Desert-Grown Turf Will Form
New Ballpark's Playing Surface

By Jonathan Heller SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Palm Desert, CA…….. In this town of 42,000 people, where the summer temperature regularly tops 100 degrees and rain is mostly a stranger, some of the most fertile farmland in the country can be found.

The sandy soil and arid climate is the perfect base for growing several genetically engineered types of grass sold by West Coast Turf, one of the leading suppliers of sod for athletic fields, including those at Qualcomm Stadium and, soon, Petco Park.

The turf thrives in a fast-draining foundation and lots of sun, which explains why the company settled in the desert in 1984.

Ask an office assistant how many acres of sod the company has in production, and she consults her adding machine. Turns out it's about 3,000 these days, spread out over several emerald-green fields carpeting the Southern California desert.

The company imports water for its fields from the Colorado River through the Coachella Valley Water District.

It has supplied turf for the past two World Series champions (Arizona Diamondbacks and Anaheim Angels). When Major League Baseball players surveyed by Sports Illustrated magazine were asked to name the ballparks with the best playing surface, the top two – and four of the top six – were supplied by West Coast Turf.