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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 […]

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

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

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces Maintaining consistent playing surfaces has become one of the biggest challenges in sports turf. With increased usage and higher expectations, pitches are under constant pressure to perform and remain stable, resilient, and reliable week after week. For many turf managers, that performance is increasingly linked to one key factor: […]

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

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

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

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

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

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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Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

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

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

Maintaining consistent playing surfaces has become one of the biggest challenges in sports turf. With increased usage and higher expectations, pitches are under constant pressure to perform and remain stable, resilient, and reliable week after week.

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

For many turf managers, that performance is increasingly linked to one key factor: the rootzone.

Kate Finlayson, research and development agronomist at Orion Future Technologies, believes that improving how the soil system functions is critical to delivering consistent pitch quality.

“If the rootzone is not performing, the surface won’t either,” she explains. “One measure is managing inputs and presentation, but if the soil structure and function are not right, there will always be inconsistency in how the pitch plays and recovers.”

One area gaining attention is the use of silicon within turf management programmes, not just for plant strength but for its influence on the soil system that underpins surface performance.

“Silicon has traditionally been seen as something that benefits the plant,” Kate says. “But what’s becoming more important is how it supports the soil where it can improve structure, stability, and the overall function of the rootzone.”

From a performance perspective, this translates into a more consistent and reliable surface.

“The aim is to help develop a rootzone that holds together under play, supports strong rooting, and doesn’t break down with use. Improving the structure and stability of that profile can help achieve a surface that performs more consistently,” she says.

Improvements in soil aggregation and pore structure can help create a more uniform profile, reducing variability across the pitch. This supports better root development and contributes to improved recovery following wear, particularly in high-traffic areas.

“It’s about giving the plant a better environment to anchor into. If roots are stronger and the soil is more stable, the surface is better able to cope with pressure and bounce back after use,” Kate explains.

There are also nutrient efficiency and biological activity benefits, both of which play a role in maintaining consistent turf performance over time.

“A more functional soil system supports more balanced growth and better recovery. Instead of constantly trying to correct issues, the focus shifts to making the surface work with improvements to the whole growing system,” she says.

As with any input, silicon is not a standalone solution. Its effectiveness depends on how it is integrated into a wider turf management programme, including aeration, appropriate nutrition, and practices that support soil health.

“Good agronomy still underpins everything. But where silicon fits in is helping to strengthen the system that everything else relies on.”

As demands on playing surfaces continue to increase, that system-based approach is becoming more important.

“Turf management is shifting. It’s less about reacting to problems on the surface and more about building a rootzone that can consistently deliver performance. That’s where the focus needs to be,” she concludes.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Abersoch weathers coastal challenges with Johnsons J Sustain Fairway

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

Strengthen rootzones for better playing surfaces

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