXIII groundskeepers (from field was thinner than the rest. "It looked tigroove and Vertislicer. He brought to Joe left) Chip Toma, George Toma and Gary like disease, but it wasn't," Morris recalls. Robbie Stadium a confidence and relaxed Morris. continued on page 34 SPORTS TURF COATINGS You have seen Mautz 8-30 for many years on Super Bowls, the Pro Bowls, numerous NFL stadiums and universities. Now available world-wide from MISSOURI PAINT SUPPL Y.

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32 sporfsTURF Circle 262 on Postage Free Card A network of drainpipe on top of a moisture barrier serves to drain and A foot of sand was carefully spread over the drainpipe. sublrrlgate the PAT system.

Joe Robbie Stadium "Morris is a good groundskeeper, and Tom- the Tomas and their crew for nearly two continued from page 32 mie (Mascaro) may be the smartest grass weeks without a break. "We had the lights "The base for the pitcher's mound is also man in the country. We talked about the on at night so we could keep working," says there:' rooting problem and made arrangements to Morris. They discovered that lightning had get them some more equipment." "Glen Man, the stadium manager, was a damaged the soil-moisture probes in the At the same time, Toma took core sam- big help," adds Toma. (Man moved over to center of the field. They also found that the ples where the turf had been painted. "We Joe Robbie Stadium this past year from the nozzles in the four center sprinklers were found paint six inches deep in the soil," he Los Angeles Coliseum.) "He understands too small and changed them. "The center of reports, "and the roots weren't growing in what it takes to put on the Super Bowl." the field just wasn't getting as much water the paint. Sometimes you can brush or ver- Because Morris needed to devote most as it needed," adds Morris. ticut the paint out. But since the worst of his time to the stadium, the Dolphins He and Mascaro felt that the topdressing problem was in the center of the field, we hired Mascaro's daughter, Linda, to work program had outlived its usefulness. More decided to order thick-cut sad for that area. with Chip on the training center and the than two inches of sand had been applied We'd make a decision on the endzones University of Miami facility. She graduated on top of the sad in one year's time. They after Christmas." from Penn State's turfgrass management took core samples and noticed the roots of Fortunately, the stadium would not be course last spring. "She may be the first the overseeded ryegrass stopped at the used after the Dolphins' last home game on women groundskeeper at a professional level of the original sad. December 12. That week the truck carrying stadium some day," her father says proudly. The stadium's aerifier didn't go deep all the NFL equipment and supplies arrived The Tomas brought a new NFL tarp with enough to break through the layer, so Mas- at Joe Robbie Stadium. The two Tomas and them this year. "We'll use the new tarp on caro brought out his latest invention, the three of their crew from Kansas City also the stadium and the Dolphins' tarps on the vertislicer. Fixed vertical blades on the arrived to stay, with only a break for practice fields," George explains. The new machine cut six-inch-deep slices in the soil. Christmas. Covermaster tarp is silver on one side and "You can see where we sliced," says The first order of business was to brush black on the other. "You put the black side Morris. "The ryegrass is darker and has the paint out of the endzones and to "shat- up to help warm up the field:' roots four inches deep. You don't see the tercore" the field 2112 inches deep, using a As Toma prepared to go home for a three- lines during games, because we put down Coremaster with solid tines. Chip started to day Christmas break, he was confident that iron (Ferromec) beforehand and all the turf pregerminate 1,000 pounds of Ph.D. peren- any major problems were under control. responds. Next year we are going to aerify nial ryegrass blend. "We may have to resod the endzones deeper and more often. We'll also hold off Central Florida Sad brought in 1,000 because of the paint, but everything else on topdressing unless it's necessary:' square feet of sad cut 2112 inches thick. As seems to be going fine," concludes Toma. Since he arrived, Morris has applied a 50-by-90-foot section of the center was "Mr. Robbie is going to be happy. It's a perennial ryegrass before each game for resodded, the pregerminated seed was beautiful field. Just wait to see how she the players to work into the soil. "The sur- mixed with calcined clay and Milorganite in looks all dressed up on game day" face is a little looser than it should be a cement mixer. "I'm a lucky guy," says Morris. "Working because of all the sand," he remarks. "The The crew spread half the seed over the under Tom, George and Chip is like a more roots the ryegrass can establish, the field and aerified again to a depth of one Christmas present for me. They've helped tighter the surface will be. Sand also gets inch. The rest of the seed was applied and me out with the management and the team. tighter when it's wet.' topdressed with a light layer of sand and The rest is going to be up to me. Next year When the NFL's George and Chip Toma black peat moss. "The dark peat absorbs the field will be as perfect as we can get if' arrived in late October to plan for the final the heat of the sun," Toma adds. With the The stage is set. In return for the NFL's preparations for the Super Bowl, they sad and pregerminated seed down, the belief that he could build a stadium with pri- noticed the improvements Morris and Mas- field was rolled lightly to smooth out the vate financing, Joe Robbie has given the caro had made. "The field was a lot better sandy surface. NFL a perfect stage for the Super Bowl - than it was last spring," George recalls. Morris' stadium crew worked alongside and a field fit for champions. ~ 34 sportsTURF