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How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

May 22, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums As stadiums lose access to natural light, turf management is becoming more controlled, precise and data-informed. Modern stadiums are changing. Enclosed roofs, higher stands and multi-use schedules are reducing access to natural light, while expectations around pitch quality remain as high as ever. With stadiums […]

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

May 19, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway Perched on the Welsh coastline, Abersoch Golf Club has always lived at the mercy of the elements. Managing those ever-changing conditions for the last 37 years is Head Greenkeeper Arthur Evans who, in recent years, has found a combination of the right grass seed mixture and […]

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

May 22, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

May 19, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

May 22, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

As stadiums lose access to natural light, turf management is becoming more controlled, precise and data-informed.

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

Modern stadiums are changing. Enclosed roofs, higher stands and multi-use schedules are reducing access to natural light, while expectations around pitch quality remain as high as ever. With stadiums hosting more events and recovery windows becoming shorter, maintaining consistent natural grass pitches has become a growing operational challenge for grounds teams and venue operators alike. In some environments, natural conditions are no longer available at all.

To respond to these challenges, stadium operations are increasingly moving towards more controlled environments supported by technology. Developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich, Rhenac®’s patented CLS® (Complete Light Spectrum®) technology was created to support natural and hybrid sports turf in these conditions. Rather than relying on fixed lighting schedules, the system adjusts light spectrum and intensity in relation to plant needs and surrounding environmental factors, helping grounds teams make more informed decisions based on pitch conditions.

The technology is available across both mobile systems and integrated stadium installations, supporting everything from targeted treatment areas to complete stadium coverage. It is already used in leading venues including the underground pitch system at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Schalke 04’s VELTINS Arena and Leigh Sports Village — some of the most demanding environments for natural grass in professional sport.

This approach has now been recognised with two “Winner” distinctions at the German Innovation Awards 2026 in the categories Circular Impacts and Lighting Solutions. Organised by the German Design Council, the award recognises innovations that combine practical relevance with long-term value across the sports industry. The jury brings together independent experts from business, science and industry.

The technology was also shortlisted for the Smarter Sports Awards 2026 in the category Smarter Venue & Infrastructure Innovation, recognising its contribution to the future of stadium infrastructure and operations.

Reflecting on the award, Horst Theisen, CEO of Rhenac®, said:

“What this recognition highlights is how quickly expectations around natural playing surfaces are evolving. Maintaining natural grass now depends as much on managing the environment as reacting to weather conditions.

Across the industry, we’re moving away from fixed routines towards more responsive and data-led turf management. That development is already underway and will continue shaping how modern stadiums operate in the future.”

By aligning light application more closely with plant needs, CLS® supports more consistent pitch quality while enabling smarter use of energy and other inputs. As stadium operations continue to evolve, this level of precision is becoming essential for maintaining high-quality natural playing conditions in demanding stadium environments.

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Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

May 19, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Perched on the Welsh coastline, Abersoch Golf Club has always lived at the mercy of the elements. Managing those ever-changing conditions for the last 37 years is Head Greenkeeper Arthur Evans who, in recent years, has found a combination of the right grass seed mixture and expert advice has transformed the condition and resilience of the 18-hole course – that combination being Johnsons J Sustain Fairway from DLF.

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Expanded from a nine-hole course up to 18 in 1988, Abersoch offers its members a traditional links golf experience. The challenge of managing surfaces in such an exposed location without fairway irrigation is one relished by Arthur and a team of just three, made easier with the help and advice of trusted industry contacts – one of whom is DLF’s Stuart Yarwood. “I knew Stuart when he was greenkeeping and when he joined DLF, he came in to pay us a visit. Quite quickly the conversation moved beyond just products and into practical agronomic support” he explains.

For years, the club had struggled with ryegrass and fescue mixtures that germinated well but failed to retain coverage when drought conditions arrived. In an attempt to encourage the naturally occurring sheeps and hard fescue and bolster this with other hardwearing, resilient and top-ranking fescue cultivars, Arthur and the team opted to sow J Sustain Fairway from the Johnsons Sports Seed range.

“It was evident very quickly that the J Sustain Fairway mixture was able to thrive in our sandy soil environment and within a few months from the first sowing, the club and the players noticed significant improvements in both coverage and sward density.” Arthur continues, “Last year was our third year on this programme and, arguably, the most challenging with very prolonged, dry conditions. Thanks to the now established fescue populations, the fairways emerged relatively unscathed which also instils confidence that the course is in a much better position to survive these extremes in weather moving forwards.”

Designed to thrive under low-input management, J Sustain Fairway’s fine-turf fescue formulation delivers excellent playability, density and visual merit with reduced fertiliser, lower irrigation and less intensive maintenance. Introduced to the range in 2023, it performs particularly well on heathland and links courses and those exposed sites prone to environmental extremes.

Stuart has been keeping a close eye on the progress, together with DLF’s Ben Morgan and the STRI agronomy team. “Because we don’t have fairway irrigation, we only really get overseeding window every year in the autumn, which makes the performance of this mixture even more impressive.” He concludes, “The compliments we’ve received from the members are testament to the turnaround J Sustain Fairway has delivered.”

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

How technology is changing natural grass management in modern stadiums

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

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