GOLF COURSES
Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways with new sustainable mix from Johnsons
hile only launched
W in the summer of 2023 , the new hard fescue J Sustain- Fairway mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed is already making a strong first impression at the birthplace of The Open Championship . Delivering quick germination and coping with the challenges of the undulating links course , Prestwick Golf Club have commended the blend of toprated cultivars and the role they ’ ll play in futureproofing their fairways .
By name Dave Edmondson is Prestwick ’ s Head Greenkeeper , supported in his role by a team of 10 , but by nature he considers himself merely ‘ a guardian ’ of the venue – rich in prestigious golfing history . “ I very much follow the Old Tom Morris approach to maintenance , working with nature and continuing the methodologies of my predecessors to run the course in a minimalist way ” says Dave . “ We don ’ t use any pesticides , fungicides , hardly any fertilisers and very limited water .”
“ My pursuit of traditional greenkeeping techniques led me to have a conversation with our golf course consultant about our fairways , and specifically any mixtures which could help to boost the hard fescue and sheep fescue populations which are proven to thrive in low-input and links conditions . That ’ s where I discovered Johnsons J Sustain-Fairway .”
J Sustain-Fairway , available from DLF , has been designed to suit golf clubs looking to significantly boost the population of resilient varieties , providing a foundation of quality and strength with an increased tolerance to a broad range of turf stresses . “ A chat with my DLF Technical Manager Stuart Yarwood made it clear that this mix would tick a lot of boxes , so we opted for this for our main annual fairway overseed .”
Sown at a rate of 7g / m2 in early September , germination was visible in just over two weeks , with the seedlings then under the stewardship of Dave to thrive and establish . “ So far it ’ s been so good ! The natural undulations here at Prestwick have often seen certain species struggle , particularly with coverage on the tops of the hillocks , so we ’ ve sown some additional J Sustain-Fairway here to help and , to date , it ’ s all working brilliantly .”
“ The hard and sheeps fescue like a nice , settled environment and that ’ s exactly what we can give them .” Dave adds , “ If we can keep building those populations with top-rated cultivars , then we will be much better placed to withstand environmental challenges and safeguard the course for the future .”
www . johnsonssportsseed . co . uk
GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | January / February 2024 21