High quality bermudagrasses with improved cold tolerance are replacing traditional cool-season turfs for golf and sports turf uses in the transition zone of the United States. However, renovation programs to convert from cool-season to bermudagrass turf can prevent site use for up to 10 weeks. This research was conducted to evaluate pre-plant cool-season turf control treatments as they affect the establishment of row-planted ‘Patriot' bermudagrass. Four pre-plant treatments (an untreated check, strip-kill vegetation control with glyphosate using 5-cm bands on 15-cm centers, total vegetation control with glyphosate, and trinexapac-ethyl) were applied to mixed stand cool-season turfgrasses at the Turfgrass Research Center in Blacksburg, VA and Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, VA approximately 10 days prior to row-planting Patriot bermudagrass at 430 stems per sq meter on 29 May 2006. Following intensive irrigation for 2 weeks after planting (WAP), clipping height and summer fertility programs that promoted bermudagrass development were employed. Total vegetation kill resulted in 100% Patriot coverage by 10 WAP at both sites, but visual turf quality ratings were unacceptable through 6 WAP. The strip-kill treatment resulted in ≥ 80% total ground cover ratings by 6 WAP and ≥ 75% Patriot coverage by 10 WAP at both locations. However, orientation when rating the plots was an important consideration because the ratings were deemed acceptable at 6 WAP when viewing the plots perpendicular to the spray band. Primo Maxx and the untreated control provided ≥ 90% vegetation coverage at any time during the trials. These treatments achieved 70 to 80% Patriot coverage by 10 WAP, indicating the possibility that the playing surface might only need to be completely removed from use for a 2 week initial sprig establishment period.